M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024 explores pressing social issues and the ways we relate and connect to each other

Over the years, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (M1SFF), organised by The Necessary Stage (TNS), has undergone a variety of changes to the way it’s been run, from taking on specific themes and topics, to responding to art work. But at its heart, M1SFF has always been about one key goal – to present small scale local and international work that address key social issues, … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024 explores pressing social issues and the ways we relate and connect to each other

Art What!: Thai artist Pratchaya Charernsook wins 42nd UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year

Thai artist Ms Pratchaya Charernsook’s artwork “Chumphon Estuary”, which poignantly depicts the environmental devastation wrought by microplastics, won the 2023 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year (SEA POY) award. Ms Pratchaya’s masterpiece rose above the outstanding winning pieces from the 2023 UOB POY competitions held in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and for the first time, Vietnam. Crafted over the span of two months, “Chumphon … Continue reading Art What!: Thai artist Pratchaya Charernsook wins 42nd UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year

A new lease on life: Koh Chieng Mun stars in lead role as a 70-year old bride in SRT’s ‘Por Por’s Big Fat Surprise Wedding’

Back in the 90s, actress Koh Chieng Mun became a household name in every Singaporean family for her iconic role as Dolly Tan on Mediacorp’s hit sitcom Under One Roof. Ever since that star turn, Koh has remained mostly booked and busy, continuing with television and film work (including 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians), and even venturing into stand-up comedy at one point. Now, at the … Continue reading A new lease on life: Koh Chieng Mun stars in lead role as a 70-year old bride in SRT’s ‘Por Por’s Big Fat Surprise Wedding’

Preview: Fall & The Music Lovers — A Double Bill by Intercultural Theatre Institute

This November, Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) presents Fall & The Music Lovers — A Double Bill, in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, directed by award-winning Australian director, Aarne Neeme, and performed by the ITI graduating Class of 2023, comprising Abinaya Jothi, Cheng Kam Yiu (Yolanda), Choy Chee Yew, Mika Oskarson Kindstrand, and Swathilakshmi Perumal. The ITI Professional Diploma in Intercultural Theatre (Acting) … Continue reading Preview: Fall & The Music Lovers — A Double Bill by Intercultural Theatre Institute

OH! Open House’s New World’s End opens glamorous ’60s bar Exit Stage Left

Step into a captivating world where romance, history, and local spirits take centre stage. Exit Stage Left is a new immersive bar concept by OH! Stories, an experiential arts group that tells alternative stories of Singapore. Designed as the final stop in its audio-based performance tour, New World’s End, the bar will serve hyper-local tipples inspired by the grit and glamour of the 1960s. Exit … Continue reading OH! Open House’s New World’s End opens glamorous ’60s bar Exit Stage Left

Preview: Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2023 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts is back this November to showcase and explore Indian and Singapore-Indian identity and culture through the performing arts. This year, the festival features some of India and Singapore’s best-known names in theatre, dance and music, who celebrate the power of stories and folklore, through both traditional and contemporary mediums. Leading Singapore comedian … Continue reading Preview: Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2023 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Crazy Christmas™ Balls of the Belles by Dream Academy

It’s only October, but already we’re gearing up for the holiday season in December. And what better way to celebrate than in true Dream Academy®’s tradition, with the return of their Crazy Christmas™ comedy sketch show. Now in its 11th instalment, get ready to meet the beguiling Belles of the Christmas Ball as they meet ‘Bridget Tan’, as she gets ready for her desperate debutante … Continue reading Preview: Crazy Christmas™ Balls of the Belles by Dream Academy

★★★★☆ Review: Happy Indian Women by The Necessary Stage

An authentic, diverse exploration of what it means to be an Indian woman today. The Singaporean Indian identity is deeply multi-faceted. Within the community, there are already diverse languages, skin tones, religions, sexualities, family histories and rootedness to one’s culture, where every Indian person has a unique story to tell. As a minority race within the country, Indians have also faced and continue to face … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Happy Indian Women by The Necessary Stage

★★★★★ Review: Into The Woods by Pangdemonium!

Local all star production of Sondheim’s classic is the must-see musical of the year. Among Stephen Sondheim’s many works, Into The Woods remains one of his best and most enduring. On the surface, the musical, with a Tony Award-winning book by James Lapine, ostensibly seems like a colourful mash-up of the most renowned fairy tales, utilising the clever conceit of the woods to bring them … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Into The Woods by Pangdemonium!

★★★★☆ Review: The Vault – Past Perfect by Centre 42

Lessons drawn from reflections on the past and those who came before in the local theatre scene. How much value is there in looking back on the past? For that matter, how many young artists and theatre practitioners today know about those that came before them and their history, when performance is such an ephemeral, fleeting art form? Answering those questions, to an extent, is … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Vault – Past Perfect by Centre 42