Review: First Fleet (第一舰队) by Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Steering audiences to believe in the redemptive power of art. Written and directed by Nelson Chia, First Fleet marks a bold move for the Nine Years Theatre artistic director, clearly differentiating them from the rest of the companies producing works relating to Singapore’ colonial history this year. Taking inspiration from both historical figures and Thomas Keneally’s novel The Playmaker, First Fleet instead focuses on Australia’s colonial history. And more specifically, the … Continue reading Review: First Fleet (第一舰队) by Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Nine Years Theatre’s First Fleet (第一舰队): An Interview with Director Nelson Chia

Following FAUST/US earlier this year, Nine Years Theatre returns this week for their second production of the year – an original work about the first British fleet to step foot onto what would eventually become Australia, aptly titled First Fleet. Written and directed by Nelson Chia, we posed a number of questions to the Nine Years Theatre Artistic Director to find out a little more about what we … Continue reading Nine Years Theatre’s First Fleet (第一舰队): An Interview with Director Nelson Chia

N.O.W. 2019: Three Fat Virgins Unassembled (Review)

  Almost 30 years on and Ovidia Yu’s classic remains shockingly relevant. One of my earliest memories of coming into contact with local theatre is picking up a copy of Fat Virgins, Fast Cars and Asian Values in the late 2000s, collecting some of the Theatreworks Writers’ Lab’s most seminal plays from the 1990s. Naturally, as its title suggests, this collection contained Ovidia Yu’s Three Fat Virgins Unassembled, a … Continue reading N.O.W. 2019: Three Fat Virgins Unassembled (Review)

Dream Academy’s Broadway Beng: An Interview with Sebastian Tan

In many ways, Broadway Beng seems eternal. Having debuted in 2006, the dapper, Hokkien-spouting, Broadway/West End musical-lovin’ ‘beng’ has become something of a national icon in his own right, winning the hearts of countless aunties, xiao mei meis and men alike with his swagger and charm. But unlike an icon such as say, James Bond and how the character changes actors every few years, Broadway Beng can and will … Continue reading Dream Academy’s Broadway Beng: An Interview with Sebastian Tan

TheatreWorks’ N.O.W. 2019 Opens

The first edition of TheatreWorks’ N.O.W. programme kicked off on 10th July at 72-13, the home of Theatreworks. Headed by Noorlinah Mohamed, N.O.W. 2019 is set to be the first part of a three year interdisciplinary project focused entirely on spotlighting women creators, thinkers and change-makers, not just in the arts, but across all Singapore industries. Nowhere was this dedication to showcasing women of all backgrounds … Continue reading TheatreWorks’ N.O.W. 2019 Opens

Review: Anything Can Happen/Something Must Happen by Young & W!ld

Theatre academia distilled into a metatheatrical production by way of Macbeth. Edith Podesta is one of our local theatre scene’s most exciting directors. Never one to simply present a straightforward work, a production by Podesta is almost always surprising, subverting audience expectations as she pushes theatrical boundaries both visually and conceptually. And so it is that as director of W!ld Rice’s latest batch of Young … Continue reading Review: Anything Can Happen/Something Must Happen by Young & W!ld

Preview: First Fleet (第一舰队) by Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre (NYT) is back for their second production of the year with the all new First Fleet. Written by NYT Artistic Director Nelson Chia, First Fleet draws inspiration from Thomas Keneally’s novel The Playmaker, and tells of the journey taken by British officers and convicts as they travelled towards what would become Australia, during the colonial era of convict transportation. Along the way, the Governor gives an unusual instruction … Continue reading Preview: First Fleet (第一舰队) by Nine Years Theatre

Preview: Both Sides, Now – Immersive Arts Experience by Drama Box and ArtsWok Collaborative

The third iteration of community engagement project Both Sides, Now comes to a close this year with an immersive arts experience at Telok Blangah this July. Presented by Lien Foundation, Ang Chin Moh Foundation, Drama Box and ArtsWok Collaborative, the project focuses on presenting end-of-life (EOL) issues in an accessible way to the public, and this year, has focused on the NOW – how one can learn … Continue reading Preview: Both Sides, Now – Immersive Arts Experience by Drama Box and ArtsWok Collaborative

Preview: Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre

As the first Asian woman to ever win a Tony Award after originating the role of Kim in Miss Saigon, and the singing voice of not one but two Disney princesses, musical theatre icon Lea Salonga needs no introduction. While she most recently starred on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of Once on This Island, Salonga is no stranger to performing in Singapore, having appeared in shows such as God … Continue reading Preview: Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Preview: Broadway Beng Concert – Last Beng Standing by Dream Academy

Absent from our stages for far too long, at long last, everyone’s favourite musical  number-spouting performer is back, as Broadway Beng returns to the stage this July! Presented by Dream Academy and directed by Selena Tan, come meet the man with the ‘license to thrill’, as Sebastian Tan reprises the iconic character in Broadway Beng Concert: Last Beng Standing. Armed with a super-strength vibrato and ‘sibei yan … Continue reading Preview: Broadway Beng Concert – Last Beng Standing by Dream Academy