★★★★★ Review: £¥€$ (LIES) by Ontroerend Goed (SIFA 2023)

Money makes the world go round…or does it? Making a name for themselves with their innovative immersive and participatory performances, Belgium-based theatre company Ontroerend Goed arrives in Singapore to present a game-like theatrical experience – £¥€$ (LIES). As its title suggests, £¥€$ (LIES) is all about money, where audience members become members of the super rich in control of the global economy, where the world … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: £¥€$ (LIES) by Ontroerend Goed (SIFA 2023)

★★★★★ Review: Lolling and Rolling by Jaha Koo (SIFA 2023)

Haunted by the spectre of cultural imperialism and linguistic violence. In the modern world, where the West has long been seen as the cultural capital, English remains the primary language of communication, seen as a necessity if one is to succeed. For many Asian countries, this has manifested in making it the lingua franca, to the extent that it becomes a source of pride and … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Lolling and Rolling by Jaha Koo (SIFA 2023)

★★★★★ Review: Cuckoo by Jaha Koo (SIFA 2023)

Talking rice cookers tell of the death and despair in high pressure Korean society. In Jaha Koo’s Cuckoo, one of the main selling points is the Cuckoo-brand rice cookers in the show, programmed to speak and sing on command. But don’t let the quirky gimmick fool you into thinking this is a cute show about talking cooking appliances. The truth is, Cuckoo is a pitch … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Cuckoo by Jaha Koo (SIFA 2023)

★★★★☆ Review: BLKDOG by Botis Seva (SIFA 2023)

Intense, high energy production depicting the brutalities of the world cruel world children grow up in. There’s the old saying that ‘tough times don’t last, tough people do’. But shouldn’t we at least try to ensure that the world is in a better place for the next generation, precisely because we don’t want them to suffer in the same way we did? Choreographer Botis Seva … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: BLKDOG by Botis Seva (SIFA 2023)

Preview: George Town Festival 2023

GEORGE TOWN, PENANG – The annual George Town Festival (GTF) returns from 15th to 30th July 2023, promising a spectacular celebration of art, culture, and heritage for all to experience. The 16-day festival presents a myriad of outstanding artistic works by Malaysian and international artists, featuring productions across varied art forms ranging from traditional, contemporary, experimental, and multidisciplinary. This makes George Town Festival 2023 the … Continue reading Preview: George Town Festival 2023

★★★★★ Review: Chimpanzee by Nick Lehane

The hell of animal experimentation is keenly felt in this devastating work of puppet theatre. The beauty of puppetry lies in how easily we project our own feelings onto an object, given breath and life through puppeteers. And for animal puppets in particular, there is a dual layer of suspension of disbelief required, where not only do the puppeteers have to create empathy for a … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Chimpanzee by Nick Lehane

★★☆☆☆ Review: Realm of Silk by Sougwen Chung (SIFA 2023)

An attempt to bring robotics into art making proves the human touch still necessary. Touted as a one-of-a-kind performance bringing together visual art, music, performance and technology, Canadian artist Sougwen Chung’s Realm of Silk breaks convention and genre to explore how art can be created using algorithms and robotics. Inspired by the beauty of silk, Realm of Silk is all about transformation and metamorphosis, as art … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: Realm of Silk by Sougwen Chung (SIFA 2023)

SIFA 2023: An Interview with SUKKI, Daniel Kok and Luke George, co-creators of ‘LOVE DIVINE’

Ever imagined an arts event taking place at an elite club? This May, as part of the 2023 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Singapore’s Queen of Burlesque, SUKKI joins forces with performance artists Daniel Kok and Luke George to present LOVE DIVINE, a truly unique performance taking place at the lush CÉ LA VI at Marina Bay Sands. Over the course of the evening, as … Continue reading SIFA 2023: An Interview with SUKKI, Daniel Kok and Luke George, co-creators of ‘LOVE DIVINE’

SIFA 2023: An Interview with ‘BLKDOG’ director/choreographer Botis Seva

The black dog of depression very rarely leaves. And for today’s youth, it seems to follow them everywhere, what with having to cope in a world that’s constantly at war, a place that’s seemingly not built for them. Addressing this issue is Botis Seva’s BLKDOG, a hip hop theatre performance that asks us – How do we fight through our vices and inner demons to … Continue reading SIFA 2023: An Interview with ‘BLKDOG’ director/choreographer Botis Seva

Doubt – A Parable: An Interview with director Timothy Koh and the cast of Pangdemonium’s newest show

Is the strength of one’s faith reliant on the absence of doubt? In their second production of 2023, local theatre company Pangdemonium will be staging American playwright John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, following a stunning production of People, Places and Things in March. Directed by Timothy Koh (Muswell Hill), the award-winning play examines a small religious community in The Bronx in 1964, where the … Continue reading Doubt – A Parable: An Interview with director Timothy Koh and the cast of Pangdemonium’s newest show