Preview: King (2023) by Jo Tan and T:>Works

First produced as a live-streamed digital production for the Festival of Women N.O.W. in 2020, Jo Tan’s one-woman show King returns this National Day week for a live presentation. Presented by T:>Works, this new production of King will now be directed by Irfan Kasban, and will once again star writer Jo Tan, and delivers a tour de force performance playing multiple characters, navigating expertly through … Continue reading Preview: King (2023) by Jo Tan and T:>Works

Esplanade’s The Studios 2023: An Interview with Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere, creators of ‘The Mining Trilogy’

In November 2015, a dam containing toxic mining waste collapsed a few miles away from theatremaker Silke Huysmans’ childhood home in the South of Brazil. Not only did a devastating flood of mud destroy several villages below the dam, but in the next couple of days, poisonous sludge flowed into the river Rio Doce and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean, causing massive ecological impact and … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2023: An Interview with Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere, creators of ‘The Mining Trilogy’

Preview: The Studios 2023 – Landings by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Celebrating their 20th edition, the Esplanade’s The Studios series takes on a newer, expanded format, responding to the ever-changing world and continuing to programme work that challenges our notions of what art can be and do. Starting off this new version of The Studios, from 2023-2025, the programme will explore notions of Land. With works performed across various venues in the Esplanade, including the new … Continue reading Preview: The Studios 2023 – Landings by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Chachambo – Taking Flight by ART:DIS Singapore

Formerly known as Very Special Arts Singapore, ART:DIS Singapore is a non-profit organisation that champions persons with disabilities (PwDs) through arts. And this August, just in time for National Day, the pioneer cohort of ART:DIS’s BEYOND DIS:PLAY theatre training programme is set to present a new musical: Chachambo: Taking Flight. In Chachambo: Taking Flight, journey with a visually-impaired girl as she tries to revive an entertainment club … Continue reading Preview: Chachambo – Taking Flight by ART:DIS Singapore

★★★☆☆ Review: Kusu Island by The Fool Theatre

Newcomers to the scene keep this short but sweet production buoyed. It’s been four long years since their last production, but Singapore theatre company The Fool Theatre is finally back with a brand new show: Kusu Island. Continuing their series of productions reimagining the origins of Singapore’s islands, this time around, they’re adapting the legend of Kusu Island into an Mandarin musical, perfect for audiences … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Kusu Island by The Fool Theatre

Drama Box aims to create new spaces for connection and expression for youth

Recent studies on youth mental health conducted in Singapore have shone a spotlight on how symptoms related to depression and anxiety are affecting young people here. The Covid-19 pandemic, in particular, has taken a harsh toll on the young. The safe-distancing measures of recent years have drastically limited their access to in-person programmes that hone relationship- and community-building skills. As such, more organisations are creating … Continue reading Drama Box aims to create new spaces for connection and expression for youth

Preview: Kusu Island by The Fool Theatre

This July, The Fool Theatre returns with a brand new Mandarin musical. Aimed at reimagining the origins of the islands of Singapore, this time around, they will be tackling the history and heritage of Kusu Island. Director Xavier Kang leads the production that boasts an eclectic team, of which half are making their professional debuts in their respective roles onstage and off. Kusu Island follows … Continue reading Preview: Kusu Island by The Fool Theatre

★★★★☆ Review: Pompeii by Edith Podesta and K. Rajagopal (SIFA 2023)

Live film and theatre collide to form an elegiac reflection on trauma and connection. When theatre meets film, the latter is often done in service of the former, supporting the live performance by projecting footage that provides backstory or adds to the mood and thematic concerns. But what happens when you reverse that relationship, and theatre instead services film? That is the unusual approach that … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Pompeii by Edith Podesta and K. Rajagopal (SIFA 2023)

★★★★★ Review: Famous Puppet Death Scenes by The Old Trout Puppet Workshop

Fictional puppet history showcases a myriad of forms, styles, and dark, adult-oriented humour that leaves a powerful sense of catharsis. For so many people, death can be such a terrifying prospect because it seems so mysterious, so sudden, and most of all, inevitable. After all, nobody escapes death – not even puppets. But given that puppets never truly die, it stands to reason that they … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Famous Puppet Death Scenes by The Old Trout Puppet Workshop

★☆☆☆☆ Review: NEW-ILLUSION by Toshiki Okada/chelfitsch (SIFA 2023)

Too much restraint turns an innovative breakup narrative into a snoozefest. In an edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) that has focused so much on formal experimentation and exploration, it’s always exciting when a company like chelfitsch comes in with a new form they’ve been developing for several years, seemingly promising an original work that feels more established in style. Enter EIZO-Theater, … Continue reading ★☆☆☆☆ Review: NEW-ILLUSION by Toshiki Okada/chelfitsch (SIFA 2023)