Review: Happy Ever Laughter 2018 – The Battle by Dream Academy

A change in format and strong curation makes Dream Academy’s signature comedy show more laugh out loud than ever before. There’s nothing more exciting than a show with stakes, and with the fourth edition of Dream Academy’s Happy Ever Laughter, those stakes are raised as the signature comedy show pits 12 of Singapore’s best comedians against each other as they vie for the title of Singapore’s funniest. Taking on … Continue reading Review: Happy Ever Laughter 2018 – The Battle by Dream Academy

Singapore Theatre Festival 2018: Supervision (Review)

A successful second outing for Thomas Lim in this gripping domestic drama touching on national themes.  George Orwell’s novel 1984 may have predicted a future where he believed our every action and movement will be placed under surveillance, but never could he possibly have imagined that the perpetrators would be ourselves. That dystopian future has unwittingly become a startling reality in Singapore, where not only are there CCTV … Continue reading Singapore Theatre Festival 2018: Supervision (Review)

Review: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

There’s something about the Esplanade Recital Studio that is so special, given the intimacy it affords. This intimacy is what gives rise to the power of Japanese singer songwriter Sachiyo Nakagaki’s beautiful voice, crisp, sensual and chic as it wafted through the Recital Studio in her ‘A Song of Life’ concert last Wednesday (27th June). Sachiyo’s voice lends itself perfectly to the kind of music … Continue reading Review: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Review: My Grandfather’s Road by Neo Kim Seng (Cantonese versions, performed by Tan Cher Kian and Gary Tang)

Two ways to tell a poignant story of growing up in Cantonese.  First written as a book, in My Grandfather’s Road, Neo Kim Seng explores his familial history through the lens and geography of a bygone Singapore, thinking of his childhood growing up on what is literally his grandfather’s road (Neo Pee Teck Lane) and told through personal memories and anecdotes. While we previously watched the full … Continue reading Review: My Grandfather’s Road by Neo Kim Seng (Cantonese versions, performed by Tan Cher Kian and Gary Tang)

M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)

A double-bill of movement heavy pieces open the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival. T.H.E Dance Company opened the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival with a double bill of work. Featuring ‘EARTH’ by Humanhood and ‘Filled with sadness, the old body attacks’ by Kim Jae Duk, the festival kicked off to a strong start with both these thought-provoking, physically challenging pieces.  EARTH by Humanhood In … Continue reading M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)

Review: Framed, By Adolf by The Finger Players

Dark fairytale meets con-job for justice in this story-within-a-story about the holocaust and art. The art world is fickle and subjective, with the monetary worth of a painting determined by market forces and its value by its frame, specifically the way a backstory ‘frames’ and positions an artwork to give it legitimacy. But even the volatile art market is in agreement that a controversial work … Continue reading Review: Framed, By Adolf by The Finger Players

Review: My Grandfather’s Road by Neo Kim Seng (English version, performed by Karen Tan)

Put on your nostalgia goggles for this monologue about people and places past, laced with a pinch of death and loss.  To call a stretch of land your grandfather’s road sounds like an audacious claim. But for theatremaker Neo Kim Seng, that claim is rooted in truth, with Neo Pee Teck Lane quite literally named after his paternal grandfather. My Grandfather’s Road is adapted from … Continue reading Review: My Grandfather’s Road by Neo Kim Seng (English version, performed by Karen Tan)

Blue Note Tokyo: A Touch of Class In The Heart of Tokyo

I’m convinced Tokyo is one of the most magical megalopolises to exist on the face of the earth. Beyond being situated in Japan (no doubt a favourite country of ours), there’s life all about the city from the crack of dawn to the fading of the last sunbeams. And in particular, Roppongi comes out tops when it comes to the king of Tokyo nightlife. But … Continue reading Blue Note Tokyo: A Touch of Class In The Heart of Tokyo

Review: Fourteen by SPLIT Theatrical Productions

An absurd look at the perils of being a teenager today.  Adolescence can be a trying time. Fourteen director Darryl Lim knows best – he’s an educator, and faces teenagers on a daily basis, going through a roller coaster of emotions as he observes them interact during recess, or the way the staff approach and address them. In Fourteen, these observations are brought to light in absurd extremes. We … Continue reading Review: Fourteen by SPLIT Theatrical Productions

Review: Citizen Dog by The Finger Players

The spirits are at play in both reality and fiction in this new work tackling issues of land ownership and the foibles of human desire. Pu Songling’s monstrous 18th century collection of over 400 supernatural stories Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Zhiyi) has remained fascinating over the years, with its quirky supernatural characters from failed scholars to alluring fox spirits interwoven with a strong satirical edge. … Continue reading Review: Citizen Dog by The Finger Players