★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: The Fourth Trimester by Checkpoint Theatre

by D.Y. Faith Ng tears down the celebratory façade of childbirth, investigating the realities of post-partum parenthood. ‘The Fourth Trimester’ might not be a term every parent knows, but it’s an experience that they all eventually come to experience. Referring to the three months immediately after the birth of a child, it is a crucial time for parents to not only look after their newborn’s … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: The Fourth Trimester by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: Escape To Batam by Checkpoint Theatre

Claire Wong attempts to stage her grieving process onstage, winding through knotty memory and reflection in search of meaning. Checkpoint Theatre’s latest work began over a decade ago, when creator Claire Wong started interviewing her father, Wong Heck Ming. After his passing in 2016, the piece transformed from a portrait of his youth during World War II into something more inward-looking: a meditation on Wong’s … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Theatre Review: Escape To Batam by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★★★ Review: Hard Mode by Checkpoint Theatre

Gen Z play that speaks to the growing pains that anyone from any era goes through. From juggling studies with a social life, to the turbulent changes of adolescence and figuring out exactly what it all means, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the teen years are some of the toughest of anyone’s life. And even for Generation Z (dubbed ‘Zoomers’), who grew up … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Hard Mode by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★☆☆ Review: Playing with Fire by Checkpoint Theatre

Metatheatrical look at the research process behind a play, and what it means to keep each other safe. Ever since the concept of sustainability and the looming climate crisis entered the public consciousness, the petrochemical industry has risen to become or at least close to, public enemy number one for their continued burning of fossil fuels, and the endless, rising stream of carbon emissions. Why … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Playing with Fire by Checkpoint Theatre

Preview: Checkpoint Theatre 2023 Season

Come 2023, Checkpoint Theatre is introducing an exciting season ahead, with new work, a hot favourite, and a previously delayed staging, all coming to the Drama Centre Black Box across the year, as the company continues to present and develop important, original stories from Singapore. The season opens with Myle Yan Tay’s Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes. Directed by and with dramaturgy by Huzir Sulaiman, … Continue reading Preview: Checkpoint Theatre 2023 Season

★★★★★ Review: Recalling Mother – Her Lines, My Lines by Checkpoint Theatre

Reflections on aging and mortality in the latest version of this ‘living play’. Originating as a simple idea where Claire Wong and Noorlinah Mohamed simply wanted to share stories of their mothers, over the last 16 years, the two theatremakers have managed to perform their show Recalling Mother across multiple iterations and across multiple countries, each version seeing the play grow and evolve alongside them. … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Recalling Mother – Her Lines, My Lines by Checkpoint Theatre

★★★☆☆ Review: The Fourth Trimester by Checkpoint Theatre

Brutally honest depiction of millennial parenthood reveals the cracks in the system. The fourth trimester refers to the 12-week period immediately after a mother gives birth, an additional three months of physical and emotional labour as both parent and child adjust to their new lives. But while just about every mother goes through this, very little of it has been shown onstage and onscreen, and … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: The Fourth Trimester by Checkpoint Theatre

Preview: Session Zero by Checkpoint Theatre

The term ‘Session Zero’ is probably an unfamiliar one, unless you play tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. The phrase refers to the first meeting between a game master and their players, meeting for the first time and establishing the rules of play for the campaign they’re about to embark on. It’s a ritual of trust, lays down the groundwork, and deciding on how things … Continue reading Preview: Session Zero by Checkpoint Theatre

Review: A Grand Design (An audio experience) by Checkpoint Theatre

A timely lesson on conservation that takes us from the dorms of NUS to the end of the world. Cheyenne Alexandria Phillips is a 27 year old part time poet, and educator in wildlife conservation. So what exactly is it that makes her worth listening to in A Grand Design, Checkpoint Theatre’s newest audio release? As it turns out, some big concerns about the very … Continue reading Review: A Grand Design (An audio experience) by Checkpoint Theatre

Review: Still Life by Checkpoint Theatre

An activist uses art as a means of  finding new ways of seeing and recalling her mother.  Former AWARE president Dana Lam is known more for being an activist than an artist. But take a peek at her biography in the programme booklet, and you’ll notice that she’s performed in more shows that you’d expect. In addition, Dana is also a trained painter, and it … Continue reading Review: Still Life by Checkpoint Theatre