Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with director/playwright Wichaya Artamat and producer Sasapin Siriwanij on ‘This Song Father Used To Sing (Three Days In May)’

Fathers in Asian society have always had certain stereotypes associated with them – a sense of the austere, reserved and detached from openly expressing love for their children, and perhaps, even as a microcosm of the greater paternalistic, patriarchal governance style adopted by those in power. In many ways, a father is often an anchor within a family that determines their relations and dynamics, resulting … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with director/playwright Wichaya Artamat and producer Sasapin Siriwanij on ‘This Song Father Used To Sing (Three Days In May)’

Art What!: Aesop brings the woodlands to the city with olfactory installation Scents of Being

‘Come wander with me, for the moonbeams are bright / On river and forest, o’er mountain and lea.’ Charles Jefferys Marking its second collaboration with the Singapore Night Festival, Aesop presents ‘Scents of Being,’ an olfactory installation that delves into the intricate relationship between scent and self. Running from 23 August to 7 September 2024 at the National Design Centre, this immersive showcase celebrates the … Continue reading Art What!: Aesop brings the woodlands to the city with olfactory installation Scents of Being

★★★★★ Review: Disgraced (2024) by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Fear and self-loathing in Islamophobic America. There’s a common saying that one of the worst pieces of advice to give to anyone is to ‘just be yourself’. Indeed, as much as a country like the USA posits itself as one that welcomes individualism and uniqueness, there also often seems to be certain OB markers where the moment you step even a little outside of what … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Disgraced (2024) by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Preview: Oleanna by Major Minor Encounters and The Windland Collective

This August, graduates from the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) will be staging an independent production of David Mamet’s controversial play, Oleanna. The production is the result of a collaboration between independent collectives Major Minor Encounters, co-founded by Singaporean theatre performer, playwright, and arts manager Choy Chee Yew, and The Windland Collective, co-founded by Swathilakshmi Perumal, actor and theatre-maker from Tamil Nadu, India. Both collectives strive … Continue reading Preview: Oleanna by Major Minor Encounters and The Windland Collective

★★☆☆☆ Review: National Day Charade by Wild Rice

Meta-commentary on the annual NDP sees how Wild Rice would celebrate National Day, their way. Whether you see it as propaganda or a celebration of nationhood, the annual National Day Parade (NDP) is without a doubt one of the quintessential parts of the Singapore calendar. But how accurate is it, really, of reflecting our lives as Singaporeans, and representing our hopes, dreams and often complicated … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: National Day Charade by Wild Rice

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Sim Chi Yin on ‘One Day We’ll Understand’ (有那么一天​)

For artist Sim Chi Yin, history has always formed an integral part of her work and practice. Be it presented in the form of photography or film or even book-making, Sim’s work often takes her into the recent past, excavating and researching into academia and accounts to unearth previously hidden narratives. Through her artistic interventions, she paints a more complete picture of what has come … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Sim Chi Yin on ‘One Day We’ll Understand’ (有那么一天​)

★★★★★ Review: Wonderland 乐园 dir. Chai Yee Wei

Mark Lee shows off an emotional, career-best performance in this nostalgic independent film about the ties that bind. The idea of an amusement park is a rarity in Singapore today, often relegated to pop-ups during big events, or simply a relic of the past. Imagining it evokes nostalgia, for a simpler time when it was all families had to look forward to, a symbol of … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Wonderland 乐园 dir. Chai Yee Wei

Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Ming Wong on music, nationalism and diplomacy in ‘Rhapsody in Yellow’

If human relationships are complicated, then geopolitical ones are manifold more, particularly when it’s between two global superpowers. Such is the nature of the rising tensions between the USA and China, who have never had an easy time navigating their complex differences, rivalry and connections, playing hot and cold. It may seem like a heavy topic, but one Singaporean artist has found inspiration in the … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2024: An Interview with artist Ming Wong on music, nationalism and diplomacy in ‘Rhapsody in Yellow’

Disgraced: An Interview with director Daniel Jenkins, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Shrey Bhargava

In 2016, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) presented a sold-out run of Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced, gripping audiences with its provocative subject matter, dealing with race relations in a post 9/11 America. Eight years on, SRT is bringing it back for a second run this August, with a brand new cast and creative team, and perhaps, more relevant than ever before. Leading the team … Continue reading Disgraced: An Interview with director Daniel Jenkins, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Shrey Bhargava

Film Fanatic: An Interview with producer-writer Michelle Chang on finding ‘Wonderland’

When Michelle Chang makes a promise, she’s the kind of person who makes sure she keeps to it, no matter how tough the going gets. So when the film and television veteran was blown away by an idea pitched by Mocha Chai Laboratories founder Chai Yee Wei, her promise of getting it made into a film was one she fulfilled, using all the means at … Continue reading Film Fanatic: An Interview with producer-writer Michelle Chang on finding ‘Wonderland’