SIFA 2019: ST/LL by Shiro Takatani, Dumb Type (Review)

The impossible task of putting the meditative mind onstage is achieved in this visually stunning work from Japan. Created by Japanese artist Shiro Takatani and his company Dumb Type, ST/LL is one of those rare, brilliantly inventive works of art that defies definition, combining dance, music, video and theatre to produce a series of masterful visual images in motion. Cerebral and abstract in form, there are perhaps … Continue reading SIFA 2019: ST/LL by Shiro Takatani, Dumb Type (Review)

SIFA 2019: An Interview with Tan Shou Chen and Ng Tian Hui, Creators of Oreste by Ifigenia

Last weekend, local artists Tan Shou Chen and Ng Tian Hui will be presenting their brand new work, Oreste by Ifigenia, as part of the 2019 Singapore International Festival of Arts. Crafted as a response to Handel’s opera Oreste, Shou Chen and Tian Hui’s version differentiates itself by placing the enigmatic Ifigenia as the protagonist instead, the sister of Oreste and forced to choose between saving or sacrificing him. … Continue reading SIFA 2019: An Interview with Tan Shou Chen and Ng Tian Hui, Creators of Oreste by Ifigenia

SIFA 2019: Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shiro Takatani in Conversation

Often considered one of the world’s most exciting living composers, it’s a rare treat to be able to come face to face with Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto before his performance at the Esplanade Theatre next Tuesday, which was also the first show at SIFA 2019 to completely sell out its tickets, within the first hour of ticket release in February. In both the SIFA shows Fragments and ST/LL, Sakamoto … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shiro Takatani in Conversation

SIFA 2019: Frogman by curious directive (Review)

Red herring is the catch of the day in this deep dive into childhood trauma.  As technology continues to develop year on year, it seems inevitable that various facets of the arts wind up attempting to incorporate them into new works, pushing the limits of what one can experience with each production, to varying degrees of success. With curious directive’s Frogman, it is Virtual Reality (VR) technology … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Frogman by curious directive (Review)

Review: Treasure Islands by Andsoforth

Andsoforth explores terra incognita with an ambitious new project in a brand new space. While local theatre company Andsoforth is better known for their immersive dining experiences, their recently concluded one night only event, Treasure Islands, took their art to a new level as they presented a sprawling treasure trove of colourful rooms for guests to explore. Taking place in a huge warehouse in Jurong, Treasure Islands pre-grouped audiences … Continue reading Review: Treasure Islands by Andsoforth

SIFA 2019: Bedtime Stories by URLAND (Review)

Let the power of stories map your dreams. One of the fondest memories of our childhoods is listening to our parents tell us a story before tucking us in to bed. Falling asleep, our dreams would be filled with gallant knights and life changing adventures, dreams we’d rarely want to wake up from. With reality often being far more droll than the world of fantasy … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Bedtime Stories by URLAND (Review)

Review: Colours by Split Theatrical Productions

Finding the answer to life in plane sight. Inspired by the theme of religion and reflection on time, the universe and the divine in T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, Colours deviates from Split’s usual themes of education and adolescence to take on a far darker topic – airplane disasters. Written and directed by Split artistic director Darryl Lim, we enter the Centre 42 Blackbox and are greeted by a team of … Continue reading Review: Colours by Split Theatrical Productions

SIFA 2019: The Mysterious Lai Teck by Ho Tzu Nyen (Review)

A brief history of a fictitious communist acts as the starting point for which to deconstruct the very nature of truth itself. Far too often in the recording of history, tiny details get lost from simple descriptors, to entire accounts of people. The latter in particular is explored in full with Ho Tzu Nyen’s The Mysterious Lai Teck. Based off a former leader of the Malayan … Continue reading SIFA 2019: The Mysterious Lai Teck by Ho Tzu Nyen (Review)

SIFA 2019: Peter and the Wolf by Silo Theatre (Review)

Joyous, modern take on Prokofiev’s classic that will enchant any child with the magic of theatre. Every once in a while, amidst the darkness and grit that so much of today’s theatre is characterised by, there is a distinct need to lighten up the mood and find optimism in simple, yet powerful reminders of all that is good in the world. Presented by New Zealand’s … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Peter and the Wolf by Silo Theatre (Review)

SIFA 2019: Dionysus by Suzuki Company of Toga & Purnati Indonesia (Review)

Tadashi Suzuki draws out the wicked and the divine from a classic Greek tragedy . Staging a classic Greek tragedy has never been an easy feat for any theatre company – as enduring as these stories are, the true challenge lies in having a production simultaneously bring something new to the tale, while still preserving the essence of message of the original tale. In the … Continue reading SIFA 2019: Dionysus by Suzuki Company of Toga & Purnati Indonesia (Review)