★★★★☆ Review: Chestnuts – Sibeh Strange in the Multiverse

Singapore’s longest running parody returns with a vengeance after 7 years, spoofing everything from Marvel to The LKY Musical. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Jonathan Lim) 7 Script (Jonathan Lim) 7 Performance (Jonathan Lim, Judy Ngo, Audrey Luo, Timothy Wan, Nelson Chia) 8 Music (Elaine Chan) 8 Sound Design (Bob Wong) 7 Multimedia Design (Genevieve Peck) 7 Lighting Design (Tai Zi Feng) 7 Costumes … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Chestnuts – Sibeh Strange in the Multiverse

By The Book: An Interview with Karim Alwadi, co-author of new book ‘ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity’

Entrepreneur Karim Alwadi is a man of multiple cultures. Born in Damascus to a Syrian father and a Russian mother, he moved to Moscow in high school, and then to China when he was 18. Since then, he’s received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in International Relations, focusing on Sino Arab Relations, at Ren Min University, and a PhD in International Politics from China Foreign … Continue reading By The Book: An Interview with Karim Alwadi, co-author of new book ‘ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity’

By The Book: ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity by Karim Alwadi and Mohammad Kheir Alwadi

A lecture in book form by father-son experts in Sino relations. Dr Karim Alwadi is an entrepreneur and political scientist based in Beijing. His father, Dr Mohammed Kheir Alwadi, is an acclaimed journalist and former ambassador from Syria to China. Together, the two men’s shared knowledge and experiences span enough material to co-author a book, something they’ve done over the last three years, resulting in … Continue reading By The Book: ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity by Karim Alwadi and Mohammad Kheir Alwadi

★★★☆☆ Review: Offending The Audience by Emergency Stairs and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Flawed revival of Handke’s classic fails to find a place in the contemporary world. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Ang Gey Pin) 6 Script (Peter Handke and devised parts by cast) 6 Performance 7 Lighting Design (David Li) 7 Total 26/40 (65%) Final Score: ★★★☆☆ Since premiering in Germany in 1966, Peter Handke’s Offending The Audience has gained a reputation for being a quintessential … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Offending The Audience by Emergency Stairs and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

★★★☆☆ Review: Dream School by Emergency Stairs and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Oversimplification of problems in arts education makes this less of a forum than it is another angry shout into the void against the system. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Li Xie) 5 Script (Devised by Li Xie and Cast) 5 Performance 7 Lighting Design (David Li) 7 Total 24/40 (60%) Final Score: ★★★☆☆ Presented as part of Emergency Stairs and NAFA’s Industry Project 2022, … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Dream School by Emergency Stairs and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Six outstanding arts practitioners honoured for their pursuit of artistic excellence with Singapore’s top arts accolades

The National Arts Council (NAC) has conferred two Cultural Medallions and four Young Artist Awards today at the Istana. The distinguished awards recognise outstanding artists for their artistic excellence, distinctive body of works and contributions to developing our nation’s arts and cultural landscape. This year’s awards celebrate a diverse group of artists specialising in different fields, who have contributed to enhancing the vibrancy of our … Continue reading Six outstanding arts practitioners honoured for their pursuit of artistic excellence with Singapore’s top arts accolades

Wild Rice announces An Inspector Calls, The Butterfly Lovers and Hotel as first three shows of 2023

With the end of 2022 comes the beginning of 2023, and with that – a brand new theatre season for leading Singapore theatre company Wild Rice, who’ve just announced the first three shows of 2023 – a new staging of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, the arrival of the first English-language opera adaptation The Butterfly Lovers, and the restaging of their critically-acclaimed Hotel. A thought-provoking … Continue reading Wild Rice announces An Inspector Calls, The Butterfly Lovers and Hotel as first three shows of 2023

★★★★★ Review: Pinocchio by Wild Rice

Italian fairytale proves powerful inspiration for Wild Rice’s annual pantomime. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Pam Oei) 10 Script (Thomas Lim) 9 Performance (Mae Elliessa, Ebi Shankara, Siti Khalijah Zainal, Dwayne Lau, Michelle Ler, Vester Ng) 9 Music – Composition/Lyrics (Julian Wong / Joel Tan) 9 Live Music (Joel Nah, Feri Susanto, Colin Yong, Brandon Wong, Rizal Sanip) 9 Choreography (Gino Babagay) 9 Set … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Pinocchio by Wild Rice

★★★★☆ Review: A Singaporean In Paris (2022) by Sing’theatre

Light-hearted musical revue rings in the holiday season with joy and laughter. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Hossan Leong) 8 Script (Alison Jean Lester) 7 Performance (Amin Alifin, Ethel Yap, Gaby Rae, Hossan Leong, Peter Ong) 8 Choreography (George Chan) 9 Set Design (Wong Chee Wai) 9 Lighting Design (Reuben Ong) 8 Sound Design (Shah Tahir) 8 Costumes/Hair (Theresa Chan/Ashley Lim) 8 Music (Elaine … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: A Singaporean In Paris (2022) by Sing’theatre

Review: Playwrights’ Cove 2022 by The Necessary Stage

From featuring promising young theatremakers at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, to the creative jamming of The Orange Playground, in recent years, The Necessary Stage (TNS) has been increasingly moving towards the developing of new works and setting the foundations for a new generation of theatremakers. This year, TNS has also brought back Playwrights’ Cove, a playwriting training and mentorship programme led by Resident Playwright … Continue reading Review: Playwrights’ Cove 2022 by The Necessary Stage