Preview: The Last Gardener by The Theatre Practice

This April, The Theatre Practice (Practice) proudly presents The Last Gardener by performer, theatremaker and Practice associate artist Isabella Chiam. A compelling mix of heart and humour, the one-woman show is a tender portrayal of the maddening, beautifully complex relationship between parent and child. The first edition of The Last Gardener was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of Practice’s It’s Not About The … Continue reading Preview: The Last Gardener by The Theatre Practice

Arts of Hong Kong: The Doctor by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre

What is the value of “truth”? Is there a universal truth? A medical incident triggers contentions between medical ethics and religious faith. Heated debates on gender, race, class and identity sparked; maelstroms of difficult emotions harboured – will it all come out in the wash?  The play dissects the furtive surface of our murky world, throwing down the gauntlet in search of truth for both cast and audience alike. The Doctor is a breakthrough contemporary drama that Robert Icke adapted … Continue reading Arts of Hong Kong: The Doctor by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre

★★★☆☆ Review: Grounded by Singapore Theatre Company

Pride comes before a fall. Among the many male-dominated industries that exist in the world, the military may be among the most skewed, with a much smaller minority of female professionals who exist within the field. In that sense, the women who do find success in the military often seem to have to shelve their femininity, to become ‘one of the boys’ to fit in … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Grounded by Singapore Theatre Company

Of Disasters and Carrying On: An Interview with co-directors A Yagnya and Alvin Tan on The Necessary Stage’s ‘Hi, Can You Hear Me?’

There are days the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a distant fever dream, a time where everyone was touting the ‘new normal’ when it seemed we would never wake from it. But as suddenly as it came, everything seemed to disappear again when we opened up to the world again, and we entered a new era of chaos. Previously glued to our phones, we saw countries … Continue reading Of Disasters and Carrying On: An Interview with co-directors A Yagnya and Alvin Tan on The Necessary Stage’s ‘Hi, Can You Hear Me?’

★★★☆☆ Review: Transplant 《移心》by The Finger Players and RUDRA

The family that sins together, stays together. In the Chinese classic anthology Liaozhai (Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio), the short stories often focused on portraying the social norms of the time through a supernatural lens. Even in modern interpretations of the text, it remains a key source of inspiration for social commentary and what it means to live, resulting in director/playwright Oliver Chong’s continued … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Transplant 《移心》by The Finger Players and RUDRA

★★★★☆ Review: Dance a Dance from My Body by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying

The beauty of diversity in motion. There is always something exciting about an artistic collaboration between two distinct groups of people, be they from different companies, mediums or even places of origin, as they discover points of connection and difference. In the case of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying co-production Dance a Dance From My Body, … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Dance a Dance from My Body by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying

Pangdemonium’s Falling: An Interview with star Andrew Marko on reprising an iconic role eight years on, and the difficulty of tough love

Maybe it’s because of good genetics, but Andrew Marko is the kind of man you look at and looks eternally youthful. Even in his 30s, there’s something about his demeanour that still suggests a child-like sense of wonder and innocence, while carrying the hidden weight of experiences he’s willing to put onstage. All that makes him the perfect candidate to return to the role where … Continue reading Pangdemonium’s Falling: An Interview with star Andrew Marko on reprising an iconic role eight years on, and the difficulty of tough love

Grounded: An Interview with Oon Shu An on gender roles, identity and staying down to earth

When you think of a fighter pilot, what’s the first image that appears in your head? Is it a strapping young man in aviator shades, not unlike Tom Cruise in his prime in Top Gun? Singapore Theatre Company (STC) is here to subvert those expectations with the first major show of their season, as they bring George Brant’s one-woman show Grounded to the stage. Directed … Continue reading Grounded: An Interview with Oon Shu An on gender roles, identity and staying down to earth

★★☆☆☆ Review: The Face of Jizo by We Colour People and Theatre Boleh

Wobbly performances in this dialogue-heavy chamber play about PTSD and survivor’s guilt. In war, one often focuses attention on the aggressors, and the ultimate winner or loser. Yet the ones that suffer most are the innocents, the collateral damage of a battle no one really wants, and are left forgotten or reduced to mere statistics, instead of realising the very real tragedy and loss experienced … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: The Face of Jizo by We Colour People and Theatre Boleh

Preview: Hi, Can You Hear Me? by The Necessary Stage

A mysterious tiger who runs a bar in limbo. Guan Yin caught in a loop of death and rebirth. A man whose memory fails him while being taken care of by an AI. Post-traumatic boredom, and uncontrollable life within a hotel room. These are just some of the strange characters and phenomena that inhabit The Necessary Stage’s latest play, Hi, Can You Hear Me? Written … Continue reading Preview: Hi, Can You Hear Me? by The Necessary Stage