M1 Fringe Festival 2018: Hayat by Pink Gajah Theatre (Review)

The transformative power of pain is on full display in a moving work from Pink Gajah. Hayat may be a word that means life, but in Pink Gajah’s newest work of the same name, it begins with a death. Specifically, the memory of the death of performer Ajuntha Anwari’s mother, a trigger to reflect upon her life and begin her journey of grief, not only for her mother, … Continue reading M1 Fringe Festival 2018: Hayat by Pink Gajah Theatre (Review)

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018: Reflecting on Life with Pink Gajah’s Hayat (Preview)

“Pink Gajah is a company where everyone becomes family,” Sharda Harrison, Artistic Director of Pink Gajah Theatre muses, while sipping on her drink. “I’m quite picky about the people I work with, because I need them to be comfortable with themselves, and be able to be raw and open with one another. I can’t have people who are trying to plaster themselves onto me or … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018: Reflecting on Life with Pink Gajah’s Hayat (Preview)

M1SFF 2018 Previews Part 3: Questioning Perfection and the Patriarchal Gaze

In the final part of our previews for the 2018 M1 Singapore Fringe Fest, we look at four works that tackle the complexities of the female form and the emphasis on female beauty. These pieces question the validity of succumbing to the patriarchal gaze and reject the emphasis on traditional ‘aesthetic beauty’, as they bring alternative takes on femininity across age and history. Read our … Continue reading M1SFF 2018 Previews Part 3: Questioning Perfection and the Patriarchal Gaze

M1SFF 2018 Previews Part 2: Redefining Individuality and Identity

As we looked at the pressure to conform to societal norms in part 1 of our 2018 M1SFF previews, we follow up on the theme with another aspect of Amanda Heng’s Let’s Walk – redefining individuality and identity. In our increasingly chaotic world, it becomes more important than ever to hold on to some kind of meaning, and that is best gleaned from confidence and assurance in … Continue reading M1SFF 2018 Previews Part 2: Redefining Individuality and Identity

M1SFF 2018 Previews Part 1: Battling Societal Influences and Pressures

The annual M1 Singapore Fringe Festival kicks off this year with an all new theme, as artistic director Sean Tobin takes it in a new direction – celebrating some of the most influential Singapore artists and taking inspiration from their most iconic works. In 2018, this theme begins with artist Amanda Heng and her seminal work Let’s Walk, created in 1999 as a response to women losing … Continue reading M1SFF 2018 Previews Part 1: Battling Societal Influences and Pressures

Review: The Black Eye Club by Phil Charles

“He’s one of the girls!” shouts Zoe (Rebecca Pryle) innocuously – except in this world of misconceptions and boundaries, he (Christopher Sherwood) legally isn’t. Himself a victim of domestic abuse, Dave turns up late at night at a refuge only to be told by its night concierge (Cathryn Sherman) that the rooms are strictly women-only. Dave is a gay man, and thus terribly fascinating to Zoe who … Continue reading Review: The Black Eye Club by Phil Charles

Preview: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018 – Let’s Walk

Announcing the full lineup of work at the Esplanade Annexe Studio on Tuesday, the 14th M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (M1SFF) has taken on an all new thematic concept as it moves into 2018. While the past 13 editions have used titles surrounding the concept of “Art & ___”, from next year on, M1SFF will be using themes inspired by iconic works from local artists, starting … Continue reading Preview: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018 – Let’s Walk

Artist Spotlight: Performer Iain Gibbons

We’ve seen actor Iain Gibbons in many a fringe show now, from Rounds at the Blue Elephant Theatre to America’s No.1 Detective Agency off at the Drayton Arms Pub, and he’s always delighted us with his quirky sense of humour and ridiculously likable onstage presence. Now, Gibbons is going to get the stage all to himself, as the Gaulier-trained actor stars in his very own devised … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Performer Iain Gibbons