SIFA 2025: An Interview with co-creators Alan Oei and Kaylene Tan on ‘A Thousand Stitches’

In A Thousand Stitches, a portrait of a Japanese woman, Mizuki, becomes the heart of a haunting narrative about war, propaganda, and human connection. Emma, an art conservation student, restores the painting, and finds herself drawn into Mizuki’s story, enigmatic artist Huang Wei, and the turbulent years of Japanese-occupied Singapore (then Syonan-to). Premiering as part of the 2025 Singapore International Festival of Arts, A Thousand … Continue reading SIFA 2025: An Interview with co-creators Alan Oei and Kaylene Tan on ‘A Thousand Stitches’

SIFA 2025: An Interview with creator Geoff Sobelle on ‘HOME’

When does a house become a home? That is the central question in American theatremaker Geoff Sobelle’s HOME, an innovative, richly imaginative performance and act of theatrical spectacle that sees a house materialise before the audience, rising swiftly like a time-lapse sequence. Over time, the residents inhabit it, move in and out, build and break it, and leave behind traces of their past, present, and … Continue reading SIFA 2025: An Interview with creator Geoff Sobelle on ‘HOME’

SIFA 2025: An Interview with Rizman Putra, Zul Mahmod and thesupersystem on ‘Umbilical’

In an age of rapid progress, history can slip through our fingers. Premiering as part of the 2025 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Zul Mahmod, Rizman Putra, and thesupersystem (Heider Ismail) invite us to Umbilical, a multi-faceted performance that invites us into the depths of memory, identity, and the subtle violence of separation, excavating the history of the Causeway as Singapore turns 60. Umbilical … Continue reading SIFA 2025: An Interview with Rizman Putra, Zul Mahmod and thesupersystem on ‘Umbilical’

SIFA 2025: An Interview with Lebanese artist Ali Chahrour on ‘Told By My Mother’

Being a mother has never been an easy task, but what about a mother who tries to be good, to protect her children amidst a country torn apart by conflict? In Told By My Mother, making its Singapore premiere this May as part of the 2025 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Lebanese artist Ali Chahrour draws from his own family history—and from the fractures … Continue reading SIFA 2025: An Interview with Lebanese artist Ali Chahrour on ‘Told By My Mother’

Nine Years Theatre’s Home Kitchen: An Interview with director Nelson Chia, and leads Rei Poh and Joel Tan

For any Singaporean, food is always a topic that’s on the tip of our tongues, whether it’s deciding what to eat for dinner, debating which tze char restaurant reigns supreme, or the hidden gems we so fiercely gatekeep. But for someone actually in the F&B industry, facing rising rental prices and new generations who would rather not take over the family business, the fear that … Continue reading Nine Years Theatre’s Home Kitchen: An Interview with director Nelson Chia, and leads Rei Poh and Joel Tan

Pesta Raya 2025: An Interview with director Atin Amat and actor Fir Rahman on staging ‘SALINA’

It’s been almost three decades since the last time local Malay theatre company Teater Kami staged a theatrical adaptation of Malaysia’s National Laureate A. Samad Said’s seminal novel SALINA. But that’s about to change, as it receives a brand new staging as part of the Esplanade’s 2025 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts. Adapted and directed by Teater Kami artistic director Atin Amat, SALINA … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2025: An Interview with director Atin Amat and actor Fir Rahman on staging ‘SALINA’

Red Bull Dance Your Style: An Interview with Vietnamese popping dance sensation MT Pop

MT Pop, whose real name is Nguyễn Vũ Minh Tuấn, is a Vietnamese professional dancer and the 2024 Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion. But going from late-night sessions in Saigon’s public parks to standing ovations on the world stage, MT Pop’s rise to becoming the 2024 Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion isn’t just about winning—it’s about storytelling, soul, and staying grounded. When … Continue reading Red Bull Dance Your Style: An Interview with Vietnamese popping dance sensation MT Pop

Sing’theatre’s A French Kiss In Singapore: An Interview with Hossan Leong and Dwayne Lau on love, romance, and musical theatre

This April, Sing’theatre is kicking off its 2025 season with a much-anticipated restaging of A French Kiss in Singapore, a critically-acclaimed musical revue first staged in 2013. Directed by Hossan Leong, and featuring a cast that includes Dwayne Lau, Amin Alifin, Andrew Marko and Rino Junior John, the show revisits the music of French legends like Charles Aznavour, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel and Charles Trenet—with … Continue reading Sing’theatre’s A French Kiss In Singapore: An Interview with Hossan Leong and Dwayne Lau on love, romance, and musical theatre

Wicked: An Interview with stars Zoe Coppinger and Courtney Monsma on tackling and touring the beloved musical and its iconic leads

After over twenty years onstage, Wicked has become one of the world’s most beloved musicals, with legions of fans who know the soundtrack off by heart, but whose eyes still light up when those first notes from ‘No One Mourns The Wicked’ open the entire musical. From its tongue-in-cheek Easter Eggs and references to the original Wizard of Oz, to its empowering, redemptive story of … Continue reading Wicked: An Interview with stars Zoe Coppinger and Courtney Monsma on tackling and touring the beloved musical and its iconic leads

Arts of Malaysia: LaguKu 3.0 by Orang Orang Drum Theatre

KUALA LUMPUR – Drumming is loud, powerful, and relentless, often seen as a male-dominated art form, but for two women at the heart of Malaysia’s Orang Orang Drum Theatre, the rhythm of the drum is what guides their way of life. Jian Ru and Tee Vlin, two of the drummers featured in upcoming third edition of their signature LaguKu series, have each spent nearly two … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: LaguKu 3.0 by Orang Orang Drum Theatre