The Studios 2019: Mergers and Accusations (Review)

The ties that bind us are frayed in this revival of a Singaporean LGBTQ classic. Written by Eleanor Wong in 1993, 16 years on, Mergers and Accusations remains one of Singapore’s most seminal queer theatrical works. Dripping with sarcastic wit and rapid fire legal jargon, the play remains relevant even today for its unabashed portrayal of citizens afraid to come out of the closet for fear of the impact … Continue reading The Studios 2019: Mergers and Accusations (Review)

The Studios 2019: An Interview with Director Chen Yingxuan and Performer Oon Shu An of Mergers & Accusations

Eleanor Wong is sometimes better known for her position as a law professor at NUS’ Faculty of Law. But to most of the arts community, she is perhaps best known for her seminal Invitation to Treat trilogy of plays, narratively linked by their protagonist, Ellen Toh. Set in the 90s, Ellen is a lawyer who realises she is a lesbian. But coming out, both to society and … Continue reading The Studios 2019: An Interview with Director Chen Yingxuan and Performer Oon Shu An of Mergers & Accusations

Preview: ‘Til The End Of The World, We’ll Meet In No Man’s Land by Theatreworks

“Silence is silence. What’s deafening is the strain to hear it through the thunderous throbs of my blood pumping through my veins. What are you? Where am I?” This year, Theatreworks is set to make waves with Singapore’s very first women’s season of theatre, spotlighting female artists, and the specificity, duality, and impact of the Woman’s voice. The season opens with a brand new production … Continue reading Preview: ‘Til The End Of The World, We’ll Meet In No Man’s Land by Theatreworks

The Studios 2019: Miss British by The Art of Strangers (Review)

Post-colonial blues from the personal stories of three minority actresses.  With a title like Miss British, it’s easy to assume that the second show of the Esplanade’s 2019 The Studios Season is all about British identity. It’s a misnomer, and in fact, deals primarily with the impact, trauma and legacy that British colonialism has left behind on minorities. Directed by Felipe Cervera, Miss British comes at a timely … Continue reading The Studios 2019: Miss British by The Art of Strangers (Review)

The Studios 2019: An Interview with Felipe Cervera, Director of Miss British

As the Esplanade’s 2019 seasons of The Studios roars into its second week, The Art of Strangers presents a brand new show – Miss British. Based off an original idea by Sharon Frese, who stars alongside Grace Kalaiselvi, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai and Riduan Zalani, Miss British is a devised, multi-disciplinary work questioning the British identity, thinking about issues of both the monarchy and slave trade. What then are the prejudices and social hierarchies left behind … Continue reading The Studios 2019: An Interview with Felipe Cervera, Director of Miss British

Review: Always Every Time by Ground Z-0

Between living and dying, as presented by Ground Z-0. There are only two things that are certain in life – birth and death. With Always Every Time, Ground Z-0 presents the Singapore premiere of two new works each dealing with one of these certainties – Adib Kosnan’s Tiap Kali Aku… (Every Time I…) and Zelda Tatiana Ng’s 我在你左右 (Always On My Mind).  The double-bill began with Tiap Kali … Continue reading Review: Always Every Time by Ground Z-0

The Studios 2019: Rubber Girl On The Loose by Cake Theatrical Productions (Review)

Antigone gets schooled. School is a tragedy. Specifically in Cake’s case, it’s a Greek tragedy. Opening the Esplanade’s 2019 season of The Studios, Cake presents Rubber Girl on the Loose, a brand new adaptation and reinterpretation of Sophocles’s Antigone, except this time, set within the tyranny of a formal education system. The titular ‘rubber girl’ is of course, Antigone, wearing rubber bands all over her body and refusing … Continue reading The Studios 2019: Rubber Girl On The Loose by Cake Theatrical Productions (Review)

The Studios 2019: An Interview with Natalie Hennedige, Director of Rubber Girl On The Loose

so This week, the Esplanade’s new season of The Studios returns, presenting a lineup of intimate, powerful theatre shows playing at both the Theatre Studio and Annexe Studio. Kicking off the season is Cake Theatrical Productions with their hotly anticipated new production Rubber Girl On The Loose.  Based off Sophocles’s Antigone, this new interpretation of the Greek classic carries on in Cake’s tradition of reworking Greek plays (following … Continue reading The Studios 2019: An Interview with Natalie Hennedige, Director of Rubber Girl On The Loose

Preview: The Phantom of the Opera presented by BASE Entertainment Asia

Winning over 70 major theatre awards, boasting the best-selling cast recording of all time and achieving the honour of being the longest running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is without one of the world’s favourite musicals. So the fact that Base Entertainment Asia will be bringing this titan of a musical back to Singapore in April 2019 is absolutely cause for celebration. … Continue reading Preview: The Phantom of the Opera presented by BASE Entertainment Asia

Review: Goddesses of Words – Sarojini Naidu by Grace Kalaiselvi

It can happen to anyone and everyone. When Grace Kalaiselvi asked her actresses to read the poems of Sarojini Naidu in preparation for her all new Goddesses of Words series (aimed at highlighting female Indian poets writing in English), each performer somehow connected almost instantly with the theme of trauma, and more specifically, sexual assault. While not all of the poems necessarily put trauma at … Continue reading Review: Goddesses of Words – Sarojini Naidu by Grace Kalaiselvi