Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Sofie Buligis on being and representing ‘Celup’

“You very celup sia.” The moment her partner said it, Sofie Buligis laughed, but she also felt something click into place. “I was like, yeah, I am,” she remembers. “My friends and family have called me that, and actually it’s quite a snappy name for a show.” That idea became Celup (literally, ‘to dip’, and loosely translates to a desire to be more ‘mixed’) her … Continue reading Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Sofie Buligis on being and representing ‘Celup’

Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Wang Ping-Hsiang on representing violence in performance and karaoke in ‘Retina Manoeuvre’

When audiences first encountered Retina Manoeuvre in its early work-in-progress, few could have guessed that the performance would later tour Europe, gathering deeply personal responses from audiences who recognised themselves, despite having no connection to Taiwan at all. The project began far from the solo, autobiographical form it eventually took. Taiwanese artist and creator Ping-Hsiang Wang recalls that the original proposal involved three performers and … Continue reading Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Wang Ping-Hsiang on representing violence in performance and karaoke in ‘Retina Manoeuvre’

Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Woody Avenue on normalising queerness and representing love in ‘A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical’

When theatre-makers Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders first started writing a musical about a woman trying to create the happiest lesbian love story ever put on stage, they didn’t realise they were also building a company. “The idea for the production came first and the company came after,” Rosie laughs. “A lot of people asked who was the company behind it, and we thought, oh, … Continue reading Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Woody Avenue on normalising queerness and representing love in ‘A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical’

Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Haresh Sharma, Grace Kalaiselvi, and Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon on representing disability onstage in ‘Invisible’

Set against the seemingly ordinary backdrop of a hotel workplace, Invisible begins with a simple premise: Malini, a young disabled woman, starts her new job as a cleaner determined to do well. When a guest’s prized possession goes missing, the incident sets off a chain of events that reveals the hidden struggles, quiet tensions, and unseen disabilities carried by those involved. Written by award-winning playwright … Continue reading Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Haresh Sharma, Grace Kalaiselvi, and Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon on representing disability onstage in ‘Invisible’

An Interview with Dr Louis Ng, Director, Hong Kong Palace Museum and Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General, Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt on the museum’s landmark Ancient Egypt Unveiled exhibition

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s cultural landscape has taken a giant step into the world of ancient civilisations with the grand opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s (HKPM) latest special exhibition, “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums”. Opening to the public on 20 November 2025 and running through 31 August 2026, the exhibition marks the first time a major collection of Egyptian artefacts … Continue reading An Interview with Dr Louis Ng, Director, Hong Kong Palace Museum and Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General, Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt on the museum’s landmark Ancient Egypt Unveiled exhibition

Reviving Jit Murad’s Lost Play: An Interview with director Zahim Albakri, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Sabrina Hassan of ‘ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends’

It begins, unexpectedly, with a laugh. “I actually think it’s one of his most well-crafted plays,” says Dato’ Zahim Albakri, the director of ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends, and one of the late Jit Murad’s closest collaborators. “Some of the writing is his best and really quite fabulous. It’s different from his other plays, but it’s definitely him; you recognise the writing.” Then, almost in … Continue reading Reviving Jit Murad’s Lost Play: An Interview with director Zahim Albakri, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Sabrina Hassan of ‘ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends’

SGIFF 2025: An Interview with Girl 女孩 director Shu Qi, and stars Bai Xiao-Ying and 9m88

When Girl opened the 2025 Singapore International Film Festival at Marina Bay Sands, the theatre was filled to its edges, with filmmakers, industry regulars, influencers, and longtime fans gathered to witness one of Asia’s most beloved stars step into a bold new role. For Shu Qi, who has spent decades defining onscreen charisma, the packed house represented both the reputation she’d built up over the … Continue reading SGIFF 2025: An Interview with Girl 女孩 director Shu Qi, and stars Bai Xiao-Ying and 9m88

da:ns focus: An Interview with Nederlands Dans Theater artistic director Emily Molnar on rigour, collaboration and the joy of platforming new voices

Ten years on from their last tour here, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT 2) returns to the Esplanade this season with a trio of works that Artistic Director Emily Molnar describes as “a programme that truly shows where we’re at.” For Molnar, bringing NDT 2 back to Singapore is “an absolute pleasure,” and the triple bill, featuring works by Alexander Ekman, Botis Seva, and Marcos … Continue reading da:ns focus: An Interview with Nederlands Dans Theater artistic director Emily Molnar on rigour, collaboration and the joy of platforming new voices

Kalaa Utsavam 2025: An Interview with directors Subramanian Ganesh and Karthikeyan Somasundaram on Agam Theatre Lab’s original work ‘Mission Malligapoo’

In 1942, Singapore was under the shadow of the Japanese Occupation. Amid fear, scarcity, and uncertainty, ordinary people performed extraordinary acts of courage. Now, Agam Theatre brings those untold stories to life in Mission Malligapoo, a riotous dark comedy that celebrates resilience, multiculturalism, and love in all its forms. Presented as part of the Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts, and directed by … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2025: An Interview with directors Subramanian Ganesh and Karthikeyan Somasundaram on Agam Theatre Lab’s original work ‘Mission Malligapoo’

Kalaa Utsavam 2025: An Interview with Pooja Nansi on what it takes to make spaces divine

We Make Spaces Divine ft. Dey began as a quiet idea in the wake of a pandemic and grew into a riot of sound, poetry, and cinematic memory. For poet and performer Pooja Nansi, the work was a way to finally launch a collection that had been waiting in the wings. “So much of my practice is performance,” she reflects. “I’d already performed every collection … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2025: An Interview with Pooja Nansi on what it takes to make spaces divine