★★★★☆ Circus Review: Der Lauf (The Way Things Go) by Les Vélocimanes Associés

A delirious circus of near-disasters that transforms juggling into a nerve-shredding game of trust and keeps audiences holding their breath. With Der Lauf (The Way Things Go), Belgian company Les Vélocimanes Associés has created what may be one of the most stressful circus experiences in recent memory. Presented as part of Esplanade’s Flipside 2026 programme, this deliriously inventive work transforms juggling into something stranger and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Circus Review: Der Lauf (The Way Things Go) by Les Vélocimanes Associés

★★★★★ Circus Review: A Simple Space by Gravity & Other Myths (Flipside 2026)

Ingeniously simple concept that reminds us of the joy of circus, stripping is back to its essentials and delivering on a rollicking good time. When most people think of circus, they imagine massive spectacle: towering big tops, elaborate costumes, dazzling lighting rigs, and performers transformed into larger-than-life characters. Contemporary circus after all, often leans towards ever-greater scale, bigger stunts, more ambitious concepts, and increasingly elaborate … Continue reading ★★★★★ Circus Review: A Simple Space by Gravity & Other Myths (Flipside 2026)

Theatre Review: Snakes and Ladders! by Dwayne Lau (Flipside 2026)

Theatrical metaphor for how life never progresses in a straight line, but we keep rolling the dice and continue moving forward amidst the ups and downs. Back in June when Snakes & Ladders premiered as a 40-minute work-in-progress at the Esplanade Concourse, it felt like a charming autobiographical cabaret searching for a stronger narrative spine. Now expanded into a full-length production for the Esplanade’s Flipside … Continue reading Theatre Review: Snakes and Ladders! by Dwayne Lau (Flipside 2026)

Flipside 2026: An interview with Guy Waerenburgh on risk, absurdity and the thrill of unpredictability in ‘Der Lauf (The Way Things Go)’

Contemporary circus rarely sits still, but Der Lauf (The Way Things Go) thrives in a state of beautiful collapse. Created by Belgian juggler and performer Guy Waerenburgh, the internationally acclaimed production transforms juggling into something far stranger and more theatrical: part cabaret, part endurance test, part social experiment. Blindfolded performers navigate towering stacks of wine glasses, spinning plates, flying buckets and razor-sharp knives, while the … Continue reading Flipside 2026: An interview with Guy Waerenburgh on risk, absurdity and the thrill of unpredictability in ‘Der Lauf (The Way Things Go)’

Flipside 2026: Lachlan Binns on how ‘A Simple Space’ celebrates human connection, trust, and play

When A Simple Space first premiered in 2013, contemporary circus was undergoing a global shift. Traditional big-top spectacles and variety-style performances were still dominant, shaped in part by the influence of companies like Cirque du Soleil, with their elaborate staging, narrative framing, and theatrical spectacle. But for co-creator and performer Lachlan Binns, the goal was to go in the opposite direction. “We made the show … Continue reading Flipside 2026: Lachlan Binns on how ‘A Simple Space’ celebrates human connection, trust, and play

Flipside 2026: An Interview with Dwayne Lau on rolling with the punches with ‘Snakes and Ladders!’

For actor and musical theatre performer Dwayne Lau, his original work Snakes & Ladders! is a way of re-living, re-framing, and re-negotiating the unpredictable shape of a life that has unfolded very much like the board game at its centre. What began as a 40-minute showcase at the Esplanade Concourse has now grown into a full 90-minute theatrical experience a year later. But for Dwayne, … Continue reading Flipside 2026: An Interview with Dwayne Lau on rolling with the punches with ‘Snakes and Ladders!’

Preview: Flipside 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Flipside 2026 returns from 29 May to 7 June as a bold celebration of risk, play and artistic daring. Known for its vibrant mix of circus, physical theatre, puppetry and comedy, the festival invites audiences into a space where uncertainty becomes part of the experience and the thrill. Flipside has always been a festival built on the … Continue reading Preview: Flipside 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Review: Snakes & Ladders – Life Edition! by Dwayne Lau

Dwayne Lau shows you how to find the silver lining in every moment, in this sincere, autobiographical show disguised as an interactive cabaret. There’s something charmingly chaotic about Snakes and Ladders: Life Edition!, a 40-minute cabaret-style solo show performed by actor Dwayne at the Esplanade Concourse. Free and open to the public, it’s an earnest, heartfelt experiment in autobiographical performance, part-musical, part-game-show, part-memoir, as well … Continue reading Review: Snakes & Ladders – Life Edition! by Dwayne Lau

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’

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 Tanah•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’