Music Is: An Interview with Local Rapper Yung Raja

Yung Raja is, in a word, young. But in spite of his youth, the local rapper and occasional actor has already been making waves over the last two years as a mainstay across both local and regional festivals, breaking through as one of the hottest up-and-coming artistes, and as his Spotify profile reads, “hip hop’s next avant-garde bilingual artiste”, thanks to his unique compositions that … Continue reading Music Is: An Interview with Local Rapper Yung Raja

Singapore International Festival of Arts 2020 Releases First Wave of Tickets, Confirms Local Commissions and Crystal Pite’s Revisor

Come its 43rd year in 2020, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) returns with a slew of new works from both local and international artists in the month of May. The festival has released the first wave of tickets for five productions that will be making their debut next year, with local theatre companies Nine Years Theatre, The Finger Players and The Necessary Stage, … Continue reading Singapore International Festival of Arts 2020 Releases First Wave of Tickets, Confirms Local Commissions and Crystal Pite’s Revisor

Review: Peter Pan In Serangoon Gardens by W!ld Rice

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 29/11/19) Pan-tastic end to W!ld Rice’s 2019 season reminding audiences of the magic of childhood and belief.  The wonderful thing about W!ld Rice’s pantomimes is that while very much focused on creating a year-end show that children can enjoy, these same shows are also very much family affairs, allowing even the adult audiences to slip into the same mindset and simple joy … Continue reading Review: Peter Pan In Serangoon Gardens by W!ld Rice

SGIFF 2019: 30th Edition Draws To A Close with Over 110,000 Audiences and 35 Sold-Out Screenings

The 30th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) culminated on Sunday (1st Dec) after two weeks of film screenings and off-screen programmes that celebrated and showcased the best of independent cinema. The Festival brought together a record attendance of more than 110,000 festival-goers to engage with filmmakers from Singapore and the region in film screenings, panels, talks, exhibitions and masterclasses. This year, the SGIFF presented a … Continue reading SGIFF 2019: 30th Edition Draws To A Close with Over 110,000 Audiences and 35 Sold-Out Screenings

Review: Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment, Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 28/11/19) Reimagined version of Sondheim’s macabre musical thriller a refreshing take on an oft-forgotten classic, with Broadway star Lea Salonga a highlight.   In the Victorian era, penny dreadfuls were some of the more popular forms of entertainment, a serialised form of literature that derives its name from how every issue would cost just one penny. As for the ‘dreadful’ portion, well, that … Continue reading Review: Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment, Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre

SGIFF 2019: The Truth (La vérité) dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda (Review)

Palme d’Or winner Kore-eda’s non-Japanese debut is a subtly moving portrait of complex familial relationships while celebrating the film industry and legacies left behind.  While The Truth marks the first non-Japanese film Hirokazu Kore-eda had directed, it remains a project that has his name stamped all over it. Known for his mastery over subtle, understated family dramas, The Truth follows prima donna actress Fabienne (French film icon Catherine … Continue reading SGIFF 2019: The Truth (La vérité) dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda (Review)

SGIFF 2019: Revolution Launderette dir. Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen (Review)

More experimental shenanigans from the team behind Cannonball sees them contemplating big, philosophical questions of fate, reality and the meaning of life.  For all their talk about their new film having a stronger narrative than their last, Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen’s Revolution Launderette still follows very much in the same vein as their debut feature Cannonball, with plenty of experimental, indie filmmaking techniques and stylistics rarely seen on … Continue reading SGIFF 2019: Revolution Launderette dir. Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen (Review)

Film Fanatic: Anthony Chen’s Wet Season Wins Best Screenplay at 37th Torino Film Festival In Italy

Following its premiere at the 30th Singapore International Film Festival and its recent Golden Horse 2019 win, Anthony Chen’s sophomore feature film Wet Season《热带雨》, about a Chinese language teacher, whose marriage and school life are fraying apart, continues to impress international audience at the 37th Torino Film festival in Italy. Wet Season was awarded Best Screenplay (Anthony Chen) with its delicate and moving story of a Chinese … Continue reading Film Fanatic: Anthony Chen’s Wet Season Wins Best Screenplay at 37th Torino Film Festival In Italy

SGIFF 2019: Southeast Asian Film Talents Recognised at the 30th Singapore International Film Festival’s Silver Screen Awards

The 30th Singapore International Film Festival announced the winners of its Silver Screen Awards today, celebrating the best of filmmaking in the region.  This year saw 14 awards being presented at the National Museum of Singapore, with the crowd-favourites Asian Feature Film Competition and Southeast Asian Short Film Competition awarding nine of them. Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr) by Saudi Arabian filmmaker, Shahad Ameen, emerged as the Best Film under the … Continue reading SGIFF 2019: Southeast Asian Film Talents Recognised at the 30th Singapore International Film Festival’s Silver Screen Awards

God, That’s Good!: An Interview with Lea Salonga and Jett Pangan, Stars of Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, it’s a wonder that the Stephen Sondheim musical thriller has never before been brought to Singapore. Thankfully, Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group and the Singapore Repertory Theatre are here to resolve that, as Sweeney Todd hits the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands for a two week run, fresh from a critically-acclaimed run in Manila. Beyond the fact that it’ll be making … Continue reading God, That’s Good!: An Interview with Lea Salonga and Jett Pangan, Stars of Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street