Huayi 2025: An Interview with award-winning writer-director Wu Nien-jen on the power of theatre in ‘Human Condition VIII’

Building a loyal following and domestic audience in Taiwan for over twenty years, Taiwanese artist Wu Nien-jen is finally bringing his beloved Human Condition theatre series to Singapore for the first time. Enjoyed by over half a million Taiwanese theatregoers since its inception in 2000, this year, the Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts will be bringing its latest iteration to the Esplanade Theatre, … Continue reading Huayi 2025: An Interview with award-winning writer-director Wu Nien-jen on the power of theatre in ‘Human Condition VIII’

Preview: Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2025 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

2025 marks the year of the snake, often associated with ideas of transformation, renewal, and spiritual growth. And as with every Chinese New Year, the Esplanade is back with a brand new edition of the annual Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts, with a line-up of Chinese works that appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Now in its 23rd edition, Huayi will run … Continue reading Preview: Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2025 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

★★★★★ Review: Corps extrêmes by Rachid Ouramdane and Compagnie de Chaillot

The majesty of the great outdoors captured in a risk-taking theatrical presentation. The realms of sports and arts may seem worlds apart, but French choreographer Rachid Ouramdane has found a veritable link between the two, with beauty in the human spirit to triumph against all odds. Such is the nature of his work Corps extrêmes, which made its Singapore debut as part of the Esplanade’s … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Corps extrêmes by Rachid Ouramdane and Compagnie de Chaillot

★★★★☆ Review: A Reason For Falling by Hwa Wei-An

Finding meaning and momentum in persevering through the pain. No matter how many times it happens, the act of falling will always be coupled with a sense of fear, often from the knowledge that the point of impact is going to hurt. Yet when it becomes incorporated into one’s daily life, the pain that comes from each fall becomes somewhat more bearable when one becomes … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: A Reason For Falling by Hwa Wei-An

Review: The Silence of All Things: Thus Have I Heard by Siong Leng Musical Association

Deconstructing the idea of Nanyin music to find relevance in today’s age. As important as traditional art forms are, many of them end up endangered with how niche the audience tends to be, and how newer generations may no longer be as aware or appreciative of them. To that end, the Siong Leng Musical Association has been consistently contributing impressive efforts towards the preservation and … Continue reading Review: The Silence of All Things: Thus Have I Heard by Siong Leng Musical Association

da:ns focus – Out of Site: An Interview with choreographer Rachid Ouramdane on ‘Corps extrêmes’ and staging the power of the human spirit

In a feature article on French choreographer Rachid Ouramdane, New York Times arts critic Gia Kourlas described him as ‘the choreographer bringing hope to the stage and beyond’. It’s a big title to live up to, but one that Rachid lives up to and carries well, particularly with his work Corps extrêmes. Playing at the Esplanade this weekend as part of their da:ns focus – … Continue reading da:ns focus – Out of Site: An Interview with choreographer Rachid Ouramdane on ‘Corps extrêmes’ and staging the power of the human spirit

da:ns focus – Out of Site: An Interview with choreographer Hwa Wei-An on the power of falling, and what keeps him going

To make art is to live life dangerously and vulnerably, consistently putting one’s creativity and a part of one’s self up and subject it to as much criticism as awe and adoration. For Malaysian choreographer Hwa Wei-An, that danger comes very literally, and plays out prominently in his solo dance piece A Reason For Falling, which plays this December as a part of the Esplanade’s … Continue reading da:ns focus – Out of Site: An Interview with choreographer Hwa Wei-An on the power of falling, and what keeps him going

Kalaa Utsavam 2024: An Interview with HuM Theatre’s Subin Subaiah and Daisy Irani on ‘Train to Pakistan’

India’s Partition is often considered one of the most significant historical events of South Asia. Cleaving a nation into two upon India’s independence, millions of families faced displacement and separation from each other, with countless deaths from the violence that ensued over the bitter rivalry, with tensions that continue even into the present day. How then does one even begin to grapple with the massive … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2024: An Interview with HuM Theatre’s Subin Subaiah and Daisy Irani on ‘Train to Pakistan’

★★★★★ Review: The Feelings Farm by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

A moving, necessary primer on emotional intelligence for both children and adults. The beauty of the arts often lies in how they are able to produce powerful emotional responses, representing and platforming a degree of authenticity onstage that allows for audiences to undergo catharsis. And in a country like Singapore, where emotional and mental health are just beginning to enter mainstream conversation, it seems more … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: The Feelings Farm by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

★★★☆☆ Review: KAGAMI by Tin Drum and Ryuichi Sakamoto

A spiritual connection to the lingering ghost in the music and the machine. There has always been something immensely timeless about the compositions of the late Japanese pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, with avant garde works that capture listeners from their opening notes filled with emotion, to more sparse, esoteric pieces that evoke entire landscapes in the journey they take us through, connecting the individual to the … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: KAGAMI by Tin Drum and Ryuichi Sakamoto