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

★★★★★ Review: pass·ages by Sim Yan Ying

Resonant work on ageing shows YY’s vision and true capabilities as a director given enough time and resources. Time is a cruel mistress. Regardless of where we come from, it is the one thing we are all subject to, eventually resulting in death. But along the way, time also brings with it age, our bodies going through significant transformations at every stage of our life. … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: pass·ages by Sim Yan Ying

Preview: Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2024 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

As is tradition, the Esplanade’s Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts returns for a brand new edition after Hari Raya Puasa this May. This year, the arts centre and its collaborating and invited artists are ready to whisk audience members to the Nusantara region, with the meeting of tradition and folklore with the contemporary. Highlights of the festival this year include two new commissioned … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2024 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Flipside 2024 at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

This June, get ready for the return of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s Flipside festival, with a series of programmes that showcase the lighter side of the arts, from puppetry to circus, physical theatre to comedy. Joy and delight is at the heart of these productions, as these artists utilise absurdity and humour to find the beauty or depth in the everyday. This year’s … Continue reading Preview: Flipside 2024 at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

TRIP 2024: An Interview with Renee Yeong on directing ‘How I Learned To Drive’, finding balance and her place as a director in Singapore

Renee Yeong is a bit of a superwoman. Maintaining a full-time job against her theatrical pursuits, the young theatremaker has just come off directing a successful production of George Brant’s Grounded for Singapore Theatre Company, and is ready to present another production less than a month after closing, with Paula Vogel’s How I Learned To Drive. Marking her second and ‘graduating’ production for the Esplanade’s … Continue reading TRIP 2024: An Interview with Renee Yeong on directing ‘How I Learned To Drive’, finding balance and her place as a director in Singapore

TRIP 2024: An Interview with Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ on directing ‘pass·ages’ and the process of collaborative learning and the joy of creation

Theatremaker Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ may only be in her 20s, but she’s already able to list a slew of artistic achievements to her name across both Singapore and New York, starting from humble devised works, to experiments online, to working with major theatre companies such as T:>works and W!ld Rice. Now, fresh from a rejuvenating break, YY returns to the Esplanade to complete her … Continue reading TRIP 2024: An Interview with Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ on directing ‘pass·ages’ and the process of collaborative learning and the joy of creation

Preview: A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2024 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Now in its 15th edition, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s A Tapestry of Sacred Music returns once more to bless audiences with religious music, showcasing the spirituality of sound to bring peace to our hearts in this conflict-ridden reality we live in. As always, the festival aims to help audiences better appreciate the beauty of others through art, with these songs and dances performed … Continue reading Preview: A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2024 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay