★★★★☆ Review: The Mother by Pangdemonium

The existential crisis of the loss of motherhood excruciatingly performed onstage. The COVID-19 pandemic has left most of us mentally exhausted and burnt out, uncertain when we will ever reclaim a sense of normalcy ever again. In many ways, Pangdemonium’s staging of The Mother encapsulates that same feeling of despondence, in its portrayal of a mother struggling to let go of her maternal role, and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Mother by Pangdemonium

★★★☆☆ Review: The Swimming Pool Library by T:>works

Skimming the surface of the quest for queer identity in Singapore. Being queer has never been easy on our conservative, sunny island. Not only does does one have to face the disapproval of the general public and fear of coming out, but the road towards sexual awakening is often a bumpy one, with fleeting sexual encounters taking place with strangers under cover of darkness, or … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: The Swimming Pool Library by T:>works

★★★☆☆ Review: With Time by Drama Box

Time heals everything. In many ways, With Time is the culmination of Drama Box resident artist Chng Yi Kai’s work over the last year or so, with his experience in researching mental health, to facilitating interactive, forum-style theatre. The succinct 60 minute or so production deals with one of the most pressing matters today – mental health, and uses verbatim theatre as a means to … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: With Time by Drama Box

Review: Pancha – Less and Lesser by Maya Dance Theatre

Life goes on if you want it to. When there’s a will, there’s a way, a saying that’s exemplified in Maya Dance Theatre’s 2021 edition of their Pancha series. Titled Less and Lesser, the production tackles the age-old issue of well, growing old, and shows that age is no barrier to self-expression with the power of the performing arts. Not only that, but due to … Continue reading Review: Pancha – Less and Lesser by Maya Dance Theatre

★★★☆☆ Review: Skin by Toy Factory

Let bygones be bygones. Written by Koh Tian Seng and directed by Adeeb Fazah, Skin, the final play to conclude Toy Factory’s 2021 Wright Stuff Festival, is a promising new work that deals with ideas of faith, commitment, and bodybuilding. The story follows Yang Xin (Dennis Sofian) as he decides to take his relationship with Afifah (Elisa Mustika) to the next level. But before he … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Skin by Toy Factory

★☆☆☆☆ Review: Lion by Toy Factory

Second chances just don’t happen. Playing as part of Toy Factory’s 2021 The Wright Stuff Festival, Lion is a play that deals with a smorgasbord of difficult topics. Written by Jedidiah Huang, the plot follows Yi Kai (Lim Wei Wen Wayne), a single, reformed party playboy jock, on the cusp of adopting the teenage Danial (Bryan Tee) as his son. But when his interviewer turns … Continue reading ★☆☆☆☆ Review: Lion by Toy Factory

★★★★☆ Review: Keluarga Besar En. Karim (The Karims) by Checkpoint Theatre

Wholesome family drama about the importance of communication. Over the last year, the pandemic has forced multiple productions to either postpone, or reimagine themselves for a digital space. While there are those that have successfully utilised and harnessed the potential of platforms like Zoom, others instead opted for a straight up livestream, where audiences would simply watch a video recording of the show. And then … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Keluarga Besar En. Karim (The Karims) by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★★☆ Review: Straight Acting by Wild Rice

Starting the family you want, against all odds. Being gay in Singapore has never been easy. From being unable to officially recognise same-sex partners, to incurring the ire of more conservative family members, there are times it’s simply easier to hide one’s sexuality for the sake of fitting in and staying discreet. However, for queer couples Jaime and Olivia (Eve Voigtlander and Deonn Yang), and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Straight Acting by Wild Rice

★★★★★ Review: Electrify My World by Nine Years Theatre

Triumphant work that brings a bright spark to a dark time. Narratives about intense rivalries have always been ripe with dramatic potential, gripping audience members with the ways each tries to outdo the other, and the almost electrifying tension between them. But it takes a truly gifted playwright to spin those narratives beyond a feud, to lead audiences to think about the bigger conundrums of … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Electrify My World by Nine Years Theatre

★★☆☆☆ Review: The Time Machine by Toy Factory

A fledgling idea that needed more time in the incubator. From HG Wells’ The Time Machine to Doctor Who’s TARDIS, the idea of time travel has fascinated us for centuries. But the key idea that strings them all together, that motivates so many time travelers, is a single theme – regret, and the drive to change the past for the better. Kicking off Toy Factory’s … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: The Time Machine by Toy Factory