Brown Joy: An Interview with writer/co-director Sindhura Kalidas and the cast of The Necessary Stage’s ‘Happy Indian Women’

“Happiness is a mood, not a destination,” says Sindhura Kalidas. “That’s a quote from One Tree Hill, and I think about that a lot, and how it’s really just this fleeting emotion that comes and goes, not a constant state of mind.” That’s an important distinction for Sindhura to make, especially considering she’s directing a show called Happy Indian Women this November. Presented by The … Continue reading Brown Joy: An Interview with writer/co-director Sindhura Kalidas and the cast of The Necessary Stage’s ‘Happy Indian Women’

Singapore Writers Festival 2023: An Interview with Pooja Nansi on her final year as Festival Director, diversity and inclusion, and the literary landscape

Over her five year stint as Festival Director, Pooja Nansi has seen through some of the most challenging editions of the Singapore Writers Festival. From coming in as the first female director of the festival, to adapting the festival for an online and hybrid format during the pandemic years, the journey has not been an easy one. But one thing’s for certain – Pooja has … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2023: An Interview with Pooja Nansi on her final year as Festival Director, diversity and inclusion, and the literary landscape

Preview: The Necessary Stage presents showcases for Devising with Actors and Playwrights 2023

To round off the year, The Necessary Stage (TNS) is presenting an exciting lineup of works-in-progress by the latest batch of creatives from its Devising with Actors and Playwrights (DAP) workshops. Led by Resident Playwright and Cultural Medallion recipient Haresh Sharma, Devising with Actors and Playwrights 2023 is part of TNS’ devising platform and sees 20 theatre-makers undergo an intensive training programme over a six-month … Continue reading Preview: The Necessary Stage presents showcases for Devising with Actors and Playwrights 2023

More twists and big reveals at the Singapore Writers Festival 2023 – Plot Twist

The plot thickens for the 26th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), organised by Arts House Limited (AHL) and commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC), with the introduction of more literary powerhouses from all over the world to this year’s line-up. Be prepared for big reveals, unexpected outcomes and surprise endings as SWF opens from 17 to 26 November 2023. Ahead of the … Continue reading More twists and big reveals at the Singapore Writers Festival 2023 – Plot Twist

Review: Artificial Indian by Rishi Budhrani

Microaggressions make for poignant, hard-hitting jokes that reveal the reality of being a racial minority. Why is Rishi Budhrani, a born and bred Singaporean-Indian, considered an ‘artificial Indian’? Is it because he is ‘fair for an Indian’? Because he ended up becoming a ‘joker’ onstage? Confused by these stereotypical assumptions, Rishi embarks on a stand-up comedy journey to figure out exactly how he should identify. … Continue reading Review: Artificial Indian by Rishi Budhrani

Film Fanatic: An Interview with HK Stage-turned-Screen Actor Mak Pui Tung

In town recently for the premiere of his film, the much-anticipated courtroom drama The Sparring Partner, Mak Pui Tung may have become a viral internet meme in Hong Kong, and scored a number of awards for his roles on film and onstage, but as he sits in front of us, the 33-year old actor looks remarkably humble and stoic. “Initially, I didn’t really know what … Continue reading Film Fanatic: An Interview with HK Stage-turned-Screen Actor Mak Pui Tung

Preview: Mamma Mia! by BASE Entertainment Asia

Mamma Mia – here we go again, as the hit ABBA jukebox musical returns to Singapore this week! Last staged in 2018 to glowing reviews, Mamma Mia! is Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with a sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads unfolding on a Greek island idyll. Mamma Mia! remains one … Continue reading Preview: Mamma Mia! by BASE Entertainment Asia

Art What!: Murray Clarke’s A Place I Know at WOAW Gallery

At its quaint location just off Ann Siang Hill, the Singapore wing of WOAW Gallery has gone back to basics with their latest exhibition. With the interior now completely white and leaving most of its cube-like space open to walk about, London-based artist Murray Clarke’s photorealistic paintings are given total attention, hung on the walls in their full glory. Marking his first solo exhibition in … Continue reading Art What!: Murray Clarke’s A Place I Know at WOAW Gallery

Art What!: See Me, See You – Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia (Part 2) at National Gallery Singapore

The second part of National Gallery Singapore’s free exhibition See Me, See You: Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia is now open, bringing visitors a new line-up of refreshed works by five artists – Heri Dono (Indonesia), Krisna Murti (Indonesia), Hasnul Saidon (Malaysia), Ray Langenbach (USA/Malaysia) and Vincent Leow (Singapore).  This is the world’s first-ever retrospective survey of early video installation of Southeast Asia, uncovering new perspectives of the region’s history of video installation art. As … Continue reading Art What!: See Me, See You – Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia (Part 2) at National Gallery Singapore

An Interview with Meenakshy Bhaskar, choreographer of Bhaskar’s Arts Academy’s ‘Radin Mas’

As the daughter of legendary Indian classical dance artists K.P. Bhaskar and Santha Bhaskar, Meenakshy Bhaskar has a lot to live up to when she took over Bhaskar’s Arts Academy as Artistic Director. In her first year, she found herself fully helming the projects her mother had been working on, dealing with collaborators and stakeholders, and most of all, learning the ropes of what it … Continue reading An Interview with Meenakshy Bhaskar, choreographer of Bhaskar’s Arts Academy’s ‘Radin Mas’