Huayi 2020: An Interview with Goh Boon Teck, Director and Playwright of Toy Factory’s 7 Sages of the Bamboo Grove

In Chinese history, there existed a group of seven Chinese scholars, writers, and musicians of the third century CE. As the Jin dynasty came into being, the ‘Sages’ found their lives to be in danger, and their reactions to the changes expressed themselves in new ways. Some wrote poems criticizing the court and the administration, while others tried to negotiate their way through the difficult … Continue reading Huayi 2020: An Interview with Goh Boon Teck, Director and Playwright of Toy Factory’s 7 Sages of the Bamboo Grove

Huayi 2020: An Interview with Star Pianist Tony Yike Yang

At the tender age of 16, Chinese-Canadian pianist Tony Yike Yang took the music world by storm when he became the youngest-ever laureate at the prestigious 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. Now, the young prodigy is set to make his Southeast Asian debut at the Esplanade, performing a solo recital as part of this year’s edition of Huayi – Chinese Festival of the arts. … Continue reading Huayi 2020: An Interview with Star Pianist Tony Yike Yang

Preview: Esplanade presents Huayi Festival 2020

As we approach Chinese New Year once again, so does the Esplanade’s annual Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts. Come the year of the Rat, often considered a symbol of wit, imagination and curiosity, Huayi is set to bring these traits to life in its programming, with a line-up of leading Chinese artists from Singapore and beyond between 31st January and 9th February 2020. Presenting a mix … Continue reading Preview: Esplanade presents Huayi Festival 2020

Preview: Of Music and Story – River of Life by Ding Yi Music Company

In collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Chinse chamber music ensemble Ding Yi Music Company is back with the 2019 edition of their signature Of Music Series, which brings together multiple disciplines with music to create a unique concert experience. This time around, in conjunction with the Singapore Bicentennial, they’ll be uniting Chinese chamber music with storytelling, a concept by Ding Yi Principal Conductor … Continue reading Preview: Of Music and Story – River of Life by Ding Yi Music Company

Review: The Gingerbread Man by SRT’s The Little Company

★★☆☆☆ (Performance attended 26/10/19) A children’s show that needed more time to rise in the oven. “Run run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man.” The iconic lines of everyone’s favourite anthropomorphic baked good has been taken quite literally in SRT’s The Little Company’s latest musical for kids, with the titular Gingerbread Man using his need for speed to … Continue reading Review: The Gingerbread Man by SRT’s The Little Company

Preview: Southern Elegance – Music of the Teochews (华族室内乐: 弦诗潮韵) by Ding Yi Music Company

This November, Ding Yi Music Company presents a classically elegant evening of traditional Teochew music. Featuring renowned Teochew music master and National Class One composer Wang Peiyu as concert artistic advisor, this recital presents renditions of classic Teochew repertoire such as The Lion’s Mischief, Lotus Blossoms, Waves Sifting Sand and a special performance with Wang in Spring Brocades. Take some time off, and come discover the Music of the Teochews as Southern Elegance. Southern … Continue reading Preview: Southern Elegance – Music of the Teochews (华族室内乐: 弦诗潮韵) by Ding Yi Music Company

Review: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Worst birthday ever makes for one of the best shows of 2019. Growing up in Singapore, the hard and fast path to ‘success’ has always been made abundantly clear to each and every child: study hard, get into a good school, rinse and repeat, and you’ll lead a happy life. But for those who don’t follow exactly as the system dictates, the consequences could be … Continue reading Review: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre’s Dear Elena: An Interview with Nelson Chia, Mia Chee and Timothy Wan

Near the start of 2019, local theatre company Nine Years Theatre (NYT) announced their new season, starting with FAUST/US in February, original play First Fleet in July, before rounding off with a restaging of SIFA 2017’s Art Studio in October. But midway through, due to unforeseen circumstances, Art Studio was unable to proceed as planned, and the team had to find an alternative production to round off their year. Enter Dear Elena … Continue reading Nine Years Theatre’s Dear Elena: An Interview with Nelson Chia, Mia Chee and Timothy Wan

Preview: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre returns this October for their third and final production of the year. Following the premiere of brand new play First Fleet in July, the company returns to their roots with Dear Elena, with artistic director Nelson Chia adapting a Russian play into Mandarin. Originally written by Russian playwright Lyudmila Razumovskaya, Dear Elena Sergeevna, the original play, was first staged at the beginning of … Continue reading Preview: Dear Elena (青春禁忌游戏) by Nine Years Theatre

Review: Caught by Singapore Repertory Theatre

It is not the truth, but the semblance of the truth that truly matters in SRT’s first immersive production. Presented by the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), Caught plays as part of the Miaja Gallery’s Dissonance exhibition, inviting recently released Chinese fugitive and dissident artist Lin Bo to speak at the gallery itself. Caught is directed and conceptualised by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, with text by Christopher Chen, performed by Lin … Continue reading Review: Caught by Singapore Repertory Theatre