Huayi 2020: An Interview with Goh Boon Teck, Director and Playwright of Toy Factory’s 7 Sages of the Bamboo Grove

In Chinese history, there existed a group of seven Chinese scholars, writers, and musicians of the third century CE. As the Jin dynasty came into being, the ‘Sages’ found their lives to be in danger, and their reactions to the changes expressed themselves in new ways. Some wrote poems criticizing the court and the administration, while others tried to negotiate their way through the difficult … Continue reading Huayi 2020: An Interview with Goh Boon Teck, Director and Playwright of Toy Factory’s 7 Sages of the Bamboo Grove

Huayi 2020: An Interview with Star Pianist Tony Yike Yang

At the tender age of 16, Chinese-Canadian pianist Tony Yike Yang took the music world by storm when he became the youngest-ever laureate at the prestigious 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. Now, the young prodigy is set to make his Southeast Asian debut at the Esplanade, performing a solo recital as part of this year’s edition of Huayi – Chinese Festival of the arts. … Continue reading Huayi 2020: An Interview with Star Pianist Tony Yike Yang

Preview: Esplanade presents Huayi Festival 2020

As we approach Chinese New Year once again, so does the Esplanade’s annual Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts. Come the year of the Rat, often considered a symbol of wit, imagination and curiosity, Huayi is set to bring these traits to life in its programming, with a line-up of leading Chinese artists from Singapore and beyond between 31st January and 9th February 2020. Presenting a mix … Continue reading Preview: Esplanade presents Huayi Festival 2020

Review: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Worst birthday ever makes for one of the best shows of 2019. Growing up in Singapore, the hard and fast path to ‘success’ has always been made abundantly clear to each and every child: study hard, get into a good school, rinse and repeat, and you’ll lead a happy life. But for those who don’t follow exactly as the system dictates, the consequences could be … Continue reading Review: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Review: Tanah•Air 水•土 – A Play In Two Parts by Drama Box

Remembering those we’ve forgotten via two tales of the dispossessed.  As much as the Bicentennial celebrations claim to remember the some 700 years of recorded history of Singapore and the people who lived here back then, it tends to forget that those same people aren’t extinct, and in fact, still walk among us today. With Drama Box’s incredibly ambitious two part play Tanah•Air 水•土 then, the … Continue reading Review: Tanah•Air 水•土 – A Play In Two Parts by Drama Box

An Interview with the Creatives Behind Tanah•Air 水•土 – A Play In Two Parts by Drama Box

Tanah Air: A phrase in Malay that means ‘homeland’ in English, and forming the overarching theme of Drama Box’s newest work – Tanah•Air 水•土:A Play In Two Parts, premiering this week as part of Malay Culturefest 2019. Perhaps beyond all the Bicentennial plays this year that’ve sauntered past the history of pre-Raffles and into modern Singapore history, Tanah•Air might just be the only one that dives deep … Continue reading An Interview with the Creatives Behind Tanah•Air 水•土 – A Play In Two Parts by Drama Box

Nine Years Theatre’s Dear Elena: An Interview with Nelson Chia, Mia Chee and Timothy Wan

Near the start of 2019, local theatre company Nine Years Theatre (NYT) announced their new season, starting with FAUST/US in February, original play First Fleet in July, before rounding off with a restaging of SIFA 2017’s Art Studio in October. But midway through, due to unforeseen circumstances, Art Studio was unable to proceed as planned, and the team had to find an alternative production to round off their year. Enter Dear Elena … Continue reading Nine Years Theatre’s Dear Elena: An Interview with Nelson Chia, Mia Chee and Timothy Wan

Preview: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre returns this October for their third and final production of the year. Following the premiere of brand new play First Fleet in July, the company returns to their roots with Dear Elena, with artistic director Nelson Chia adapting a Russian play into Mandarin. Originally written by Russian playwright Lyudmila Razumovskaya, Dear Elena Sergeevna, the original play, was first staged at the beginning of … Continue reading Preview: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Preview: Tanah•Air 水•土 – A Play In Two Parts by Drama Box

As Singapore’s Bicentennial celebrations carry on throughout the year, local theatre company Drama Box has taken the opportunity to raise questions about our own history and the way it is recorded, wondering what stories and narratives have been left out in the writing of the history of our land, and its surrounding waters. Helmed by Drama Box artistic director Kok Heng Leun, in collaboration with … Continue reading Preview: Tanah•Air 水•土 – A Play In Two Parts by Drama Box

Review: KNOTS《结》by STRANGER

New Chinese theatre collective still has some knotty issues to untangle.  In spirituality, it is believed that if one does not let go of the metaphorical ‘knots in one’s heart’, then their mind will remain tormented by these unresolved issues, burdened and suffering on. It is one such knot that takes centrestage in KNOTS, playing as part of the Singapore Chinese Language Theatre Alliance’s New Works … Continue reading Review: KNOTS《结》by STRANGER