Live film and theatre collide to form an elegiac reflection on trauma and connection. When theatre meets film, the latter is often done in service of the former, supporting the live performance by projecting footage that provides backstory or adds to the mood and thematic concerns. But what happens when you reverse that relationship, and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Pompeii by Edith Podesta and K. Rajagopal (SIFA 2023)
★☆☆☆☆ Review: NEW-ILLUSION by Toshiki Okada/chelfitsch (SIFA 2023)
Too much restraint turns an innovative breakup narrative into a snoozefest. In an edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) that has focused so much on formal experimentation and exploration, it's always exciting when a company like chelfitsch comes in with a new form they've been developing for several years, seemingly promising an … Continue reading ★☆☆☆☆ Review: NEW-ILLUSION by Toshiki Okada/chelfitsch (SIFA 2023)
★★★★☆ Review: Humans 2.0 by Circa (SIFA 2023)
Photo Credit: Circa and David Kelly Circus acts elevated to art in a performance that shows the necessity of care. In an already crowded arts and entertainment industry, it can be difficult to stand out and offer something new to the scene. Enter Australian circus company Circa, who show that there is still room to … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Humans 2.0 by Circa (SIFA 2023)
★☆☆☆☆ Review: The School by Jean Ng, Li Xie and Joavien Ng (SIFA 2023)
A series of exercises in self-reflection that leaves audiences wandering. How much do you remember from your time in school? Most people are likely to tell you - not much, as we complained about the stress of exams and the pointlessness of learning certain subjects. But with participatory performance The School, the Singapore International Festival … Continue reading ★☆☆☆☆ Review: The School by Jean Ng, Li Xie and Joavien Ng (SIFA 2023)
Review: LOVE DIVINE by SUKKI, Daniel Kok and Luke George (SIFA 2023)
Knotty forms of love and social commentary, and titillating forms of subversive entertainment. The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) has never shied away from unusual presentations and venues. But while grunge or nature has often characterised the surprise space, this year, they've gone a little higher - literally, with CÉ LA VI on the … Continue reading Review: LOVE DIVINE by SUKKI, Daniel Kok and Luke George (SIFA 2023)
SIFA 2023: An Interview with Circa Associate Director Ben Knapton, and Tour Manager Todd Kilby, for ‘Humans 2.0’
Death-defying acrobatics, the human body stretched to its extremes, and intimate choreography that makes us feel for the performers - who doesn't love the circus? In Circa's Humans 2.0, the Australian circus company is taking the species to the next level, and blends movement, dance, theatre, and circus together to explore how we connect, attract, … Continue reading SIFA 2023: An Interview with Circa Associate Director Ben Knapton, and Tour Manager Todd Kilby, for ‘Humans 2.0’
SIFA 2023: An Interview with Toshiki Okada, playwright and director of ‘NEW-ILLUSION’
In the realm of theatre, what is real and what is not? That's a line further blurred in Japanese theatre production NEW-ILLUSION. Utilising chelfitsch’s innovative EIZO-Theater style, watch as life-size projections create dynamic illusions that live actors play with. In NEW-ILLUSION, projected images of a man and a woman begin talking about a play that … Continue reading SIFA 2023: An Interview with Toshiki Okada, playwright and director of ‘NEW-ILLUSION’
SIFA 2023: An Interview with Thanapol Virulhakul, director of ‘INTERMISSION’
In INTERMISSION, traditional Thai music and contemporary dance practice intertwine to examine the body as a political site and the sociopolitical power of dance. Stuck in the state-enforced past and unable to see the future of his own country, choreographer Thanapol Virulhakul proposes Thai postmodern dance as a method to navigate Thailand’s socio-political power structure … Continue reading SIFA 2023: An Interview with Thanapol Virulhakul, director of ‘INTERMISSION’
★★★★★ Review: £¥€$ (LIES) by Ontroerend Goed (SIFA 2023)
Photo Credit: Thomas Dhanens Money makes the world go round...or does it? Making a name for themselves with their innovative immersive and participatory performances, Belgium-based theatre company Ontroerend Goed arrives in Singapore to present a game-like theatrical experience - £¥€$ (LIES). As its title suggests, £¥€$ (LIES) is all about money, where audience members become … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: £¥€$ (LIES) by Ontroerend Goed (SIFA 2023)
★★★★★ Review: Lolling and Rolling by Jaha Koo (SIFA 2023)
Haunted by the spectre of cultural imperialism and linguistic violence. In the modern world, where the West has long been seen as the cultural capital, English remains the primary language of communication, seen as a necessity if one is to succeed. For many Asian countries, this has manifested in making it the lingua franca, to … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Lolling and Rolling by Jaha Koo (SIFA 2023)
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