Preview: Oleanna by Major Minor Encounters and The Windland Collective

This August, graduates from the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) will be staging an independent production of David Mamet’s controversial play, Oleanna. The production is the result of a collaboration between independent collectives Major Minor Encounters, co-founded by Singaporean theatre performer, playwright, and arts manager Choy Chee Yew, and The Windland Collective, co-founded by Swathilakshmi Perumal, actor and theatre-maker from Tamil Nadu, India. Both collectives strive … Continue reading Preview: Oleanna by Major Minor Encounters and The Windland Collective

★★☆☆☆ Review: National Day Charade by Wild Rice

Meta-commentary on the annual NDP sees how Wild Rice would celebrate National Day, their way. Whether you see it as propaganda or a celebration of nationhood, the annual National Day Parade (NDP) is without a doubt one of the quintessential parts of the Singapore calendar. But how accurate is it, really, of reflecting our lives as Singaporeans, and representing our hopes, dreams and often complicated … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: National Day Charade by Wild Rice

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Sim Chi Yin on ‘One Day We’ll Understand’ (有那么一天​)

For artist Sim Chi Yin, history has always formed an integral part of her work and practice. Be it presented in the form of photography or film or even book-making, Sim’s work often takes her into the recent past, excavating and researching into academia and accounts to unearth previously hidden narratives. Through her artistic interventions, she paints a more complete picture of what has come … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Sim Chi Yin on ‘One Day We’ll Understand’ (有那么一天​)

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Ming Wong on music, nationalism and diplomacy in ‘Rhapsody in Yellow’

If human relationships are complicated, then geopolitical ones are manifold more, particularly when it’s between two global superpowers. Such is the nature of the rising tensions between the USA and China, who have never had an easy time navigating their complex differences, rivalry and connections, playing hot and cold. It may seem like a heavy topic, but one Singaporean artist has found inspiration in the … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Ming Wong on music, nationalism and diplomacy in ‘Rhapsody in Yellow’

★★★☆☆ Review: All The World’s A Sea by The Theatre Practice

Ambitious speculative fiction epic questions how we will find our way amidst an unknown future. Facing the waves of chaos that rock our world, it can oftentimes feel impossible to overcome the overwhelming feelings of displacement all around us, from the helplessness felt towards climate change and war, to the sense that we’re being left behind as technological fast approaches the singularity, and the world … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: All The World’s A Sea by The Theatre Practice

Disgraced: An Interview with director Daniel Jenkins, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Shrey Bhargava

In 2016, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) presented a sold-out run of Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced, gripping audiences with its provocative subject matter, dealing with race relations in a post 9/11 America. Eight years on, SRT is bringing it back for a second run this August, with a brand new cast and creative team, and perhaps, more relevant than ever before. Leading the team … Continue reading Disgraced: An Interview with director Daniel Jenkins, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Shrey Bhargava

★★★★☆ Review: Phinny & Wally by Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre’s foray into children’s theatre tugs at the heartstrings and covers a sea of themes. In the world of children’s theatre, a show often has to go beyond pure entertainment, to also include teachable moments and life lessons for its young audiences to take away. The quality of a children’s show then hinges on the execution of several core tenets, including the level … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Phinny & Wally by Nine Years Theatre

Preview: Dear Evan Hansen by Pangdemonium!

Following a twisted, explosive production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in June, Pangdemonium is ready to wrap up their 2024 season this October, with one of their biggest and most hotly-anticipated shows to date – Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen. Making waves with both critics and audiences when it opened back in 2016, Dear Evan Hansen follows the story of Evan, a young … Continue reading Preview: Dear Evan Hansen by Pangdemonium!

Preview: Lotus Root Support Group (2024) by Impromptu Meetings

In 2022, theatremakers Shannen Tan and Miriam Cheong came together from a place of pain – their shared experience with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a common yet often overlooked and misunderstood endocrine disorder that affects anywhere between 4 to 21% of women worldwide. From friendship and discussions, they decided to turn the pain into art, with the cheekily-titled Lotus Root Support Group, which played to … Continue reading Preview: Lotus Root Support Group (2024) by Impromptu Meetings

Preview: Disgraced (2024) by Singapore Theatre Company

The Singapore Theatre Company is delighted to announce the restaging of Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced at the KC Arts Centre – Home of STC from 13 August 2024. Following a sold-out run in 2016, this gripping and provocative drama returns to challenge and captivate audiences once more. Disgraced is set in an upscale New York City apartment where Amir, a successful lawyer with … Continue reading Preview: Disgraced (2024) by Singapore Theatre Company