Review: The Importance of Being Earnest (2020) by W!ld Rice

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 8/2/20) Stellar revival of W!ld Rice’s acclaimed all-male version of Oscar Wilde’s magnum opus. Concerning itself with an exaggerated version of Victorian high society, where ‘style, not sincerity, is the vital thing’, The Importance of Being Earnest remains one of the world’s most beloved comedies, surrounding the misplaced importance over one’s name and background, characters are exaggerated stereotypes, find themselves in absurd … Continue reading Review: The Importance of Being Earnest (2020) by W!ld Rice

Review: The Long Goodbye 小儿子 by Story Works X Dreamland (Huayi 2020)

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 7/2/20) Tackling dementia with both humour and heart. One of the most terrifying things about dementia itself, besides its effects, is the sheer length of time it can possibly affect a person for, eating away at their mind for years till the day they die, left an empty husk of their former selves. The burden then falls onto a patient’s carer as … Continue reading Review: The Long Goodbye 小儿子 by Story Works X Dreamland (Huayi 2020)

Review: Almost 55 乔杨 by City Contemporary Dance Company (Huayi 2020)

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 9/2/20) Age is no barrier to Qiao Yang in this dance-biopic of her life.  While most of the narrative heavy-lifting in biopics is often done via text, for a show about a dancer’s life, it makes perfect sense that the story is told not by words, but by her body instead. First performed in Hong Kong in 2019, City Contemporary Dance Company’s … Continue reading Review: Almost 55 乔杨 by City Contemporary Dance Company (Huayi 2020)

In London’s (Off) West End 2020: N89 at Matchstick Piehouse (Preview)

LONDON – Matchstick’s 2020 begins with a bang, with a staging of brand-new hilarious and heart-warming comedy N89.  Marking their third collaboration with writer-director team, Mark Daniels and Edwina Strobl, N89 encapsulates Matchstick’s ethos of making challenging and entertaining theatre that appeals to both local and wider audiences. Saturday morning. 1am. Trafalgar Square. Kim stumbles onto the N89 and falls asleep on a stranger’s shoulder. That … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2020: N89 at Matchstick Piehouse (Preview)

Arts of the UK: Rising stars to headline Nevill Holt Opera’s 2020 festival

LEICESTERSHIRE –  In its biggest summer festival to date, Nevill Holt Opera will present two of the world’s most beloved operas, Verdi’s La traviata and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Located in one of England’s most beautiful country house estates, the new theatre at Nevill Holt Opera is the only opera house ever to be shortlisted for the prestigious 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize – the highest accolade … Continue reading Arts of the UK: Rising stars to headline Nevill Holt Opera’s 2020 festival

Huayi 2020: An Interview with Veteran Dancer Qiao Yang, Star of City Contemporary Dance Company’s Almost 55

The dance world has never been kind towards ageing dancers, with most performance careers ending in their 30s. But for 50-something year old dancer Qiao Yang, her age becomes a point of pride as she manages to continue dancing even today, and is the subject of her autobiographical solo piece Almost 55, playing as part of the Esplanade’s Huayi Festival 2020 this February. Created by award-winning Taiwanese … Continue reading Huayi 2020: An Interview with Veteran Dancer Qiao Yang, Star of City Contemporary Dance Company’s Almost 55

Huayi 2020: An Interview with Huang Chih Kai, Director of Story Works X Dreamland’s The Long Goodbye

Dementia is one of the most terrifying conditions to possibly strike a human being. At the heart of Story Works X Dreamland’s The Long Goodbye is an accomplished author who has been struck by the ailment. All he remembers now are the events of a bestseller he wrote about being a father to his youngest son. But years have gone by, and that son has now grown … Continue reading Huayi 2020: An Interview with Huang Chih Kai, Director of Story Works X Dreamland’s The Long Goodbye

Review: Principle 原则 by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Huayi 2020)

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 1/2/20) Education is politics as two opposing ideologies go head to head in a school setting. Does school prepare students for the real world? While the academic syllabus certainly may not always apply to the working adult, the students featured in Hong Kong Repertory Theatre’s (HKRep) Principle certainly learn more than their fair share of life lessons that feel more relevant than ever … Continue reading Review: Principle 原则 by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Huayi 2020)

Preview: W!ld Rice Celebrates 20th Anniversary In 2020 with Restagings, A New Show, the W!ld Rice Academy and More

Local theatre company W!ld Rice has just concluded a whirlwind 2019 season at their brand new theatre, and are already gearing up for their 20th anniversary celebrations in 2020. Building on the success of their new performing arts complex in Funan Mall and to commemorate this milestone, the company will present a thrilling season of theatre, as well as launch three new education initiatives to … Continue reading Preview: W!ld Rice Celebrates 20th Anniversary In 2020 with Restagings, A New Show, the W!ld Rice Academy and More

Review: Firebird – Piano Sensation Tony Yike Yang Solo Recital (Huayi 2020)

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 2/2/20) Piano prodigy’s plays like a majestic phoenix rising from the flames.  Playing as part of the Esplanade’s 2020 Huayi – Chinese Festival of the Arts, award-winning piano prodigy Tony Yike Yang made his Southeast Asian debut at the Esplanade Recital Studio last weekend. With expectations running high for the youngest-ever laureate at the Chopin International Piano Competition, the 21-year old made it … Continue reading Review: Firebird – Piano Sensation Tony Yike Yang Solo Recital (Huayi 2020)