With the end of Hari Raya comes another special event in May – the Esplanade’s annual Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts. Running from 18 – 21 May 2023 at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Pesta Raya 2023 celebrates and presenting the best of the arts in the Nusantara, thought the art of stories. One of the oldest art forms, storytelling is a … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya 2023 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
One last, mishmashed hurrah for a fast-disappearing art form. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Goh Boon Teck) 6 Script (Goh Boon Teck) 6 Performance (Gwee Lay Hua, Clement Yeo, Doreen Toh, Tiara Yap, Timothy Wan, Wayne Lim, Wendy Toh, Asher Kang) 7 Music Composition (August Lum) 7 Lighting Design (Gabriel Chan) 7 Set Design (Goh Abigail) 7 Sound Design (Sandra Tay) 7 Costume/Make-up Design … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions
Acceptance is just the first step on the long road to recovery. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Tracie Pang) 9 Script (Duncan Macmillan) 8 Performance (Sharda Harrison, Shona Benson, Rebecca Ashley Dass, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Krissy Jesudason, Keagan Kang, Shane Mardjuki, Victoria Mintey, Adrian Pang, Jamil Schulze, and Tan Guo Lian Sutton) 9 Production Design (Philip Engleheart) 8 Lighting Design (James Tan) 8 Multimedia … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: People, Places & Things by Pangdemonium!
Singaporean theatremaker Renee Yeong (she/they) spent her undergraduate years at NYU in America before returning in 2019, and had initially planned to return to the States on a freelance artist visa after spending some time with family and friends. That plan was put on indefinite hiatus once the pandemic struck, and she’s since been based in Singapore, working a corporate role by day to make … Continue reading TRIP 2023: An Interview with Renee Yeong, director of ‘I am trying to say something true’
Over the course of the pandemic, Sim Yan Ying “YY” (she/her) established herself as an early-career director unafraid to experiment with form and boldly tackle new, never-before performed scripts. To that end, she’s probably one of the most exciting young directors to look out for in Singapore, and makes a perfect candidate for the first batch of the Esplanade’s inaugural TRIP programme, which empowers early … Continue reading TRIP 2023: An Interview with Sim Yan Ying “YY”, director of No Particular Order
Sharda Harrison knows what addiction feels like. For a good many years, she found herself constantly craving some form of validation, a primal, irresistible need to make herself seen and heard, and wanting to find love. Today, the beloved actress has moved past that, and is now in a stable, committed relationship, is a series regular on Mediacorp’s Sunny Side Up, hosts shows on Channel … Continue reading An Interview with Sharda Harrison, star of Pangdemonium’s ‘People, Places & Things’
Running a theatre company has never been easy task, but the pandemic made it about a million times harder. Beyond the fact that companies were completely unable to stage their usual live shows, even in the aftermath when the world began to open up again, people had other priorities on their mind, whether spending money on travel and shopping, or saving up after particularly tight … Continue reading An Interview with Adrian and Tracie Pang, on Pangdemonium’s 2023 season and beyond
The Hong Kong term Tri Ka Tsai specifically refers to a trilingual Gen X or millennial living in post-colonial Hong Kong who speaks Cantonese, English and Putonghua (Mandarin). While some people may see that as a mishmash of cultures, Hong Kongers and artists Yuri Ng, Anna Lo and Rick Lau have instead chosen to embrace their status as proud tri ka tsais themselves, and come together … Continue reading Review: Tri Ka Tsai – A uniquely trilingual Hong Kong cabaret by Yuri Ng X Anna Lo X Rick Lau
The Esplanade’s annual The Studios series is back again, continually presenting challenging, innovative and exploratory contemporary theatre and performance. Running since 2003, it has established a reputation for presenting thought-provoking works and giving space for theatre-makers to explore different issues in a variety of forms. Come 2023 however, The Studios season is about to make a change, and in line with the recent opening of … Continue reading Preview: TRIP 2023 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Dubbed a violin prodigy in Singapore, Singapore Symphony Orchestra Artist-In-Residence Chloe Chua performed Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the orchestra this March. Known for his impassioned melodies and searing energy, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 has been described as the composer’s “richest and the most seductive”, this particular concerto requires great control and pacing, both of which came through in the performance. Chloe … Continue reading Review: Bruch Violin Concerto and Mahler 5 by Singapore Symphony Orchestra
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