Esplanade’s The Studios 2026: An Interview with Iranian theatremaker Amir Reza Koohestani on surveillance, solidarity and the power of ‘Blind Runner’

Surveillance cameras watch every interaction. A husband visits his imprisoned wife once a week, their conversations becoming increasingly strained under the weight of constant observation. Elsewhere, he agrees to guide a young blind marathon runner through the streets of Paris, discovering that trust, like freedom, is something built one careful step at a time. In Blind Runner, acclaimed Iranian playwright and director Amir Reza Koohestani … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2026: An Interview with Iranian theatremaker Amir Reza Koohestani on surveillance, solidarity and the power of ‘Blind Runner’

Art: Maria Taniguchi – Afterimage at Singapore Art Museum

There is a temptation to describe Maria Taniguchi’s work as meditative. For nearly two decades, the Filipino artist has devoted herself to painting what appears, at first glance, to be the same image: vast fields of carefully hand-painted rectangles, meticulously built one brushstroke at a time until they resemble endless brick walls. Their monumental scale, subdued palettes and rigorous repetition have often led viewers to … Continue reading Art: Maria Taniguchi – Afterimage at Singapore Art Museum

★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: Common Room by Checkpoint Theatre

Checkpoint Theatre tackles queer themes by presenting an honest depiction of queer co-living that succeeds more as an act of representation than a piece of theatre. Duration: 90min Although Singapore has made significant strides towards LGBTQ+ acceptance, many queer Singaporeans continue to negotiate conservative workplaces, families and social expectations. For those unable to live fully out in public, chosen family and queer kinship become not … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: Common Room by Checkpoint Theatre

Legally Blonde: Breaking stereotypes with stars Vanessa Kee, Sandra Riley Tang and Siti Khalijah Zainal

For a musical that’s become synonymous with pink outfits, pop anthems and perfectly coiffed hair, Legally Blonde spends surprisingly little time asking audiences to admire appearances. Instead, it focuses on dismantling them. Nearly every major woman in the show enters the story wearing a label. Protagonist Elle Woods is the most obvious example, quickly dismissed as the ditzy blonde. But while she may be the … Continue reading Legally Blonde: Breaking stereotypes with stars Vanessa Kee, Sandra Riley Tang and Siti Khalijah Zainal

Legally Blonde: An interview with director Kate Golledge and choreographer Simon Hardwick on bringing out the best of Singapore Repertory Theatre’s all-star cast

Everybody underestimates Elle Woods. That is, after all, the entire premise of Legally Blonde. Before she even speaks, people have already decided who she is: too blonde, too fashionable, too frivolous to be taken seriously. Yet for director Kate Golledge, that’s also the biggest misconception audiences have about the musical itself. “I love Legally Blonde. I honestly think it’s one of the best-written contemporary musicals … Continue reading Legally Blonde: An interview with director Kate Golledge and choreographer Simon Hardwick on bringing out the best of Singapore Repertory Theatre’s all-star cast

Music: Meet the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s newest musicians Bryan Chong, Martin Peh and Reina Teo

In the hearts of many young Singaporean musicians, performing with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an aspiration that begins long before they step onto the concert stage. For Bryan Chong, Martin Peh and Reina Teo, that aspiration has now become reality. Horn player Bryan joined in September 2025 after years of performing alongside the SSO as a freelance musician. Violinist Martin joined full time … Continue reading Music: Meet the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s newest musicians Bryan Chong, Martin Peh and Reina Teo

Preview: Singapore Night Festival 2026 returns with myths, legends and immersive night-time adventures across Bras Basah.Bugis

Singapore Night Festival 2026 returns from 21 August to 5 September with immersive projection mapping, folklore-inspired installations, performances and heritage experiences across Bras Basah.Bugis. Here’s what not to miss. The stories we grow up with rarely stay on the page. They evolve through the people who tell them, the places they inhabit and the generations that continue to find meaning in them. This August, Singapore … Continue reading Preview: Singapore Night Festival 2026 returns with myths, legends and immersive night-time adventures across Bras Basah.Bugis

Singapore Launches $20 Million Grant to Support Multicultural Arts

Singapore is investing $20 million to encourage artists and arts groups to create works that celebrate the country’s rich multicultural identity, alongside the appointment of a new panel of arts and cultural leaders to help shape the future of multicultural arts. The President’s Challenge Multiculturalism Panel (PCMP) brings together 12 respected figures from Singapore’s arts scene, including Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients, educators, … Continue reading Singapore Launches $20 Million Grant to Support Multicultural Arts

Esplanade’s The Studios 2026: An Interview with Mark Teh on retelling legends of national heroes in Five Arts Centre’s ‘Fragments of Tuah’

Hang Tuah has occupied a singular place in the Malaysian imagination for centuries. The legendary warrior appears in school textbooks, literature, films and political speeches, often held up as the embodiment of loyalty, courage and duty. It is precisely because he is so deeply embedded in the national consciousness that theatre-maker Mark Teh never imagined he would make a work about him. “He’s a mythic … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2026: An Interview with Mark Teh on retelling legends of national heroes in Five Arts Centre’s ‘Fragments of Tuah’

Preview: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s The Studios 2026 – Precarious Bodies

In a world shaped by uncertainty, shifting power structures and contested truths, theatre becomes more than entertainment, and becomes a space to question, reflect and connect. This year, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay launches a bold new chapter of The Studios, its annual theatre season, with Precarious Bodies, a thought-provoking exploration of vulnerability, control and the invisible forces that shape our lives. Running from … Continue reading Preview: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s The Studios 2026 – Precarious Bodies