β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† Review: Rhapsody in Yellow by Ming Wong

A deeper look at USA-China relations and their respective histories through a musical lens. The relationship between China and America has always been a fraught one, due to their inherent competition as fellow superpowers vying for influence, and their opposing ideologies. But it is when no compromise can be made that softer approaches come into play, that is, through means such as sports and the … Continue reading β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† Review: Rhapsody in Yellow by Ming Wong

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with director/playwright Wichaya Artamat and producer Sasapin Siriwanij on ‘This Song Father Used To Sing (Three Days In May)’

Fathers in Asian society have always had certain stereotypes associated with them – a sense of the austere, reserved and detached from openly expressing love for their children, and perhaps, even as a microcosm of the greater paternalistic, patriarchal governance style adopted by those in power. In many ways, a father is often an anchor within a family that determines their relations and dynamics, resulting … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with director/playwright Wichaya Artamat and producer Sasapin Siriwanij on ‘This Song Father Used To Sing (Three Days In May)’

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Sim Chi Yin on ‘One Day We’ll Understand’ (ζœ‰ι‚£δΉˆδΈ€ε€©β€‹)

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’ (ζœ‰ι‚£δΉˆδΈ€ε€©β€‹)

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’

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† 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 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† 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 IΒ came at last to the seasΒ 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

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† 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 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† 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 Tanahβ€’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’