Preview: National Theatre Live 2018 presented by Esplanade – Theatres on The Bay

On 29th September, the National Theatre returns to the Esplanade – in film. For one Saturday only, the Esplanade has set aside its Theatre to become a temporary cinema, where audiences will be able to enjoy gloriously filmed performances of the National Theatre and Young Vic’s 2017 co-production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and the Bridge Theatre’s 2018 modern dress production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.  With critical acclaim and … Continue reading Preview: National Theatre Live 2018 presented by Esplanade – Theatres on The Bay

Preview: Esplanade’s Moonfest 2018

The mid-autumn festival returns once again this September, ushering in an entire month of mooncakes, lanterns, and the Esplanade’s annual weekend celebration – Moonfest! Taking place from 21st – 23rd September, the 14th edition of Moonfest will feature traditional Chinese arts as they showcase and shine a spotlight on legendary figures such as Ji Gong the Living Buddha, and stories like Romance of the Three … Continue reading Preview: Esplanade’s Moonfest 2018

Review: Tuesdays with Morrie 《最后14堂星期二的课》 by Godot Theatre Company

Simple but powerful staging of a modern classic that through death, teaches one how to live. 20 years on from when Mitch Albom’s internationally bestselling biographical novel Tuesdays with Morrie was first published, the lessons imparted by an old college professor to his former student remain fiercely relevant even today, still teaching readers everywhere how to live a good life from the wise words between its covers. Based … Continue reading Review: Tuesdays with Morrie 《最后14堂星期二的课》 by Godot Theatre Company

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)

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Interview with Director Daniel Yang and Cast Members Jin Shi Jie and Pu Xueliang

Based off the memoir that shot American author Mitch Albom to fame, Taiwan’s Godot Theatre Company will be presenting their smash hit stage adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie at the Esplanade next week! As a memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie found resonance with audience members worldwide when it was first published in 1997. Tuesdays with Morrie follows Mitch as he spends every Tuesday with his college professor Professor Morrie Schwartz, … Continue reading Tuesdays with Morrie: An Interview with Director Daniel Yang and Cast Members Jin Shi Jie and Pu Xueliang

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)

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

SIFA 2018: An Enemy of the People by Schaubühne Berlin (Review)

A contemporary version of Ibsen’s play effectively brings out its newfound urgency and relevance in our crazy, messed up modern world. Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People was initially considered one of his minor works in his lifetime. But in recent years, the play has seen an increasing number of stagings and new interpretations, and come to represent a disturbingly prescient rallying cry for the uncertain, messy … Continue reading SIFA 2018: An Enemy of the People by Schaubühne Berlin (Review)