Bridging the past and present in this original musical about student mental health. A college musical is difficult, maybe even impossible, to get exactly right. No one expects it to reach Broadway or West End standards, yet everyone still hopes it will be good enough to make them feel something. To round off SMU Arts Fest 2025, MAD The Musical takes on this challenge with … Continue reading Theatre Review: MAD The Musical by SMU
Celebrating Singapore’s ethnic diversity through dance. Singapore has long prided itself on its diversity, a value instilled in us from an early age as part of our national identity. The idea of something being “quintessentially Singaporean” often rests on an intercultural foundation, one that highlights the beauty of our major ethnic traditions and their harmonious coexistence. While that concept may feel somewhat familiar by 2025, … Continue reading Dance Review: return of RE:TURN by SMU Eurhythmix
A bold experiment that questions how we co-create performance through the deconstruction of process. In newly devised work Fake Performance is (Real) Performance, directed by Hong Kong’s Melissa Leung Hiu Tuen, the graduating students of NAFA’s Diploma in Theatre (Mandarin) program join forces with Emergency Stairs in an industry project that boldly defies convention. The result is a daring, unpredictable Mandarin-language performance that unravels traditional … Continue reading Review: Fake Performance Is (Real) Performance by Emergency Stairs and NAFA
Promenade theatre piece exploring the horror of being and existence within the rules and regulations of society. As part of their Industry Project initiative, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) is once again collaborating with local theatre company Emergency Stairs to give the graduating students of their Diploma in Theatre (English Drama) programme a chance to work with professionals in the theatre industry. This time … Continue reading Review: My Body is (Not) My Body by Emergency Stairs and NAFA
Students grapple with trauma and pain in a physically-demanding work led by Noor Effendy Ibrahim. Back in 2011, Noor Effendy Ibrahim performed a durational work titled Dancing with the Ghost of My Child at the Substation, in which he engaged in a form of ritualistic self-flagellation and masochism for an unspecified amount of time. For those familiar with Effendy’s work, this visceral image is par … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Dancing with the Ghost of My Child by Noor Effendy Ibrahim, Ruby Jayaseelan, ANTARMUKA & Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Perspectives Film Festival: Breakthroughs in Cinema (PFF), Singapore’s first and longest student-run film festival, is returning for its 16th edition. This year’s edition highlights sound as the backbone of cinema. The festival features nine films (with four making their regional premiere) at Oldham Theatre from 26th to 29th October 2023. Ms Ong Tze Kym, PFF 2023 Co-Festival Director says, “We’re taking our audience on a … Continue reading Film Fanatic: Perspectives Film Festival 2023 – Soundwave
Every ending is a new beginning. But what comes after, in the ‘post’? Returning for 6 weeks from 18th August to 24th September, the annual SMU Arts Fest is back to explore the uncertain future with POST. Set against the backdrop of a post-Covid world and what some call the beginning of a post-human era, POST will feature a series of artistic and creative programmes … Continue reading Preview: SMU Arts Festival 2023 – POST
Wonderland gone wrong leaves a confusing message about mental health. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Edith Podesta) 7 Script (Anthony Neilson) 5 Performance (Eleanor Ee, Michelle Hariff, Hoe Wei Qi, Elisa Mustika, Nicole Shaan, Monil SJ, Gosteloa Spancer, Su Paing Tun, Jovi Tan, Valerie Tan, Tiara Yap, Christian Yeo) 7 Set Design (Akbar Syadiq) 7 Lighting Design (Amirul Azmi) 7 Costume/Hair/Makeup Design (Max Tan/Ashley … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: The Wonderful World of Dissocia by young & w!ld
Wild Rice has announced an exciting line-up of three new shows made for, by and about young people: The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Every Student Is A Good Student / In My Head and Fair Play. The three shows reflect Wild Rice’s commitment to empowering young people to make and watch theatre that speaks to and for their generation. Each one grapples with the issues … Continue reading Wild Rice announces three new shows that give voice to the youth for 2023 season
Flawed revival of Handke’s classic fails to find a place in the contemporary world. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Ang Gey Pin) 6 Script (Peter Handke and devised parts by cast) 6 Performance 7 Lighting Design (David Li) 7 Total 26/40 (65%) Final Score: ★★★☆☆ Since premiering in Germany in 1966, Peter Handke’s Offending The Audience has gained a reputation for being a quintessential … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Offending The Audience by Emergency Stairs and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
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