Category: festival

art, festival, heritage, Preview, Singapore

Preview: Singapore’s maritime history comes alive at Singapore HeritageFest 2026

There’s something about the sea that feels inseparable from Singapore. Maybe it’s the hum of ships on the horizon, the stories tucked into old piers, or the flavours and cultures that arrived on these shores over centuries. This May, that connection takes centre stage as the Singapore HeritageFest 2026 returns with a sweeping, islandwide celebration of maritime life: past, present, and still unfolding. Running from … Continue reading Preview: Singapore’s maritime history comes alive at Singapore HeritageFest 2026

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Arts, festival, Malay Theatre, Review, Singapore, Theatre

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Randai Macbeth by ASWARA

Shakespeare meets the Nusantara in a bold, visceral Macbeth reborn through randai. It’s no small feat to make a 400-year-old play feel fresh, but Randai Macbeth achieves exactly that, and then some. Presented by Malaysia’s ASWARA and directed by Dr Norzizi Zulkifli, this bold adaptation reimagines Macbeth through the cultural lens of the Nusantara, transforming Shakespeare’s tale of ambition and moral decay into something visceral, … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Randai Macbeth by ASWARA

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Arts, festival, Malay Theatre, Review, Singapore, Theatre

★★★★★ Theatre Review: PUNO – Sewing Memories by Papermoon Puppet Theatre

A universally affecting, timeless tale of love and loss by masters of the puppetry form. PUNO: Sewing Memories is, in many ways, a ghost story. Or perhaps more precisely, it is the story of a ghost, though not in the way we might expect. From the very outset of the show, which played as part of the Esplanade’s 2026 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: PUNO – Sewing Memories by Papermoon Puppet Theatre

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Arts, festival, Malay Theatre, Review, Singapore, Theatre

★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: La Luna by Teater Ekamatra

A lively but unfocused stage adaptation of La Luna struggles to balance satire and substance, losing the impact and weight of its source material. Adapting a film for the stage is never about simple reproduction. Theatre demands transformation, with a rethinking of form, rhythm, and storytelling. But that transformation must still serve the story. The most successful adaptations do not replicate but reinterpret with purpose. … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: La Luna by Teater Ekamatra

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Arts, festival, Hong Kong, Review

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Handle with Care by Ontroerend Goed (HKAF 2026)

A tiny theatrical miracle is experienced as you forge memories with complete strangers under an hour. HONG KONG – Belgian avant-garde theatre company Ontroerend Goed has long built a reputation for dismantling what theatre is supposed to be. With Handle with Care, they take that idea to its most radical extreme: there are no actors, no technicians, just a box, a stage, and an audience. … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Handle with Care by Ontroerend Goed (HKAF 2026)

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Arts, festival, Interview, Malay Theatre, Preview, Singapore, Theatre

Pesta Raya 2026: An Interview with Maria Tri Sulistyani, founder of Papermoon Puppet Theatre, and playwright/director of ‘PUNO – Sewing Memories’

Twelve years ago, the story that would become PUNO: Sewing Memories began with a promise. Back in 2013, Papermoon Puppet Theatre was planning a collaboration with a close friend from the Philippines: puppetry artist Don Salubayba. “It was kind of like, wow, it’s amazing that we have so much in common, let’s do something together,” recalls director and playwright Maria Tri Sulistyani, also a co-founder … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2026: An Interview with Maria Tri Sulistyani, founder of Papermoon Puppet Theatre, and playwright/director of ‘PUNO – Sewing Memories’

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Arts, festival, Interview, Malay Theatre, Preview, Singapore, Theatre

Pesta Raya 2026: An Interview with Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli on adapting Macbeth for Randai and traditional arts in Malaysia

When Dr Norzizi speaks about randai, she does not describe it as an artefact or a genre. She describes the art form as something breathing, precarious, but alive. “Without ASWARA,” she says plainly of the National Academy of Arts, Cultural and Heritage of Malaysia, “randai is a dying traditional art form. It exists, but it is also not there. If you come to Kuala Lumpur … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2026: An Interview with Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli on adapting Macbeth for Randai and traditional arts in Malaysia

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Arts, festival, Interview, Malay Theatre, Preview, Singapore, Theatre

Pesta Raya 2026: An Interview with ‘La Luna’ director Mohd Fared Jainal, playwright Ridhwan Saidi, and star Munah Bagharib

In an age where the world often feels divided and overexposed to outrage, the most compelling theatre sometimes comes from stories that remind us what it means to live, work, and confront challenges together. This year’s La Luna, making its stage debut during Pesta Raya at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, does exactly that: it’s a feel-good comedy that also asks audiences to look … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2026: An Interview with ‘La Luna’ director Mohd Fared Jainal, playwright Ridhwan Saidi, and star Munah Bagharib

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Arts, festival, Review, Theatre, Theatres

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: Tall Tales – Bananas and Ang Ku Kueh 谈谈: 香蕉与红龟粿 by The Finger Players X Shakespeare’s Wild Sisters Group

A multiplicity of riotous stories exuberantly told, even if they don’t quite add up. Tall Tales: Bananas & Ang Ku Kuehs holds a delectable premise: a Singapore–Taiwan puppet theatre collaboration drawing on the storytelling spirit of The Decameron, where tales of love, jealousy, greed and mischief multiply across cultures and generations. Directed by Oliver Chong of The Finger Players and Wang Chia-Ming of Shakespeare’s Wild … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: Tall Tales – Bananas and Ang Ku Kueh 谈谈: 香蕉与红龟粿 by The Finger Players X Shakespeare’s Wild Sisters Group

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Arts, festival, Malay Theatre, Preview, Singapore, Theatre

Preview: Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

As Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts marks its 25th edition in 2026, the beloved festival returns not just as a celebration, but as a living archive of the Nusantara’s cultural imagination. Taking place from 16 to 19 April at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, this milestone edition reflects how far the festival has come, from a platform for artistic expression to a … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

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