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

Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》“Teochew Opera Classics Excerpts” by Nam Hwa Opera

Nam Hwa Opera’s quarterly FREE outreach series Nam Hwa Blazes is back this September for a very special edition. Playing at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre on Friday, 27th September 2019, the upcoming edition of Nam Hwa Blazes will be presented by veteran Teochew opera actors, who will perform 3 opera performances surrounding the bitterness, hardships and happiness in love. In Reunion at the tower《楼台会》, legendary lovers Liang Shanbo and Zhu … Continue reading Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》“Teochew Opera Classics Excerpts” by Nam Hwa Opera

Preview: New Works Festival 2019 by Singapore Chinese Language Theatre Alliance

In 2016, six of Singapore’s leading Chinese language theatre companies united and formed the Singapore Chinese Language Theatre Alliance. Aiming to surface and address concerns and issues pertaining to the development of Chinese language theatre scene in Singapore, the six members of the alliance are Drama Box, Nine Years Theatre, Paper Monkey Theatre, The Finger Players, The Theatre Practice and Toy Factory Productions. Three years on, they’re … Continue reading Preview: New Works Festival 2019 by Singapore Chinese Language Theatre Alliance

Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》(September 2019) by Nam Hwa Opera

Nam Hwa Opera’s quarterly FREE outreach series Nam Hwa Blazes is back this September for a very special edition. Taking place at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre this Saturday, they’ll be presenting “Drums, Tunes, Children and Rhyme”,  with 4 music pieces by Nam Hwa Opera’s Teochew Music Ensemble, along with 6 songs by Nam Hwa’s Pharyngeal Singing student, all taught by renowned Chinese musician Wu Kun,. This edition of Nam … Continue reading Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》(September 2019) by Nam Hwa Opera

Review: Love Ya Mom! by (爱呀,我的妈!) by Godot Theatre Company

Heartwarming tale that’ll bring anyone closer to their mom. There’s just some nights you need nothing more than a simple and clean musical to reassure and make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Most recently, that musical happens to be Taiwanese theatre company Godot Theatre’s Love Ya Mom!, which played at the Esplanade Theatre in its overseas debut. Directed by Liang Chi-Ming, with music by acclaimed … Continue reading Review: Love Ya Mom! by (爱呀,我的妈!) by Godot Theatre Company

Review: First Fleet (第一舰队) by Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Steering audiences to believe in the redemptive power of art. Written and directed by Nelson Chia, First Fleet marks a bold move for the Nine Years Theatre artistic director, clearly differentiating them from the rest of the companies producing works relating to Singapore’ colonial history this year. Taking inspiration from both historical figures and Thomas Keneally’s novel The Playmaker, First Fleet instead focuses on Australia’s colonial history. And more specifically, the … Continue reading Review: First Fleet (第一舰队) by Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Nine Years Theatre’s First Fleet (第一舰队): An Interview with Director Nelson Chia

Following FAUST/US earlier this year, Nine Years Theatre returns this week for their second production of the year – an original work about the first British fleet to step foot onto what would eventually become Australia, aptly titled First Fleet. Written and directed by Nelson Chia, we posed a number of questions to the Nine Years Theatre Artistic Director to find out a little more about what we … Continue reading Nine Years Theatre’s First Fleet (第一舰队): An Interview with Director Nelson Chia

Godot Theatre Company’s Love Ya Mom!: An Interview with the Cast and Creatives

The body swap trope is not an uncommon one in film and television, but has it ever been done onstage? With Taiwan’s Godot Theatre Company, not only have they done that with 2017 musical Love Ya Mom!, but did so with roaring success, becoming the fastest-selling show at the 2017 Taiwan International Festival of Arts. Now, come see the hit show yourself as Godot Theatre Company returns … Continue reading Godot Theatre Company’s Love Ya Mom!: An Interview with the Cast and Creatives

Review: Rock Guardians of the Sea (守护海洋的神岛) by The Fool Theatre

The origin story of Pulau Ubin as a Mandarin musical. From criticism of our colonial past to entire installations about Sang Nila Utama and beyond, the Bicentennial year has ensured that a bumper crop of new plays would emerge looking back on Singapore’s history. Amongst these is the Fool Theatre’s latest production, a brand new, original Mandarin musical, which, in contrast to some of the more … Continue reading Review: Rock Guardians of the Sea (守护海洋的神岛) by The Fool Theatre