N.O.W. 2019: Nimita’s Place – Staged Reading (Review)

The tragedy of Partition leaves a haunting impression in this page to stage adaptation. When Akshita Nanda debuted her first novel last year, little did we expect to see it receive a stage adaptation just a year later. Directed by Edith Podesta, the staged reading may not be a full production, but still manages to mostly capture the essence of the original novel, trimming out material … Continue reading N.O.W. 2019: Nimita’s Place – Staged Reading (Review)

#FreeYourMind: W!ld Rice Unveils Iconic New Home for Singapore Theatre

It’s been a long time coming, but at last, leading local theatre company W!ld Rice finally has a place to call home, truly. Located in the very heart of the city at the brand new Funan Mall, the 20,000 square foot W!ld Rice @ Funan was unveiled in the lead-up to their official opening. Envisioned by Founding Artistic Director Ivan Heng and Executive Director Tony … Continue reading #FreeYourMind: W!ld Rice Unveils Iconic New Home for Singapore Theatre

Review: Broadway Beng – Last Beng Standing by Dream Academy

With a line-up of catchy numbers, a talented trio of chio buus and the ever-charming Sebastian Tan, Broadway Beng is better than ever before.  It’s hard to imagine that when Broadway Beng first premiered 13 years ago, little would Dream Academy have imagined that it would grow to become the icon of local theatre that it is today. And with Broadway Beng: Last Beng Standing (directed … Continue reading Review: Broadway Beng – Last Beng Standing by Dream Academy

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