★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: The Fourth Trimester by Checkpoint Theatre

by D.Y. Faith Ng tears down the celebratory façade of childbirth, investigating the realities of post-partum parenthood. ‘The Fourth Trimester’ might not be a term every parent knows, but it’s an experience that they all eventually come to experience. Referring to the three months immediately after the birth of a child, it is a crucial time for parents to not only look after their newborn’s … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: The Fourth Trimester by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: Escape To Batam by Checkpoint Theatre

Claire Wong attempts to stage her grieving process onstage, winding through knotty memory and reflection in search of meaning. Checkpoint Theatre’s latest work began over a decade ago, when creator Claire Wong started interviewing her father, Wong Heck Ming. After his passing in 2016, the piece transformed from a portrait of his youth during World War II into something more inward-looking: a meditation on Wong’s … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: Escape To Batam by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★☆☆ Review: Statement Piece by Checkpoint Theatre

A statement on the universal idea of ambition and the lengths we’re willing to go to achieve it, but plot holes and lack of character depth leave us wanting. To become lost to history is to have lived a life insignificant, leading to so many people’s desperate climb up the ladder to ‘success’. But what happens when a member of the art world, in hot … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Statement Piece by Checkpoint Theatre

Bakchormeeboy Awards 2024: Revivals, restagings and hope for the future

There are a few things that make good theatre and live performance so uniquely powerful, but perhaps the greatest factor that leads to us appreciating it that much more lies in how it is quite simply, temporal. No two nights are the same, whether it is due to a difference in the audience members present, a change in actors’ delivery, or even something that seems … Continue reading Bakchormeeboy Awards 2024: Revivals, restagings and hope for the future

★★★★★ Review: Hard Mode by Checkpoint Theatre

Gen Z play that speaks to the growing pains that anyone from any era goes through. From juggling studies with a social life, to the turbulent changes of adolescence and figuring out exactly what it all means, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the teen years are some of the toughest of anyone’s life. And even for Generation Z (dubbed ‘Zoomers’), who grew up … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Hard Mode by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★☆☆ Review: Playing with Fire by Checkpoint Theatre

Metatheatrical look at the research process behind a play, and what it means to keep each other safe. Ever since the concept of sustainability and the looming climate crisis entered the public consciousness, the petrochemical industry has risen to become or at least close to, public enemy number one for their continued burning of fossil fuels, and the endless, rising stream of carbon emissions. Why … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Playing with Fire by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★★★ Review: Secondary The Musical by Checkpoint Theatre

Searing critique of Singapore education system identifies the cracks in and those who slip through it. The topic of education has always been a hot one in Singapore. Despite being hailed as having one of the world’s best, the education system has almost always been a trial by fire for any student going through it, rewarding those who excel with the promise of praise and … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Secondary The Musical by Checkpoint Theatre

Bakchormeeboy Awards 2023: The Year That Returned To Normalcy, A Time For Reflection

In 2023, Singapore’s theatre scene felt fully ready to take risks and pull out all the stops for the first true season following the pandemic years. We saw the return of blockbuster musical and stage productions, and plenty of new, experimental works filling in the spaces in between, be it through long-awaited collaborations or younger companies having their work see the light of day, or … Continue reading Bakchormeeboy Awards 2023: The Year That Returned To Normalcy, A Time For Reflection

★★★★☆ Review: Session Zero by Checkpoint Theatre

Dungeons and Dragons becomes marriage counselling homebrew. The joy of roleplaying games (RPGs) has always been in its escapism, to allow its players to be whoever they want to be, slaying dragons and fighting evil wizards. And even when they fail, there’s always a second chance to try again, and eventually emerge the celebrated hero. In many ways, it’s also akin to theatre, where players … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Session Zero by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★★☆ Review: Tender Submission by Checkpoint Theatre

Politics and convictions clash in one couple’s struggle over faith in church and marriage. Love is a fickle thing. While a person may initially seem like ‘the one’, as years go by, both parties will almost always undergo changes in personality and beliefs, as they continue to grow with each new life experience. How then can the sanctity of marriage be upheld when both you … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Tender Submission by Checkpoint Theatre