A testament to the ceaseless persistence of the essence of dance. Founded in 2008, for over fourteen years now, China’s TAO Dance Theater has been exploring the very essence of dance itself. Led by artistic directors Tao Ye, Duan Ni and Wang Hao, the company has distilled the art of dance to its core aspects, manifested as minimalist productions that focus entirely on the infinite … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: 13 & 14 by TAO Dance Theater
Love and survival in the Weimar Republic. In a country with strict rules and authoritarian government, where does one find peace, comfort and release? The answer to that lies in the freedom of a club, offering a safe space for self-expression, for entertainment at the end of a long day, and perhaps even to learn something new, as encapsulated in Kander and Ebb’s classic musical … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Cabaret by Sing’theatre
Double crossing moles and a convoluted revenge plots weigh down this cross-country collaborative effort. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, international theatre collaborations are few and far between. But with things finally more or less back to normal, opportunities have risen once again for old friendships to be reignited, and projects once shelved to be put back on the production line once more. In the works since … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Immortal Variables (八仙变数) by Nine Years Theatre and Hsing Legend Youth Theatre (Contemporary Legend Theatre)
Fast fashion conspiracy theory frames corporate greed as the ultimate evil. In this day and age, evil no longer looks like the devil himself, but often arises in much more innocuous, unexpected forms. And for most people, it might be staring you straight in the face, or in some cases, on your body. Bringing Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival to a close is Annie … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: The Prisoner by Toy Factory
Max Martin’s greatest hits make for a fun outing in this Romeo & Juliet spinoff. The power of a jukebox musical lies in the joy of recognising your favourite songs, and how they’re reinterpreted and strung together to form a coherent story. Often, the most successful ones end up as feel-good affairs that you can’t help but find yourself clapping along and smiling as you … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: & Juliet by Michael Cassel Group and BASE Entertainment Asia
Doomscrolling in pursuit of meaning. Playing as part of SMU Arts Fest 2023, theatre club SMU StageIt’s production of Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information corresponds perfectly well to the festival theme of ‘Post’. Comprising a series of short form vignettes, watching Love and Information feels akin to the flood of posts we’re greeted with each time we open TikTok or Instagram, every story a fleeting … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Love and Information by SMU StageIt (SMU Arts Fest 2023)
Heavy-handed messaging about holding on to hope at the end of the world. The anthropocene refers to a time in which human activity has become the primary influence on climate and the environment, where man has fully established control and dominance, as we shape the world in our image. Naturally, playing god when we’re mere mortals has its consequences, something that is explored in new … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: Anthropocene by Toy Factory
Triple bill of work reflects on the self and our relationship with society. Even with the apocalyptic pandemic somewhat behind us, 2023 still feels like a nightmare at times, whether it’s waking up to more bad news brought to us on our feeds, messy politics and scandals, and all of it making us want to curl up into a ball and tuck ourselves away from … Continue reading Review: liTHE 2023 by T.H.E Second Company
Comedy about student eco-terrorists has a fun concept but muddles the point. The ongoing conversation surrounding climate change may be exhausting and anxiety-inducing, but for theatremaker Rachel Chin, that doesn’t always have to be the case, as she attempts to subvert that with her new play The Thieves. Developed under Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff playwright incubation programme, The Thieves made its premiere last week … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: The Thieves by Toy Factory
Scathing satire of our oversensitive nation’s shitstorm of culture wars. In this democratic age, where everyone’s voice matters and have been given a platform via the internet, it was inevitable that we became increasingly entitled about our opinions. Any counterarguments is seen as a personal attack, and it becomes all too easy to turn any debate into a matter of black and white, to rally … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: G*d Is A Woman by Wild Rice
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