★★★☆☆ Review: Out of the Blue by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (The Studios 2023)

The more you know, the more fragile things seem to be. “We know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the bottom of the ocean.” That’s the now cliché, but still very true line you’ll hear in almost every documentary about the vast blue sea, and all the mystery that lies beneath it. But in ending off their Mining Trilogy docu-theatre … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Out of the Blue by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (The Studios 2023)

★★★★☆ Review: Pleasant Island by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (The Studios 2023)

A modern parable of man’s insatiable greed and the destruction left in its wake. Marking the second part of their Mining Trilogy series, Pleasant Island turns theatremakers Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere’s attention to the tiny island republic of Nauru. Surrounded entirely by water in the middle of Micronesia, Nauru’s fascinating history makes for a riveting case study, literally once being the richest island in … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Pleasant Island by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (The Studios 2023)

★★★☆☆ Review: Mining Stories by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (The Studios 2023)

It’s always good to look at the story from a different perspective. The truth is rarely pure and never simple, and often, it takes a medley of voices and points of view to get the full picture. Particularly when living in an internet age, where perspectives are often skewed and we live in echo chambers, it becomes more important than ever to consider events with … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Mining Stories by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (The Studios 2023)

Esplanade’s The Studios 2023: An Interview with assistant director Deonn Yang, and the cast of The Necessary Stage’s ‘Three Years In The Life and Death of Land’

Dysfunctional families are a staple in theatre and film, and are often the basis for tension, conflict, and understanding differences. In The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) Three Years In The Life and Death of Land, past pain and trauma are what threaten to tear a multiracial family apart. But in many ways, isn’t that precisely the struggle of the average Singaporean family, as they do whatever … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2023: An Interview with assistant director Deonn Yang, and the cast of The Necessary Stage’s ‘Three Years In The Life and Death of Land’

Film Fanatic: Anthony Chen’s ‘The Breaking Ice’ opens in Singapore 7 September

Award-winning local director Anthony Chen is back with his latest directorial feature – The Breaking Ice 《燃冬》. The movie opens in Singapore cinemas from 7 September, being the first territory to release the film after Mainland China on 22 August. Starring three of the most notable Chinese actors of this generation, Zhou Dongyu (BETTER DAYS), Liu Haoran (DETECTIVE CHINATOWN film series) and Qu Chuxiao (THE WANDERING EARTH), The Breaking Ice is set in Yanji, a border city in … Continue reading Film Fanatic: Anthony Chen’s ‘The Breaking Ice’ opens in Singapore 7 September

Esplanade’s The Studios 2023: An Interview with Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere, creators of ‘The Mining Trilogy’

In November 2015, a dam containing toxic mining waste collapsed a few miles away from theatremaker Silke Huysmans’ childhood home in the South of Brazil. Not only did a devastating flood of mud destroy several villages below the dam, but in the next couple of days, poisonous sludge flowed into the river Rio Doce and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean, causing massive ecological impact and … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2023: An Interview with Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere, creators of ‘The Mining Trilogy’

Preview: The Studios 2023 – Landings by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Celebrating their 20th edition, the Esplanade’s The Studios series takes on a newer, expanded format, responding to the ever-changing world and continuing to programme work that challenges our notions of what art can be and do. Starting off this new version of The Studios, from 2023-2025, the programme will explore notions of Land. With works performed across various venues in the Esplanade, including the new … Continue reading Preview: The Studios 2023 – Landings by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Review: Open Stage 2023 (cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival 2023)

Each year, cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival’s Open Stage programme is always one of the most exciting platforms to look forward to, gathering and curating short works from all corners of the world and presenting them as a mixed bill. The diversity you get in a single presentation is unparalleled, and celebrates movement, experimentation and varied perspectives. This year, a total of seven works were selected … Continue reading Review: Open Stage 2023 (cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival 2023)

Preview: Wellness Festival Singapore 2023

This June and July, get ready to unwind your mind and body, as this year’s Wellness Festival Singapore (WFS) expands its offerings to over 180 activities running for three weeks. Taking place across 10 precincts islandwide, the festival is back to promote physical, emotional and mental wellbeing in both Singaporeans and visitors. Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), in collaboration with Enterprise Singapore (Enterprise … Continue reading Preview: Wellness Festival Singapore 2023

★★★★★ Review: PheNoumenon by T.H.E Dance Company

Phenomenal show of creativity and immersion in presenting human strife. We live in chaotic times, a world that is quick to destroy the natural environment all around us, with constant tension threatening to burst into war. How do we navigate such a world, and find connection at our most human again? Presented as part of the 2023 contact Dance Festival, T.H.E Dance Company explores this … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: PheNoumenon by T.H.E Dance Company