SIFA 2019: The Mysterious Lai Teck by Ho Tzu Nyen (Review)

A brief history of a fictitious communist acts as the starting point for which to deconstruct the very nature of truth itself. Far too often in the recording of history, tiny details get lost from simple descriptors, to entire accounts of people. The latter in particular is explored in full with Ho Tzu Nyen’s The Mysterious Lai Teck. Based off a former leader of the Malayan … Continue reading SIFA 2019: The Mysterious Lai Teck by Ho Tzu Nyen (Review)

SIFA 2019: Peter and the Wolf by Silo Theatre (Review)

Joyous, modern take on Prokofiev’s classic that will enchant any child with the magic of theatre. Every once in a while, amidst the darkness and grit that so much of today’s theatre is characterised by, there is a distinct need to lighten up the mood and find optimism in simple, yet powerful reminders of all that is good in the world. Presented by New Zealand’s … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Peter and the Wolf by Silo Theatre (Review)

SIFA 2019: Dionysus by Suzuki Company of Toga & Purnati Indonesia (Review)

Tadashi Suzuki draws out the wicked and the divine from a classic Greek tragedy . Staging a classic Greek tragedy has never been an easy feat for any theatre company – as enduring as these stories are, the true challenge lies in having a production simultaneously bring something new to the tale, while still preserving the essence of message of the original tale. In the … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Dionysus by Suzuki Company of Toga & Purnati Indonesia (Review)

Review: Ghost Call by RAW Moves

A call to reduce the distance technology has created. In the age of Tinder, WhatsApp, and other social media applications, the need to ever meet someone else in person for the sake of conversation has rapidly decreased. But is there still value in that face to face interaction that we’ve forgotten? That’s the crux of contemporary dance company RAW Moves’ latest production, as Ghost Call explores … Continue reading Review: Ghost Call by RAW Moves

SIFA 2019: Beware of Pity by Schaubühne Berlin & Complicité (Review)

Crippling guilt is the driving force of tragedy in this co-production between Schaubühne Berlin and Simon McBurney After closing SIFA 2018 with An Enemy of the People, Germany’s Schaubühne Berlin has now returned to open SIFA 2019 in an almost poetic act of programming continuity. In a similar vein to their production last year, Beware of Pity is a scathing, pointed look at the darkness of the human … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Beware of Pity by Schaubühne Berlin & Complicité (Review)

Review: Civilised by The Necessary Stage

An audacious celebration of the Singapore Bicentennial and our post-colonial hangups in true TNS fashion.  From the very moment the Singapore Bicentennial was announced, fiery controversy was sparked as the sheer audacity of such an event was called into question. After all, which country actually celebrates the anniversary of their colonisation? It is from this central question that The Necessary Stage’s newest production seems to be … Continue reading Review: Civilised by The Necessary Stage

Review: SIDES 2019 by Frontier Danceland

A double bill of work to mark Frontier Danceland’s latest mid-year production. Once again presenting their annual mid-year production, Frontier Danceland’s latest edition of SIDES features a double bill of work, choreographed by renowned choreographers Edouard Hue and Shahar Binyamini for the company’s artists. SIDES began with Edouard Hue’s Into Outside, previously performed for the Ecole de Danse Contemporaine of Montreal in 2018. Exploring the concept of wanting … Continue reading Review: SIDES 2019 by Frontier Danceland

Review: This Is What Happens To Pretty Girls by Pangdemonium

Grey areas abound as Pangdemonium addresses the ugly truth of sexual assault. When NUS student Monica Baey posted about her traumatic experience with a campus Peeping Tom on Instagram in April 2019, she set off a nationwide social media storm that has seen supporters and detractors both rallying behind her call for justice, and condemning her for kicking up a fuss, with perceived ulterior motives … Continue reading Review: This Is What Happens To Pretty Girls by Pangdemonium

Review: Never Rarely Sometimes Often by Tapestry Playback Theatre

Therapy via improv theatre. To the lay person, attending a theatre can often seem like a daunting prospect, requiring a certain amount of class, intelligence or knowledge to even begin appreciating. With community theatre, those are imagined boundaries that are completely tossed out the window, welcoming audiences from all walks of life, regardless of background, to attend and be a part of. With Tapestry Playback … Continue reading Review: Never Rarely Sometimes Often by Tapestry Playback Theatre

Review: The Phantom of the Opera presented by BASE Entertainment Asia

Musical perfection is hard to argue against. As one of the world’s most famous musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera needs little to no introduction for anyone with even a little knowledge of musical theatre. From the West End to Broadway, to numerous international tours all around the world, The Phantom of the Opera has stunned and enchanted an infinitum of audience members across the … Continue reading Review: The Phantom of the Opera presented by BASE Entertainment Asia