Preview: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

As the annual Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the Arts returns this weekend, expect the Esplanade to come awash in a flurry of activity as the space is enlivened by a carefully curated variety of performing arts from the Malay Archipelago, from famous regional singers and bands, to children’s theatre, to dance and theatre. Headlining the festival is the first large-scale commission of a … Continue reading Preview: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

Preview: The Seen & Unseen by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

This weekend, the Esplanade’s annual Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the Arts returns to present a finely curated selection of performing arts from the Malay Archipelago, ranging from well-known regional singers, children’s plays, and of course, theatre and dance. Of these, they will be premiering Indonesian artist Kamila Andini’s The Seen and Unseen, a theatrical/dance performance inspired by her film of the same name, as performed … Continue reading Preview: The Seen & Unseen by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

Preview: Pesta Raya 2019 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The Esplanade’s Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the Arts is back this June to once again highlight the varied arts and culture from across the wide expanse of the the nusantara (Malay Archipelago). Held together by the same rooted beliefs and culture, this year’s festival celebrates that diversity and richness from across its heritage, history and people. Once again coinciding with the celebration of Hari … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya 2019 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Chonteng by Teater Ekamatra

Presented as part of their Artist Residency Programme, this April, Teater Ekamatra presents Rizman Putra’s Chonteng. Translating to ‘doodle’ in English, the installation takes the form of drawings exploring ideas of line and mark making based loosely on the method of automatic drawing, documenting the stream of iconography and creatures from the consciousness of the artist. First explored in previous exhibitions Labyrinth of Things I and II, which were … Continue reading Preview: Chonteng by Teater Ekamatra

Are You Game, Sau(dara)?: An Interview with Creators Fasyali Fadzly and Soultari Amin Farid, and Dramaturg Grace Lee-Khoo

KUALA LUMPUR – Last weekend, we travelled up to Five Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to catch the cross-Causeway double bill presentation Are You Game, Sau(dara)? Comprising two brand new works created in response to Malaysian playwright Leow Puay Tin’s seminal play 3 Children, we sat down with creators Fasyali Fadzly and Soultari Amin Farid, as well as dramaturg Grace Lee-Khoo, before we caught the show to find out a … Continue reading Are You Game, Sau(dara)?: An Interview with Creators Fasyali Fadzly and Soultari Amin Farid, and Dramaturg Grace Lee-Khoo

Review: Anak Melayu by Teater Kami

A bleak portrait of the problems haunting Malay youth.  The teenage years can be hard, but when you belong to a certain group or class bogged down by stereotypes, it can be even harder. For the six Malay youths in Noor Effendy Ibrahim’s Anak Melayu, teenagehood is practically a nightmare, as each one deals with a different facet of discrimination, all messed up even before … Continue reading Review: Anak Melayu by Teater Kami

Preview: Are You Game, Sau(dara)? by Centre 42 and Five Arts Centre

This March, Singapore’s Centre 42 and Malaysia’s Five Arts Centre unite to present a cross-Causeway double-bill in the form of Are You Game, Sau(dara)? Created by Singapore theatre company Bhumi Collective and Malaysian director Fasyali Fadzly,  Are You Game, Sau(dara)? will be co-presented Centre 42 (Singapore) and Five Arts Centre (Malaysia), in the first collaboration between the two companies, and performed at Kotak @ Five Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur before heading … Continue reading Preview: Are You Game, Sau(dara)? by Centre 42 and Five Arts Centre

Teater Kami’s Anak Melayu: An Interview with Cast Member Masturah Oli

This year, Teater Kami celebrates their 30th Anniversary, and starts off their season with a restaging of Noor Effendy Ibrahim’s 1992 play Anak Melayu. Now directed by Adib Kosnan, the play about the rollercoaster lives Malay teenagers lead growing up in Singapore is set to hit hard with its truths, played by a diverse new cast of performers. Of these is performer Masturah Oli, who we last saw … Continue reading Teater Kami’s Anak Melayu: An Interview with Cast Member Masturah Oli

Preview: Anak Melayu by Teater Kami

In conjunction with their 30th Anniversary celebration this year, Teater Kami is set to restage Anak Melayu – a play that was first staged in 1992 at The Substation, as written and directed by a then 18 year old Noor Effendy Ibrahim. Anak Melayu follows six Malay teenagers going through a tumultuous period in their lives as they attempt to find themselves and discover those around them in … Continue reading Preview: Anak Melayu by Teater Kami

Review: Projek Suitcase 2018 by Teater Ekamatra

An assortment of short monodramas reflecting on what it means to live – and die. Teater Ekamatra’s site-specific Projek Suitcase series follows a simple poor theatre format – one actor performs a short monodrama, equipped with minimal props, lighting and costumes, celebrating the power of the voice and traditional storytelling techniques. For their latest edition, held at the brand new Wisma Geylang Serai, they’ve taken on the … Continue reading Review: Projek Suitcase 2018 by Teater Ekamatra