Concert Review: The Music of China’s Magnificent Mountains – Darrell Ang and SCO

Darrell Ang leads the Singapore Chinese Orchestra through an immersive soundscape capturing a vivid journey across mountains. Last weekend, under the baton of Darrell Ang, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s The Music of China’s Magnificent Mountains unfolded like a carefully charted expedition, one where every ascent, valley, and horizon was shaped with intention. From the very beginning, Ang established a distinct presence, where his entrance was … Continue reading Concert Review: The Music of China’s Magnificent Mountains – Darrell Ang and SCO

★★★★☆ Dance Review: Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

Somewhere between trance and precision, Fase keeps turning. Watching Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich, the signature work of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, feels less like attending a performance and more like submitting to a condition. It is not something that easily invites a rating. It asks instead for time, attention, and a willingness to sit inside repetition—something that feels … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Dance Review: Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Secondary – The Musical (2026) by Checkpoint Theatre

Note: the performance reviewed featured understudies in the following major roles: Risa Ann Wong as Lilin, Nadya Zaheer as Mandy, Izzul Irfan as Omar, Fahim Murshed as Reyansh, Coco Wang as Ensemble (Discipline, Rong, Vice-Principal, Hui Ling), Nurulhuda Hassan as (Ensemble: Humour, Nadrah, Welfare, Amira, Cik Sya) weish’s Secondary: The Musical returns with a surer, more confident restaging, deepening the emotional resonance of an already … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Secondary – The Musical (2026) by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: [title of show] (2026) by Sing’theatre

Metatheatrical musical pokes fun at the Broadway dream with charm and twee humour. Few musicals are as self-mythologising or as beloved within musical theatre circles as [title of show]. Since its debut, the meta-musical about two writers racing to create a musical has earned a kind of cult status, not just for its wit, but for how closely it mirrors the aspirations, anxieties, and inside … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: [title of show] (2026) by Sing’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

★★★★★ 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

★★★☆☆ 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

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: The Christians by Wild Rice

Hell is other Christians. The Christians arrives as one of the most unexpected entries in Wild Rice’s 2026 programming, and perhaps one of its most surprisingly provocative. A company long associated with sharp political critique, queer advocacy, and a willingness to satirise conservative structures, this is a show that feels almost disarming in its restraint. Where one might expect irreverence, Lucas Hnath’s critically-acclaimed play instead … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: The Christians by Wild Rice

★★★★★ 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)

Music Review: Shostakovich with Leonidas Kavakos & Hannu Lintu by Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Under Hannu Lintu, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra delivers a gripping, emotionally-charged Shostakovich marathon alongside violinist Leonidas Kavakos. There was something revealing in a remark shared in conversation with Hannu Lintu beforehand, where he stated that the soloist, above all, must remain central. It is a simple philosophy, but one that shaped the entire evening. What emerged was not just a display of orchestral discipline, but … Continue reading Music Review: Shostakovich with Leonidas Kavakos & Hannu Lintu by Singapore Symphony Orchestra