da:ns festival 2019: Acosta Danza (Review)

Gravity defying, intricate choreography marrying the discipline of ballet with the richness of Cuban culture. Almost certainly one of the greatest dancers to have emerged from Cuba, Carlos Acosta is a modern legend in the world of ballet and contemporary dance. The first Cuban principal dancer of London’s Royal Ballet, Acosta’s meteoric rise is nothing short of spectacular, and as the opening show for this year’s … Continue reading da:ns festival 2019: Acosta Danza (Review)

Hotels & Holidays: A Taste of Tuscany at il Cielo, Hilton Singapore

  Award-winning rooftop Italian restaurant, il Cielo, helmed by Chef de Cuisine Yohhei Sasaki is known for continuously elevating the Italian culinary standards in the city with his unique Japanese influence. Chef Sasaki is inviting diners on yet another gastronomic best to experience Tuscany through his eyes. As a tribute to the beautiful region where he once called home and honed his skills as a … Continue reading Hotels & Holidays: A Taste of Tuscany at il Cielo, Hilton Singapore

Review: Emily of Emerald Hill by W!ld Rice

A stellar performance from Ivan Heng at W!ld Rice’s new home.  In many ways, Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill should be considered one of W!ld Rice’s most signature productions. Each time the company has staged it (including as their debut production back in the Jubilee Hall in 2000), W!ld Rice artistic director Ivan Heng has risen to the iconic role, one that he may perform in … Continue reading Review: Emily of Emerald Hill by W!ld Rice

Exhibition Extravaganza: An Interview with Benedict Yu, artist behind Are You Home?

Home is where the heart is. But for multidisciplinary artist Benedict Yu, the idea of home itself is a matter of contention, being a Third-Culture Kid born in Singapore but raised in Taichung, Taiwan. This mingling of identities, upbringing and cultures then creates a strange paradox and contradiction in Yu, as he struggles with feeling homesick for his childhood home in Taiwan while feeling an odd … Continue reading Exhibition Extravaganza: An Interview with Benedict Yu, artist behind Are You Home?

Preview: VCHpresents – Love and Longing, and French Connections by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Rising star Chinese tenor Long Long will be joining pianist Tengku Irfan for a delightful programme of songs and opera arias on Sunday 10th November. Titled Love and Longing, the chamber concert, which is part of the SSO’s VCHpresents season, features music by Massenet, Fauré, Verdi and Gounod. Long Long is one of the most exciting lyric tenors of his generation. Having graduated from the Shanghai … Continue reading Preview: VCHpresents – Love and Longing, and French Connections by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Preview: Project Transit – Echoes of Waterloo by Veshnu Narayanasamy, in collaboration with Wong Chee Meng and Grain Performance & Research Lab

After catching their new production Happy Waiting back in July, Grain Performance & Research Lab are back this October to present a brand new site-specific work by Indian classical dancer Veshnu Narayanasamy and historian Wong Chee Meng, as the team dives deep into the history of Waterloo Street. Playing at Stamford Arts Centre, Project Transit: Echoes of Waterloo sees the team tackle an interdisciplinary work exploring cultural memories centred … Continue reading Preview: Project Transit – Echoes of Waterloo by Veshnu Narayanasamy, in collaboration with Wong Chee Meng and Grain Performance & Research Lab

Review: Being Mrs. Gandhi by HuM Theatre

The tragicomic life of the wife of India’s most iconic historical figure. There is perhaps no better time than now to remember India’s most internationally renowned figure – Mohandas Gandhi. Commemorating the 150th year since his birth, HuM Theatre celebrates the anniversary with a play about the Mahatma. Yet, rather unusually, instead of directly portraying Gandhi himself, writer and director Subin Subaiah has chosen to … Continue reading Review: Being Mrs. Gandhi by HuM Theatre

Nine Years Theatre’s Dear Elena: An Interview with Nelson Chia, Mia Chee and Timothy Wan

Near the start of 2019, local theatre company Nine Years Theatre (NYT) announced their new season, starting with FAUST/US in February, original play First Fleet in July, before rounding off with a restaging of SIFA 2017’s Art Studio in October. But midway through, due to unforeseen circumstances, Art Studio was unable to proceed as planned, and the team had to find an alternative production to round off their year. Enter Dear Elena … Continue reading Nine Years Theatre’s Dear Elena: An Interview with Nelson Chia, Mia Chee and Timothy Wan

The Page on Stage: An Interview with Lee Thean-Jeen, Lim Yu-Beng and Janice Koh (Seven Views of Redhill)

Following their last edition of The Page on Stage in July, this October, The Arts House continues their streak of successful stage adaptations of local literary short stories with their third and final instalment for the year – Dora Tan’s Seven Views of Redhill. Once again pairing a television director with prominent local actors, this time around, Seven Views of Redhill is helmed by director Lee Thean-jeen, in his … Continue reading The Page on Stage: An Interview with Lee Thean-Jeen, Lim Yu-Beng and Janice Koh (Seven Views of Redhill)

Preview: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020 – My Country and My People

What truly unites a people or a country, and how do we achieve this? Can union only come at the expense of excluding others? How much of it is embedded in shared trial and tragedy? As with every year, the Singapore arts calendar starts off on a high note with not one, not two, but an entire festival’s worth of works with each edition of … Continue reading Preview: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020 – My Country and My People