Pesta Raya 2018: Tarakucha! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Review)

The Esplanade’s annual Pesta Raya festivities are always a joy to attend and witness. With a whole host of well-curated activities celebrating Malay culture, this year’s festival even feels like a massive party, as fireworks went off nearby at the National Day preview, and a mini pasar malam was in full swing at the Esplanade itself. As part of Pesta Raya 2018, Malaysian singer Sean … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: Tarakucha! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Review)

Pesta Raya 2018: Alkesah (Review)

A colourful romp of unbridled fun through Malay folklore opens Pesta Raya 2018. The Malay oral tradition is a rich one, full of colourful characters and unforgettable stories. But as these tales become increasingly hard to hear in the traditional form, so must they evolve with the times to find a new audience. That evolution can be seen in the 2018 Pesta Raya – Malay … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: Alkesah (Review)

Pesta Raya 2018: TARAKUCHA! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Preview)

Created by and starring Malaysian singer and actor Sean Ghazi, TARAKUCHA! is described as “the Terrer-Menerrer Big Band with a Malaysian twist”, and essentially continues Sean Ghazi’s fascination with the Malaysian songbook, after the release of his AIM award-winning album ‘Semalam’. In TARAKUCHA!, expect a night of music from Malaysia’s greatest composers and songwriters, ranging from P. Ramlee to Sudirman to Jimmy Boyle. But know that these won’t be straight covers … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: TARAKUCHA! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Preview)

Pesta Raya 2018: An Interview with Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid (Alkesah)

Just as one’s ears prick up for a story the moment one hears the magical words ‘once upon a time’, storytellers of Malay folklore begin their tales with an equally powerful opener – ‘alkesah’, or ‘as the story goes’. And celebrating that long history of oral tradition then, is the aptly titled Esplanade commissioned musical Alkesah, opening the Esplanade’s 2018 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: An Interview with Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid (Alkesah)

Review: Urashima Taro by Rouge28 Theatre (Flipside 2018)

A surreal, horror take on a classic Japanese legend. Growing up listening to various folktales and legends from around the world, the Japanese legend of Urashima Taro has never struck me as particularly haunting or horrific. In the legend, the eponymous Urashima Taro is a poor fisherman who saves a turtle in trouble. As a reward for his heroic deed, the turtle invites him for a journey … Continue reading Review: Urashima Taro by Rouge28 Theatre (Flipside 2018)

Review: Sensing the Dark (Esplanade’s Flipside 2018)

Darkness feels like an old friend in this concert with a twist.  Directed by Julian Wong with vocal direction by Irene Jansen, Sensing the Dark is a concert with a twist – the musicians and audience members are clothed under a blanket of darkness, initially with almost no light illuminating them as they begin to play. We’re not even privy to seeing their faces before the show … Continue reading Review: Sensing the Dark (Esplanade’s Flipside 2018)

Preview: Pesta Raya 2018 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

  Coinciding with the celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the 17th edition of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts returns this July! This year, the festival will showcase the rich history of the Nusantara (Malay Archipelago), with a spectrum of programmes set to appeal to everyone from the young ones all the way to the oldtimers and hipsters! … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya 2018 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The Studios 2018: Leda and the Rage (Review)

Feathers fly hard and fast in this affecting swansong of agency over one’s own body, and the long road to recovery.  When one has been through a sexual assault, she is not merely a victim, but a survivor. But even when the deed has been done, deep scars are left behind, often leaving survivors lost, confused and unable to come to terms with the immense, … Continue reading The Studios 2018: Leda and the Rage (Review)

The Studios 2018: An Interview with Edith Podesta (Leda and the Rage)

The Esplanade’s 2018 season of The Studios has been a wild ride, and ends off with Life! Theatre Award winning theatremaker Edith Podesta’s latest play Leda and the Rage. Inspired by the Greek myth of Leda raped by the god Zeus in the form of a swan, Leda and the Rage will see Edith explore the concept of trauma through one woman’s journey of recovery. Performed by both Edith … Continue reading The Studios 2018: An Interview with Edith Podesta (Leda and the Rage)

The Studios 2018: How Did The Cat Get So Fat? (Review)

It’s been 11 years since How Did The Cat Get So Fat? was last staged and its message of a hollow pledge still rings true. Besides literally referring to corpulent felines, a fat cat can of course, also refer to corrupt businessmen and politicians abusing their wealth or power. And in Zizi Azah’s play How Did The Cat Get So Fat?, it is these members of the upper class … Continue reading The Studios 2018: How Did The Cat Get So Fat? (Review)