Interview: Erwin Shah Ismail and Daniel Jenkins on The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

In a single lifetime, it’s difficult to get a chance to experience all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, whether it’s the most heartbreaking of tragedies, or the most hilarious of comedies. So why not take the prime opportunity the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) has provided now, as they stage The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), in a single night? Directed by Daniel Jenkins, and starring … Continue reading Interview: Erwin Shah Ismail and Daniel Jenkins on The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

★★★★☆ Review: The Mother by Pangdemonium

The existential crisis of the loss of motherhood excruciatingly performed onstage. The COVID-19 pandemic has left most of us mentally exhausted and burnt out, uncertain when we will ever reclaim a sense of normalcy ever again. In many ways, Pangdemonium’s staging of The Mother encapsulates that same feeling of despondence, in its portrayal of a mother struggling to let go of her maternal role, and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Mother by Pangdemonium

Preview: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Singapore Repertory Theatre

For years now, The Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) has been presenting their Shakespeare in the Park series at Fort Canning Park, bringing plays from Romeo and Juliet to Julius Caesar to life for a huge public audience, all while enjoying the (humid) night atmosphere, perhaps sprawled out on a picnic mat. Amidst the pandemic, SRT has had a great many firsts, from being the first … Continue reading Preview: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Singapore Repertory Theatre

★★★★☆ Review: Keluarga Besar En. Karim (The Karims) by Checkpoint Theatre

Wholesome family drama about the importance of communication. Over the last year, the pandemic has forced multiple productions to either postpone, or reimagine themselves for a digital space. While there are those that have successfully utilised and harnessed the potential of platforms like Zoom, others instead opted for a straight up livestream, where audiences would simply watch a video recording of the show. And then … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Keluarga Besar En. Karim (The Karims) by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★★★ Review: Electrify My World by Nine Years Theatre

Triumphant work that brings a bright spark to a dark time. Narratives about intense rivalries have always been ripe with dramatic potential, gripping audience members with the ways each tries to outdo the other, and the almost electrifying tension between them. But it takes a truly gifted playwright to spin those narratives beyond a feud, to lead audiences to think about the bigger conundrums of … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Electrify My World by Nine Years Theatre

Preview: Electrify My World by Nine Years Theatre

Marking the end of Nine Years Theatre’s (NYT) 9th anniversary, the local theatre company will be presenting a brand new play this October. Written and directed by NYT’s Artistic Director Nelson Chia, Electrify My World takes inspiration from the controversial feud between two scientists, Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Set in a period where scientists were rapidly developing new inventions constantly, what does it take … Continue reading Preview: Electrify My World by Nine Years Theatre

Preview: Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2021

After their last edition in 2019, which saw four brand new scripts from budding young playwrights produced for the stage, Toy Factory Productions Ltd’s The Wright Stuff Festival is back for 2021, once again shining the spotlight on new writing from young scriptwriters in Singapore. This year, the festival focuses on the theme of “Inwards”, which encouraged their playwrights to create and submit new works … Continue reading Preview: Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2021

★★☆☆☆ Review: Dancing with Fish in the Midnight Zone by ARTivate

A valiant attempt at dealing with the spectre of death. Death never comes easily, especially when it’s unexpected. How then does one learn to process it, and not allow it to completely consume you and those around you? Drama Box’s third graduating batch of ARTivate members attempts to answer that, with their original play Dancing with Fish in the Midnight Zone. Directed by Koh Wan … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: Dancing with Fish in the Midnight Zone by ARTivate

★★★★☆ Review: Lungs by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Conflating the miracle of life with the end of the world. From the pandemic to climate change, it seems inexplicable that anyone could imagine bringing a child into existence today. That’s precisely the dilemma a young couple faces as they consider having a child, in Singapore Repertory Theatre’s production of Lungs. Written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Daniel Jenkins, Lungs‘ young millennial couple are … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Lungs by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Preview: Dancing with Fish in the Midnight Zone by ARTivate

The third graduating batch of ARTivate, the youth wing of local socially-engaged theatre group Drama Box, is tackling the difficult subject of grief and healing with their graduation performance.  Under the mentorship of Drama Box’s co-artistic director Kok Heng Leun and resident artist Chng Yi Kai, besides training in areas such as body movement and forum theatre, these young theatre practitioners-to-be have also been taught … Continue reading Preview: Dancing with Fish in the Midnight Zone by ARTivate