Huayi 2025: An Interview with playwright Katherine Hui-ling Chou and director Lee Yi Hsiu on Siong Leng Musical Association’s ‘The Heart of Jun – Memoirs of Zhaojun’

Renowned through Chinese history as one of the legendary Four Beauties of China, Wang Zhaojun’s importance went far beyond her looks, with diplomatic importance in her marriage that helped establish friendly ties with the Han dynasty. And while she may have long departed from this world, echoes of her existence continue to exist in our modern day, one which Nanyin music specialists Siong Leng Musical … Continue reading Huayi 2025: An Interview with playwright Katherine Hui-ling Chou and director Lee Yi Hsiu on Siong Leng Musical Association’s ‘The Heart of Jun – Memoirs of Zhaojun’

Huayi 2025: An Interview with award-winning writer-director Wu Nien-jen on the power of theatre in ‘Human Condition VIII’

Building a loyal following and domestic audience in Taiwan for over twenty years, Taiwanese artist Wu Nien-jen is finally bringing his beloved Human Condition theatre series to Singapore for the first time. Enjoyed by over half a million Taiwanese theatregoers since its inception in 2000, this year, the Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts will be bringing its latest iteration to the Esplanade Theatre, … Continue reading Huayi 2025: An Interview with award-winning writer-director Wu Nien-jen on the power of theatre in ‘Human Condition VIII’

Huayi 2025: An Interview with Low Mei Yoke on dancing for life, and an invitation to ‘Dance with Me’

For Low Mei Yoke, dance has always been more than just movement—it’s a lifelong pursuit that has also been the glue keeping her closest friendships strong throughout the years. Now, with her latest show, Dance With Me, she’s inviting audiences into a deeply personal and heartfelt reunion, and to watch the power of friendship on display through dance and movement. Playing as part of the … Continue reading Huayi 2025: An Interview with Low Mei Yoke on dancing for life, and an invitation to ‘Dance with Me’

Art What!: An Interview with artist Yang Derong on DIGikat and the weaving of food and culture

When multidisciplinary artist Yang Derong walks into a room, he turns heads. Fashion designer, costume designer, multidisciplinary artist – his identity is as layered as the intricate stories he tells through his art, one which comes through strongly at Singapore Art Week (SAW) with his latest project, DIGikat. DIGikat draws inspiration from ikat weaving, a traditional craft that interlaces threads to form patterns. By reimagining … Continue reading Art What!: An Interview with artist Yang Derong on DIGikat and the weaving of food and culture

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with MASHH (Mm and Something Happens Here) on ‘I Am Seaweed’

Growing up in fast-paced Singapore with its high expectations gets to even the most resilient of people. There always comes a breaking point for everyone, yet, we keep telling ourselves we can take on more and more and more. For Cheryl Ho, Rachel Lee, who form theatre collective MASHH (Mm and Something Happens Here), they liken it to the unusual metaphor of seaweed, and how … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with MASHH (Mm and Something Happens Here) on ‘I Am Seaweed’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Noma Yini Pty Ltd on ‘Commission Continua’

Everyone knows that bureaucracy and paperwork is the bane of any civil servant. But look hard enough into the abyss of red tape and jargon, and you’ll start to uncover darkness like never before. Investigating the depths of paperwork and commissions of inquiries is South Africa’s Noma Yini Pty Ltd with their work Commission Continua, which makes its Singapore premiere at the M1 Singapore Fringe … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Noma Yini Pty Ltd on ‘Commission Continua’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with The Necessary Stage on a new staging of Haresh Sharma’s ‘Eclipse’

Over the years, The Necessary Stage (TNS) has made a name for itself with some of the most gripping, hard-hitting plays to come out of Singapore, primarily thanks to Resident Playwright and Cultural Medallion recipient Haresh Sharma. Among these plays is Eclipse, which looks at three generations of men struggling with their dreams and their journeys, as a young Singaporean man makes a journey to … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with The Necessary Stage on a new staging of Haresh Sharma’s ‘Eclipse’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Birds Migrant Theatre on ‘The Troupe’

Comprising a group of theatre enthusiasts who also happen to be migrant workers, Birds Migrant Theatre is back for another edition of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival this coming January. Following Foreign Bodies in 2023, which we described as ‘an unflinching, objectively written story that speaks truth to the limitations of being a migrant in Singapore’, the team is back withThe Troupe, yet another original … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Birds Migrant Theatre on ‘The Troupe’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Qabilah on ‘WePushTheSky’

Friends are and have always been a key part of our lives – no man is an island after all, and more than ever, rather than seeking out tribes where we simply see the similarities, it becomes more important to make space for differences, expand our mindsets and welcome others with open arms and nuance. That is what Indian company Qabilah is doing with WePushTheSky, … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Qabilah on ‘WePushTheSky’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Ruby Jayaseelan on ‘Dancing with the Ghost of My Child’

Can the arts heal pain? In tackling issues such as vulnerability, trauma and the desire to heal, the students of the BA (Hons) in Performance Making programme at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts are attempting to do just that, in Dancing with the Ghost of My Child in January. Playing as part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2025, the devised work is led by … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Ruby Jayaseelan on ‘Dancing with the Ghost of My Child’