Theatre of the United Kingdom 2019: Shine by Kema Sikazwe (Preview)

LONDON – Best known for his role in Ken Loach’s 2016 BAFTA and Palme D’or-winning film I, Daniel Blake, actor, rapper, singer and rising star Kema Sikazwe (aka Kema Kay), will make his stage debut in Shine. Premiering at Live Theatre in Newcastle before transferring to the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, this world premiere is written and performed by Sikazwe and features seven new songs written … Continue reading Theatre of the United Kingdom 2019: Shine by Kema Sikazwe (Preview)

The Studios 2019: An Interview with Director Chen Yingxuan and Performer Oon Shu An of Mergers & Accusations

Eleanor Wong is sometimes better known for her position as a law professor at NUS’ Faculty of Law. But to most of the arts community, she is perhaps best known for her seminal Invitation to Treat trilogy of plays, narratively linked by their protagonist, Ellen Toh. Set in the 90s, Ellen is a lawyer who realises she is a lesbian. But coming out, both to society and … Continue reading The Studios 2019: An Interview with Director Chen Yingxuan and Performer Oon Shu An of Mergers & Accusations

Drama Box’s FLOWERS: An Interview with Creators Han Xuemei and Jean Tay

Coming to the stage this May, Drama Box kicks off their 2019 season with an all new show – in a house! Conceptualised by Han Xuemei, FLOWERS reunites the Drama Box resident artist with playwright Jean Tay, who worked on last year’s MISSING: The City of Lost Things, in an experiential installation where audiences explore a terrace house in Chip Bee Gardens, and in turn, discover the hidden issues of patriarchal … Continue reading Drama Box’s FLOWERS: An Interview with Creators Han Xuemei and Jean Tay

[CANCELLED] Preview: Master Argentinian Pianist Martha Argerich Returns This June

Despite her 78 years, pianist Martha Argerich continues to astound audiences with her extraordinary capabilities at the piano, bolstered with a gift that defies comprehension, and must be seen to be believed. Having made her debut performance in Singapore as part of the 2018 Singapore Piano Festival, the legendary pianist left audience members wowed with her emotive, technically-brilliant performance, her notes leaving imaginations on fire. … Continue reading [CANCELLED] Preview: Master Argentinian Pianist Martha Argerich Returns This June

In London’s (Off) West End 2019: OVERTURES at Bishopsgate Institute (Preview)

LONDON – OVERTURES Piano Bar – London’s only sing-along piano bar dedicated to musical theatre – is celebrating is travelling from its home in Marble Arch to Liverpool Street for a one-off celebration at Bishopsgate Institute. Accompanied by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, and conducted by Freddie Tapner, OVERTURES guarantees audiences a riotous evening, welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds and, even more mportantly, … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2019: OVERTURES at Bishopsgate Institute (Preview)

Review: The Truth by Singapore Repertory Theatre

A fast-paced, sharp comedic take on the lies that build a marriage. According to playwright Oscar Wilde, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Nowhere does this apply more than Florian Zeller’s contemporary farce The Truth, where the eponymous subject eludes our errant protagonist, finding himself at a greater loss the more he attempts to hide it. Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre, in a new translation … Continue reading Review: The Truth by Singapore Repertory Theatre

The Studios 2019: Miss British by The Art of Strangers (Review)

Post-colonial blues from the personal stories of three minority actresses.  With a title like Miss British, it’s easy to assume that the second show of the Esplanade’s 2019 The Studios Season is all about British identity. It’s a misnomer, and in fact, deals primarily with the impact, trauma and legacy that British colonialism has left behind on minorities. Directed by Felipe Cervera, Miss British comes at a timely … Continue reading The Studios 2019: Miss British by The Art of Strangers (Review)

In London’s (Off) West End 2019: Don’t Look Away by NOVAE Theatre (Preview)

LONDON – The refugee crisis continues to be a hot topic and night impossible to solve issue in today’s world, and with NOVAE Theatre’s latest play, they’re set to shine a new light upon the problem, putting a human face on it and portraying a moral quandary a cleaner face. Written by Grace Chapman and directed by Nicholas Pitt, Don’t Look Away is set in 2015 Bradford, where Adnan … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2019: Don’t Look Away by NOVAE Theatre (Preview)

Preview: SSO Gala – Missa Solemnis · Masaaki Suzuki

In 1819, the year Raffles landed in Singapore, Beethoven wrote the first notes of Missa Solemnis. A grand setting of Mass, the work is considered one of the composer’s greatest achievements at the height of his career, a point in his life when Beethoven was practically completely deaf. The great composer never got a chance to hear his work, and on the opening page wrote “From … Continue reading Preview: SSO Gala – Missa Solemnis · Masaaki Suzuki

The Studios 2019: An Interview with Felipe Cervera, Director of Miss British

As the Esplanade’s 2019 seasons of The Studios roars into its second week, The Art of Strangers presents a brand new show – Miss British. Based off an original idea by Sharon Frese, who stars alongside Grace Kalaiselvi, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai and Riduan Zalani, Miss British is a devised, multi-disciplinary work questioning the British identity, thinking about issues of both the monarchy and slave trade. What then are the prejudices and social hierarchies left behind … Continue reading The Studios 2019: An Interview with Felipe Cervera, Director of Miss British