Preview: The TENG Ensemble Pushes to Showcase Dialect Culture with new video

On 27th November, the TENG Ensemble (TENG) is set to release a music video of the traditional Teochew lullaby Ong Ah Ong to re-invent music for dialect traditions and ignite new interest for Teochew culture and music. The piece is born as an extension of the Forefathers Project and pays homage to the dialect and its heritage. Set to be released on TENG’s social media … Continue reading Preview: The TENG Ensemble Pushes to Showcase Dialect Culture with new video

Wild Rice’s Director’s Residency Programme to present four new productions by up-and-coming directors

From left: Thong Pei Qin, Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’, Ivan Heng, Victoria Chen and Hazel Ho Following the re-opening of their theatres this November, Wild Rice has announced four more upcoming shows, each helmed by an up-and-coming director. These theatremakers were each part of Wild Rice’s Directors’ Residency Programme, and comprise Victoria Chen, Hazel Ho, Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ and Thong Pei Qin. All four … Continue reading Wild Rice’s Director’s Residency Programme to present four new productions by up-and-coming directors

Arts Down Under 2020: Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap On Zoom by How Drama (Preview)

Missed How Drama’s Zoom edition of their signature Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap sketch marathon in June? Good news – they’re back this November, this time playing as part of the 2020 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Performed live (no pre-recording!) on Zoom, Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap puts its actors to the ultimate race against the clock – to perform 15 playlets and sketches into just … Continue reading Arts Down Under 2020: Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap On Zoom by How Drama (Preview)

Preview: Kalaa Utsavam 2020 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Now in its 19th edition, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s annual Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts is back to spread hope to all its viewers. This year’s edition focuses on the power of the arts to build resilience and reconnect audiences to the beauty of nature and see the light in life, complete with a key visual that takes inspiration from the … Continue reading Preview: Kalaa Utsavam 2020 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

★★★★☆ Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Singapore Repertory Theatre

A lesson on learning to keep hope alive in the face of death. There’s a point in the play Tuesdays with Morrie where Morrie Schwartz, Mitch Albom’s former professor, poses him two questions: “are you as human as you can be”, and “are you at peace with yourself?” These are questions that’ve been sitting at the back of our minds for some time now, brought to the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Preview: Baybeats 2020 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

In a time where most festivals have gone fully digital, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay sheds a little light on the performing arts scene and live performances with the return of Baybeats in a live format, following an interim digital edition back in August. Formed on the basis of being “a festival by the community, for the community,” Baybeats 2020 will be a hybrid … Continue reading Preview: Baybeats 2020 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The Banter: The Opera People chat about reinventing opera in Idomeneo Refracted

If you’ve ever been too intimidated by the idea of stepping into a theatre to experience an opera, there’s probably no better time to do so than right now. This November, local opera company The Opera People (TOP) are reinventing the genre in new, digital ways with their film version of Mozart’s Idomeneo, streamed on demand from the comfort of your home. In many ways, while … Continue reading The Banter: The Opera People chat about reinventing opera in Idomeneo Refracted

The Banter: It takes a village, as Wild Rice prepares to reopen

It’s been about seven months since performing arts came to a grinding halt, thanks to the safety restrictions implemented for the pandemic. But this November, following several rounds of live performance pilots, companies are more than ready to return to theatres, with several live shows slated in the weeks to come. And if it’s one company that anyone should be looking forward to seeing again, … Continue reading The Banter: It takes a village, as Wild Rice prepares to reopen

Review: The Escape Game by s**t kingz (da:ns Festival 2020)

When we last saw them at FULL OUT! for da:ns Festival 2019, Japanese street dance quartet s**t kingz charmed us with their cheeky choreography and their commitment to fun as they danced their hearts out onstage. While they can’t be physically present this time, the Esplanade has commissioned and co-produced a brand new digital show from them for this year’s da:ns Festival, one that’s sure to … Continue reading Review: The Escape Game by s**t kingz (da:ns Festival 2020)

Review: Failing the Dance – A Double Bill of Lecture-Performances (da:ns Festival 2020)

The lecture-performance form often feels loaded, if only because it sometimes seems like an excuse to showcase incomplete work that fills in the blanks with academic rhetoric. But in the case of the Esplanade’s Failing the Dance, the double-bill of lecture-performances makes a compelling case for the viability of the form, and its ability to raise awareness of issues and dialogue, and manifesting these arguments through … Continue reading Review: Failing the Dance – A Double Bill of Lecture-Performances (da:ns Festival 2020)