★★★☆☆ 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

All The World’s A Sea: An Interview with director Kuo Jian Hong and cast member Clinton Zhang

No one can predict the entirety of what lies ahead, but one can always extrapolate based on current circumstances. For local theatre company The Theatre Practice (Practice), they’re giving audiences a glimpse five seconds into the future with their speculative work All The World’s A Sea this August. Restructured and reimagined from their 2018 piece I came at last to the seas, this new play has … Continue reading All The World’s A Sea: An Interview with director Kuo Jian Hong and cast member Clinton Zhang

Preview: All The World’s A Sea by The Theatre Practice

Back in 2018, The Theatre Practice (Practice) premiered their epic work I came at last to the seas at the Esplanade Theatre. Exploring issues of migration, identity, and the Chinese diaspora, the work was vastly ambitious, featuring international collaborations with Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, and marked the first time a Singaporean theatre company was commissioned to do an original work for the Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese … Continue reading Preview: All The World’s A Sea by The Theatre Practice

★★★★☆ Review: Air by Drama Box

Portrait of a disappearing community told with sincerity and creativity through documentary verbatim theatre. Documentary and verbatim theatre can be a tricky genre to stage, requiring actors to embody and speak on the behalf of interviewees, rather than featuring them as in a documentary film. Particularly when it comes to marginalised groups, verbatim theatre runs the risk of bordering on appropriation, and even exploitation if … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Air by Drama Box

Getting to know actress Kimberly Chan on being ‘Extra’, and the next big step in her life and career

Kimberly Chan has spent the last fifteen years of her life performing, teaching, choreographing, and essentially stretching herself as much as possible within the local arts scene. A certified triple-threat, the musical theatre actress has worked with some of the biggest local companies, from Dream Academy to Sing Theatre to Wild Rice, while also having been an artist-in-residence at Gateway Theatre, even writing and performing … Continue reading Getting to know actress Kimberly Chan on being ‘Extra’, and the next big step in her life and career

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with Adib Kosnan, Kok Heng Leun and Zulfadli Rashid on Drama Box’s restaging of ‘Air’

While certainly not as common as its film counterpart, documentary theatre often has the same aim of presenting accurate and factual information about an interesting subject matter, shedding light and revealing new perspectives on it. For theatre company Drama Box, they successfully pulled it off in 2019 with verbatim theatre piece Air (Malay for ‘water’), as part of a two-part double bill Tanah•Air, which shone … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with Adib Kosnan, Kok Heng Leun and Zulfadli Rashid on Drama Box’s restaging of ‘Air’

Preview: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s The Studios 2024 – Fault Lines

The world today is a fractured, volatile place, with rising tension, isolationism and unrest all about, whether it’s in terms of wars, the climate crisis, or simply the growing stresses of everyday living. One could even say it’s the emergence of new fault lines that seem to be increasingly determining the way we live and interact with each other – why then do we continue … Continue reading Preview: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s The Studios 2024 – Fault Lines

★★★★★ Review: Bawang Putih Bawang Merah by Teater Ekamatra

Ekamatra’s take on Nusantara classic emphasises modern sensibilities and brings joy to the stage. If it’s one thing Teater Ekamatra knows how to do best, it’s to produce theatre that knows exactly what it wants to achieve and the emotions it hopes to evoke in its audiences. In its latest, sold out production, the powerhouse local theatre company adapts the classic Nusantara folktale of Bawang … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Bawang Putih Bawang Merah by Teater Ekamatra

Pesta Raya 2024: An Interview with Mohd Fared Jainal and Ridhwan Saidi on Teater Ekamatra’s epic new reimagining of ‘Bawang Putih Bawang Merah’

For generations, the classic Malay fairy tale of Bawang Putih and Bawang Merah (literally garlic and shallot) has been passed down from orator to captive listener, a story filled with magic that takes all kinds of twists and terms in all its iterations. Now, acclaimed local theatre company Teater Ekamatra is getting ready to reintroduce this yarn to a brand new audience, reimagining it for … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2024: An Interview with Mohd Fared Jainal and Ridhwan Saidi on Teater Ekamatra’s epic new reimagining of ‘Bawang Putih Bawang Merah’

★★★★☆ Review: How I Learned To Drive by Renee Yeong

Full speed ahead into the complex topic of pedophilia and grooming in small town America. In America, with its long highways and winding roads, driving remains a necessity if you want to get out. As a result, getting one’s driver’s license becomes a key rite of passage, marking a coming of age for many Americans, symbolising newfound freedom with the ability to go anywhere, anytime … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: How I Learned To Drive by Renee Yeong