The Band That Plays Together, Stays Together: An Interview with Pink Floyd Tribute Band Welcome to the Machine

Top, from left: WTTM members Laurence Bucci, David Baptista, and Noel ong Bottom, from left: Jesse Lai, Lim Kiang, Arindam Chatterjee Since the last time we spoke to Welcome To The Machine (WTTM) in 2018, the band has been enjoying moderate success, playing gigs from Beerfest to more modest crowds at underground venues, such as The Lab at Kallang Place, alongside international shows in the … Continue reading The Band That Plays Together, Stays Together: An Interview with Pink Floyd Tribute Band Welcome to the Machine

SeptFest Week 2: Brown Is Haram and Tabula Rasa

The stories and lived experiences of minorities take centrestage in week 2 of The Substation’s SeptFest.  For the second week of The Substation’s SeptFest, we watched two works centred on minorities, in terms of both race, and unique life experiences. Both pieces this week had strong messages about what they wanted to say about their identity, fiercely unique in their personal voice, and speaking loud … Continue reading SeptFest Week 2: Brown Is Haram and Tabula Rasa

The Banter: Alvin Tan, Siti K and Karen Tan talk Model Citizens

“Haresh (Sharma) likes to joke that I’m the ‘model citizen’ in real life, being a Chinese woman, and the mother to two children,” says Karen Tan. “But that’s really the textbook definition of the Singaporean model citizen!” says Alvin Tan. There’s a moment of pause as they sit back to ponder over this hard truth, before Siti Khalijah adds: “I don’t need to be a model … Continue reading The Banter: Alvin Tan, Siti K and Karen Tan talk Model Citizens

Preview: A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2021 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Over the past year, everything as we know it has been irrevocably changed. From our daily routines to all our plans tossed out the window, it’s been a struggle, one that’s seen us gone through so much hardship, pain and struggle as one world. And it is in times like these that more than ever, people need some kind of comfort. That could very well … Continue reading Preview: A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2021 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

★★★★☆ Review: The Sound Inside by Singapore Repertory Theatre

We’re only as alone as we want to be. If it’s one thing that the coronavirus lockdowns have made us realise, it’s that no man is an island, and human contact is a necessity. In The Sound Inside, the latest play by Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), playwright Adam Rapp takes that idea a step further, with how it is human contact that can spell the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Sound Inside by Singapore Repertory Theatre

★★★★☆ Review: First Fleet (2021) by Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Journey to a brave new world with the power of art.  While most often seen by the general public as a means for entertainment, we often forget about that the arts also has a therapeutic effects on both participant and audience, a theme that’s at the forefront of Nine Years Theatre’s (NYT) First Fleet, restaged at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre this week. Directed by … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: First Fleet (2021) by Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Preview: AGATHI | Refugee by Apsaras Arts Dance Company

“He wept for living. And seeing the day they had to leave, he wept for himself. For never again would he have a family. A home. And someone to love him as much as they did. He wept because god had forsaken him. And never again would he be that same little boy.” Apsaras Arts Dance Company is set to restage their production Agathi this … Continue reading Preview: AGATHI | Refugee by Apsaras Arts Dance Company

Review: Keturunan Ruminah by Hatch Theatrics

Drawing out the dramatic potential in a family WhatsApp group. With live theatre still difficult to stage with all the restrictions COVID-19 has brought with it, experimentation in the arts remains rife, with various companies exploring new forms and means to create performances. Singapore theatre company Hatch Theatrics is the latest to try, with Keturunan Ruminah, a ‘play’ taking place entirely on WhatsApp. Keturunan Ruminah … Continue reading Review: Keturunan Ruminah by Hatch Theatrics

SeptFest Week 1: Tea Leaves Glowing In The Wind, Waltz of the Flower, and OEOS

The beginning of the end, as SeptFest returns for a last hurrah.  The Substation’s signature SeptFest comes at a strange time in the venue’s history. Having just announced the permanent closure of The Substation come July, rather than a triumphant celebration of the festival’s return after a 6-year hiatus, SeptFest has taken on far more weight as a final send-off to the 30-year old institution, … Continue reading SeptFest Week 1: Tea Leaves Glowing In The Wind, Waltz of the Flower, and OEOS

The Banter: An Interview with Cherilyn Woo and Krish Natarajan of SRT’s The Sound Inside

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has left many of us keenly aware of how difficult it can be cooped up in our own homes, and how thankful we were once we could have outside human contact and see each other once again. And now, with The Sound Inside, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) starts their season off reminding us all of the power of the human connection. Written … Continue reading The Banter: An Interview with Cherilyn Woo and Krish Natarajan of SRT’s The Sound Inside