Preview: Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

As Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts marks its 25th edition in 2026, the beloved festival returns not just as a celebration, but as a living archive of the Nusantara’s cultural imagination. Taking place from 16 to 19 April at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, this milestone edition reflects how far the festival has come, from a platform for artistic expression to a … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

An Interview with musical legend and superstar Lea Salonga on Stage, Screen, and Everything in Between

Musical theatre royalty and official Disney Legend Lea Salonga returns to Singapore this March, marking a long-awaited homecoming to the Esplanade stage. Last seen here in 2019 in concert and as the delightfully macabre Mrs Lovett in Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Sweeney Todd, Salonga’s relationship with Singapore audiences has long been one of affection and familiarity. Now, she’s back not to conquer new territory, but as … Continue reading An Interview with musical legend and superstar Lea Salonga on Stage, Screen, and Everything in Between

An Invitation to Play: SIFA’s new Festival Director Chong Tze Chien to honour Legacy and evoke paradigm shifts for his tenure

“Let’s play” sounds like an unexpected invitation at a time like this. In recent years, Singapore’s arts ecosystem has felt increasingly brittle, one defined by closures, stagnant funding, and a growing sense that artistic labour must constantly justify itself in numbers, outcomes, and economic value. Against this pragmatic backdrop, theatremaker Chong Tze Chien has emerged from the wings and prepares to stage his first act … Continue reading An Invitation to Play: SIFA’s new Festival Director Chong Tze Chien to honour Legacy and evoke paradigm shifts for his tenure

SIFA – Singapore International Festival of Arts 2026 set to turn city into a playground for the arts with theme ‘Let’s Play’

For two weeks in May, Singapore becomes a stage. Across theatres, parks and historic civic spaces, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) returns from 15 to 30 May with performances that stretch from aerial dance spectacles and immersive theatre to experimental late-night encounters. This year’s edition carries an unusually simple invitation: “Let’s Play.” The phrase captures the spirit of a festival that wants audiences … Continue reading SIFA – Singapore International Festival of Arts 2026 set to turn city into a playground for the arts with theme ‘Let’s Play’

Civility Falls Apart: An Interview with director Nelson Chia and the cast of Nine Years Theatre’s God of Carnage 《杀戮之神》

At the start of Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage, everything looks reasonable. Veronica has prepared food. Michael has arranged the living room. Annette arrives determined to be gracious. Alan, distracted by his phone, still shows up. Four adults sit down to discuss their sons’ playground conflict calmly, civilly, like responsible people should. That the evening collapses into chaos feels less like a shock than a … Continue reading Civility Falls Apart: An Interview with director Nelson Chia and the cast of Nine Years Theatre’s God of Carnage 《杀戮之神》

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Le Père (The Father) 父亲 by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

by D.Y. Mandarin adaptation of acclaimed Florian Zeller play finds heartbreaking new resonance; spotlighting the Asian sensibilities of a family at war with Alzheimer’s disease.  In theatre, there are few plays that break the trust between audience and performer in its storytelling; And with an unassuming title such as ‘The Father’, the audience is lured into a false sense of familiarity. But, when the naturalistic, … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Le Père (The Father) 父亲 by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

★★★★☆ Dance Review: Diary VII ・ The Story Of…… by Mui Cheuk-yin

Mui Cheuk-yin transforms a chance encounter with a stray cat into a profound reflection on migration, memory and the circular nature of time. Diary entries often feel like streams of consciousness, a flow of thought. So for a dance piece to take inspiration from one, that results in a performance where there is no dramatic overture, no attempt to overwhelm. Instead, the theatre fills with … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Dance Review: Diary VII ・ The Story Of…… by Mui Cheuk-yin

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: The Sun by 4 CHAIRS THEATRE

A searing Taiwanese sci-fi triumph that evokes harrowing existential crises as we wonder how much humanity we leave behind as we evolve. There is something disquietingly apt about encountering The Sun in a cultural moment already steeped in suspicion, fracture and the long psychological aftershocks of global crises today. Directed by Tora Hsu and adapted by Chen Yi-En from Tomohiro Maekawa’s 2010 Japanese script, this … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: The Sun by 4 CHAIRS THEATRE

Preview: Lao Jiu – The Musical 《老九》音乐剧 (2026) by The Theatre Practice

In a fast-changing Singapore obsessed with credentials, career pathways and the promise of stability, Lao Jiu: The Musical feels both nostalgic and strikingly contemporary. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Singapore, this beloved local musical returns in April 2026 with renewed urgency, asking a question many of us still grapple with today: what do you do when your dreams do not align with expectations? Presented … Continue reading Preview: Lao Jiu – The Musical 《老九》音乐剧 (2026) by The Theatre Practice

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: Deling and Cixi by He Jiping

A tender look at power and femininity in the dying days of the Qing dynasty. As the opening production of this year’s Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts, Deling and Cixi arrives with imperial grandeur and no small ambition, taking us back to the days of imperial China. Written by celebrated playwright He Jiping and directed by Roy Szeto, this sweeping three-hour production brings the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: Deling and Cixi by He Jiping