Review: Guards at the Taj by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Harrowing tale of male friendship torn asunder by contrasting beliefs; a must-watch. American playwright Rajiv Joseph is a modern master of the two-man play. Across some of his other works (Gruesome Playground Injuries, The North Pool), Joseph is able to quickly establish familiar encounters between two people who find the oddest, yet relatable connections to each other, developing it over the course of his writing before … Continue reading Review: Guards at the Taj by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Review: Just A Breath Away dir. Daniel Roby (French Film Festival 2018)

Unusual premise couples with family drama to leave viewers breathless Last week, Daniel Roby’s Just A Breath Away opened the 2018 French Film Festival Singapore. The post-apocalyptic thriller film follows separated parents Mathieu (Roman Duris) and Anna (Olga Kurylenko), as they raise an 11 year old daughter, Sarah, with a unique childhood illness. Forced to survive in a hermetic, bubble-like chamber with its own oxygen supply and … Continue reading Review: Just A Breath Away dir. Daniel Roby (French Film Festival 2018)

Bitten – Return to Our Roots: An Interview with Co-Creator Thong Pei Qin

It’s quite incredible to think that what once started as a strange fever dream is about to evolve into an entire production. Specifically, some years back, when theatremaker Thong Pei Qin was bitten by an Aedes mosquito and contracted dengue fever, talking about the experience with colleague and longtime friend Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara led to the creation of the aptly named Bitten.  “Talking about this … Continue reading Bitten – Return to Our Roots: An Interview with Co-Creator Thong Pei Qin

Review: Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap X by How Drama

Joyous, unbridled celebration of Singaporean absurdities. Does the perfect, quintessentially Singaporean fringe show exist? This all-star edition of Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap certainly makes a strong case for that title. Celebrating ten years of existence, Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap X brings together 31 of the beloved act’s best sketches and playlets of all time, along with some new ones (all written by Melissa Sim … Continue reading Review: Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap X by How Drama

Singapore Writers Festival 2018: The Ghost In Your Head (Review)

A novel idea with flawed execution.  Immersive productions are all the rage these days, with audiences often demanding to experience art beyond the usual mediums. Naturally, one of these art forms would be literature, where one’s imagination is already subject to go wild as we visualise fantastic worlds and characters within their pages, and lends itself perfectly to theatrical adaptation, with our spectral thoughts manifesting … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2018: The Ghost In Your Head (Review)

Singapore Writers Festival Director Yeow Kai Chai’s Final Edition Draws To A Close

After 10 days of exciting programmes, pop ups, local and international authors and new ways of engaging with literary arts, the 21st edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) finally drew to a close last Sunday, after opening audiences up to the many worlds authors created and brought to life through their writing and thoughts. On the final day of SWF 2018, we began first … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival Director Yeow Kai Chai’s Final Edition Draws To A Close

Preview: The Old Woman And The Ox by The Second Breakfast Company

Following their production of Goh Poh Seng’s The Moon Is Less Bright earlier this year, youth theatre company The Second Breakfast Company (2BCo) continues their mission of  championing local work and will be staging 20-year old playwright Isaiah Christopher Lee’s new play this November – The Old Woman and the Ox. Selected from a pool of over 40 scripts 2BCo received through an open call in 2017, … Continue reading Preview: The Old Woman And The Ox by The Second Breakfast Company

Review: Master Race by Myle Yan Tay

A simple yet strong premise that sets the foundation for a better play in future One of the most pertinent events to have surrounded the issue of race is perhaps none other than Rachel Dolezal, the Caucasian woman who lived a life pretending to be black, drawing flak for the lie, yet was an outspoken vocalist for civil rights. It’s an issue that shows that … Continue reading Review: Master Race by Myle Yan Tay

Singapore Writers Festival 2018: The State of The World According To David Sedaris, Irvine Welsh, Mariko Tamaki and Margaret Stohl

With a theme like 界(Jie): The World(s) We Live In, it’s impossible for the Singapore Writers Festival not to fill itself with programmes and events that discuss the state of affairs surrounding the world today. At times horrifying with the increasingly dismal state of politics and disasters, at times completely absurd with the odd news we come across, and at times even hopeful, from finding inspiration … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2018: The State of The World According To David Sedaris, Irvine Welsh, Mariko Tamaki and Margaret Stohl

Singapore Writers Festival 2018: Opening Night + Intercultural Theatre Institute’s Between Heaven and Earth

The 2018 Singapore Writers Festival kicked off to a roaring start this week, marking the final year with Yeow Kai Chai as Festival Director. Taking on the title of 界 (‘Jie’): The World(s) We Live In, this year’s programme, as always, brings together some of the foremost international writers from all mediums and genres, ranging from graphic novels to novels, YA literature to non-fiction essays. … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2018: Opening Night + Intercultural Theatre Institute’s Between Heaven and Earth