Colourful adventure that lacks purpose. Xenophobia is one of the bigger issues that has plagued Singapore in recent years, with continually increasing rates of anti-foreigner sentiment rearing its ugly head. For youth theatre company Patch & Punnet, it’s prime material for their newest production – a fantastical, thinly veiled allegory for Singapore and the assumed troubles that foreigners go through in living here. In The … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: The Adventures of Abhijeet by Patch & Punnet (Review)

Sailing an emotional ship to wreck. Directed by Soultari Amin Farid, choreographed by Norhaizad Adam and with a script by Nabilah Said, yesterday it rained salt is perhaps the most salient culmination of Bhumi Collective’s ethos yet, combining text, dance and performance to create a work rooted in themes of identity. Primarily a movement piece, yesterday it rained salt is an ethereal performance loosely telling the story of Azman (played … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: yesterday it rained salt by Bhumi Collective (Review)

Doctors get sad too.  For a performance dealing with doctors and depression, it’s remarkable how clinical New Perspectives’ A Fortunate Man is; beyond the actual waiting room-like setup complete with plastic chairs, our hosts tell us exactly how many acts this is going to take, and reveal how the book will end with the suicide of our protagonist, English country doctor Dr John Sassall. Written and directed by … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: A Fortunate Man by New Perspectives (Review)

Arranging for our interview at the iconic Foyle’s bookstore on Tottenham Court Road in London couldn’t be more appropriate. Jemima Foxtrot, one half of Unholy Mess is, after all, a performance poet, and words, naturally, become a tool in her hands. Arriving in Singapore next week, Jemima will be making her debut with Above the Mealy-mouthed Sea at the 2019 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, a … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: An Interview with Jemima Foxtrot of Unholy Mess (Preview)

Black never goes out of style. When one thinks of the cultural makeup of Singapore, rarely does Africa come to mind, let alone daily conversation. Yet, as Sharon Frese, Ng Yi-Sheng and Irfan Kasban reveal in their performance lecture Ayer Hitam, Singapore has plenty of surprising ties to the continent, as they uncover the hidden black history and African disapora of our island home. As … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: Ayer Hitam by Sharon Frese, Ng Yi-Sheng and Irfan Kasban (Review)

50 years ago, writer John Berger (Ways of Seeing) and Swiss photographer Jean Mohr collaborated on the book A Fortunate Man, a visionary, philosophical tome that meditated on what it means to be a doctor or member of the healthcare professional. Following the life of English country general practitioner John Sassall, a combination of storytelling and photography brings to life his daily routines, his compassions and practice. … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: An Interview with Michael Pinchbeck, Writer/Director of A Fortunate Man (Preview)

Having helmed our favourite play of 2018, suffice to say that we’re excited about director Noor Effendy Ibrahim taking the reins once more and starting off 2019 with a brand new play, premiering as part of the 2019 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. Written by Nabilah Said, ANGKAT: A Definitive, Alternative, Reclaimed Narrative of a Native is set to be a highlight of the festival, and follows the … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: An Interview with Nabilah Said and Noor Effendy Ibrahim of ANGKAT (Preview)

With the advent of 2019, the Bicentennial celebrations too will fast be upon us, as a series of activities look back not just on the 200 years of history we have from the time of Sang Nila Utama, but further back still, to the very origins of our island home. Appropriately enough then, there seems no better time than to peel back the veil of … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019: An Interview with Ayer Hitam’s Creative Team (Preview)