Category: Review

Arts, Review, SIFA 2021, Singapore

★★★★☆ Review: _T0701_ by Zeugma (SIFA 2021)

Black Mirror meets black magic. The ‘toyol’ or undead infant frequently features in Malay folklore, used as a tool by bomohs (shaman) to conduct black magic and cause mischief. But in a futuristic world ruled by technology, is there still a place for outdated superstitions or magic to exist? Blending cyberpunk with a quintessentially Singaporean flavour, local arts collective Zeugma’s new work _T0701_ imagines a … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: _T0701_ by Zeugma (SIFA 2021)

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Arts, Review, SIFA 2021, Singapore

Review: From Mee to You by Chef Justin Quek (SIFA 2021)

Letting the culinary arts bring people together and SIFA to a close. When it comes to an arts festival, few people would include or even consider the culinary arts a relevant part of the lineup. But just as watching a live theatre performance can bring people closer together, so can food – even if we’re physically apart. That idea of a shared meal is what … Continue reading Review: From Mee to You by Chef Justin Quek (SIFA 2021)

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Arts, Film, Review, Singapore

★★★★☆ Review: Parque Mayer dir. António-Pedro Vasconcelos

Art and politics collide in this moving tribute to the titular Portuguese amusement park. For most Singaporeans, Portuguese history and culture are likely to be little known subjects at the back of our minds. But with António-Pedro Vasconcelos’ Parque Mayer, one is left intrigued and compelled to find out more, thanks to the stirring performances and tale of revolution via art, as told through one … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Parque Mayer dir. António-Pedro Vasconcelos

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Arts, Review, SIFA 2021, Singapore

★★★★☆ Review: Demon States by The Observatory (SIFA 2021)

Futurist cyberpunk hellscapes to accompany new songs from The Observatory. Presented as part of the 2021 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Demon States is one of this edition’s most unique offerings yet. Produced by The Observatory, the immersive mixed reality experience acts as a preview for the local band’s upcoming album with Koichi Shimizu, and combines their music with set design by Irfan Kasban, … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Demon States by The Observatory (SIFA 2021)

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Arts, Review, SIFA 2021, Singapore

★★★★☆ Review: A Thousand Ways by 600 Highwaymen (SIFA 2021)

Learning to connect again in three parts. After a year of the pandemic, watching dramatic readings on Zoom and pre-recorded archival footage, audience members are hungry for one thing – engagement. And one of the most effective ways of doing that is turning the tables and transforming the audience into the artist. In a way, that’s what 600 Highwaymen have done in A Thousand Ways, … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: A Thousand Ways by 600 Highwaymen (SIFA 2021)

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Review, Singapore, Theatre

★★☆☆☆ Review: Unsolicited Advice From My Ex – A Double Bill by Bored Whale Theatre

Surreal explorations of friendship and self. They say hindsight is 20/20, but no one ever likes to hear someone else tell them ‘I told you so’. Even worse when that person was someone you fell out with, something new theatre company Bored Whale Theatre tackles in their debut production Unsolicited Advice From My Ex, a double bill of new work written and directed by Wisely … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: Unsolicited Advice From My Ex – A Double Bill by Bored Whale Theatre

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Dance with Me, online, Review, Singapore

Review: Pán 盤 by T.H.E. Dance Company

Using dance to present the converging of cultures and our shared beliefs. Pan, or ‘盤’ is a word that appears across various Asian cultures and vocabularies, from Mandarin to Korean, Japanese to Vietnamese. While its Mandarin character takes inspiration from the Chinese creation myth of the giant ‘Pangu’, the romanized ‘pán’ also holds a variety of meanings, from a serving bowl, to the crouched intensity of … Continue reading Review: Pán 盤 by T.H.E. Dance Company

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Arts, Books, By The Book, literature, Review

★★★☆☆ Book Review: The Years of Forgetting by Sofia Abdullah

It takes many moons before one can finally move on. There’s an article I was reading the other day about how a woman who was sexually abused as a child continued to carry this intense trauma inside her into her adulthood. Triggered by seeing her abuser lead a relatively happy life, with no visible guilt, that trauma manifested as an intense desire to kill not … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Book Review: The Years of Forgetting by Sofia Abdullah

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Arts, Review, SIFA 2021, Singapore

★★★★☆ Review: The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage (SIFA 2021)

The climate is changing for the worse – so when will we change for the better? The Year of No Return is possibly one of The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) most ambitious productions yet. Bringing together an international cast, the play tackles the expansive topic of climate change and our efforts to stop it, all while dealing with the new restrictions placed on them by the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage (SIFA 2021)

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Arts, Review, SIFA 2021, Singapore

★★★★☆ Review: The Journey by Scott Silven (SIFA 2021)

Magical storytelling that bringing us closer online. I’m a cynic at heart, and have always known that stage magic is a matter of sleight of hand, misdirection and trickery to pull off an act. And when magic is performed via a digital medium, one cannot help but suspect its ‘authenticity’ even more, given how easy it is to manipulate videos and video feeds. But there’s … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Journey by Scott Silven (SIFA 2021)

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