Category: festival

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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Arts, Dance with Me, festival, Preview, Theatre

SIFA – Singapore International Festival of Arts 2026 set to turn city into a playground for the arts with theme ‘Let’s Play’

For two weeks in May, Singapore becomes a stage. Across theatres, parks and historic civic spaces, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) returns from 15 to 30 May with performances that stretch from aerial dance spectacles and immersive theatre to experimental late-night encounters. This year’s edition carries an unusually simple invitation: “Let’s Play.” The phrase captures the spirit of a festival that wants audiences … Continue reading SIFA – Singapore International Festival of Arts 2026 set to turn city into a playground for the arts with theme ‘Let’s Play’

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Arts, festival, Review, Theatre, Theatres

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Le Père (The Father) 父亲 by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

by D.Y. Mandarin adaptation of acclaimed Florian Zeller play finds heartbreaking new resonance; spotlighting the Asian sensibilities of a family at war with Alzheimer’s disease.  In theatre, there are few plays that break the trust between audience and performer in its storytelling; And with an unassuming title such as ‘The Father’, the audience is lured into a false sense of familiarity. But, when the naturalistic, … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Le Père (The Father) 父亲 by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

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