Huayi Festival 2019: FOUR FOUR EIGHT (四四八) by Emergency Stairs (Review)

Warning: This review may contain spoilers Journey to the centre of the self…and Liu Xiaoyi. Over the years, Emergency Stairs Artistic Director Liu Xiaoyi has made it abundantly clear that the work he puts out staunchly refuses to conform to theatrical standards, having created work that subverts the norm, be it a piece of anti-theatre deliberately attempting to crush audience expectations or even performing in unusual … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: FOUR FOUR EIGHT (四四八) by Emergency Stairs (Review)

Pangdemonium’s Late Company: An Interview with Adrian Pang, Karen Tan and Xander Pang

Pangdemonium opens their 2019 season with the Asian premiere of Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill’s Late Company. Touching on the ever pertinent issue and changing face of bullying, Late Company is set to be a tense production as two couple come together for a belated dinner party, following the suicide of one of their sons. Directed by Tracie Pang, we spoke to cast members Adrian Pang, Karen Tan and Xander … Continue reading Pangdemonium’s Late Company: An Interview with Adrian Pang, Karen Tan and Xander Pang

Checkpoint Theatre’s Still Life: An Interview with Playwright/Performer Dana Lam

When we first met Dana Lam at a preview of her new play Still Life last year, we were struck by the quiet strength the former AWARE president exuded as she confidently performed a poetic interpretation of scenes from her life. This was helped in part by the countless artworks displayed all around her studio in Goodman Arts Centre, offering us a glimpse into Dana’s life not just … Continue reading Checkpoint Theatre’s Still Life: An Interview with Playwright/Performer Dana Lam

Preview: Kotor by -wright Assembly

“What you allow is what will continue.” This March, coinciding with International Women’s Day, artist collective -wright Assembly have gathered both male and female artists specialising in multiple art disciplines to create Kotor, a multidisciplinary performance responding to writer Natalie Wang’s anthology The Woman Who Turned Into a Vending Machine. The project originated when Creative Producer Farhanah Diyanah (FD) spoke to choreographer Ismail Jemaah, developing a new … Continue reading Preview: Kotor by -wright Assembly

Preview: The Vanishing, or Time Goes Away by The Substation

This March, the Substation returns with the next part of their 2018/19 season of Cities change. People die. Everything you know goes away. Taking on issues of childhood and food, the Substation presents The Vanishing, or Time Goes Away from 16th March to 7th April with a lineup of multi-disciplinary programmes aimed squarely at your nostalgia nerve, examining our nation’s obsession with romanticising the past. Continuing to interrogate Singapore’s … Continue reading Preview: The Vanishing, or Time Goes Away by The Substation

Preview: It Takes All Kinds by Theatre for Seniors (The Necessary Stage)

10 years ago, leading local theatre company The Necessary Stage (TNS) started their Theatre for Seniors (TFS) programme, a platform for pioneers and older citizens to find a creative and educational space to learn and perform theatre. Now, TFS has come into its own as a professional theatre group, and this year, will present a brand new production jointly devised and performed by seniors. Says Alvin … Continue reading Preview: It Takes All Kinds by Theatre for Seniors (The Necessary Stage)

Huayi Festival 2019: Dear John by M.O.V.E. Theatre (Review)

A musical soundscape through unorthodox means. When John Cage’s controversial 4’33 premiered in 1952, never might the avant-garde composer have imagined the sheer impact he might have had in the field of music theory. Infamous for being four minutes and thirty three seconds of ‘silence’ as an orchestra stands still onstage, the work reflects Cage’s interests in Zen Buddhism, and his magnum opus epitomizing the theory … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: Dear John by M.O.V.E. Theatre (Review)

Preview: The Future of Our Pasts Festival by Yale-NUS College

Organised by Yale-NUS College in support of the Singapore Bicentennial, next week sees the launch of the inaugural The Future of Our Pasts Festival (TFOOPFest), seeking to explore lesser-known narratives in Singapore history through various art mediums. Running from 16th February to 17th March, the month-long festival features 11 projects created by local undergraduates, young artists and cultural advocates. The programme lineup is set to showcase a range of … Continue reading Preview: The Future of Our Pasts Festival by Yale-NUS College

Huayi Festival 2019: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by Li Liuyi Theatre Studio (Review)

Tragedy seems written in the stars in this lengthy production as the cosmos themselves bid our sweet prince goodnight.  Ranking among Shakespeare’s best works, it’s little surprise that Hamlet has seen countless productions and interpretations over the centuries. Opening the Esplanade’s Huayi Festival 2019, director Li Liuyi’s latest production of the piece sees the moody protagonist played by film star Hu Jun (Red Cliff, East Palace West Palace), … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by Li Liuyi Theatre Studio (Review)

In London’s West End 2018: The Cane by the Royal Court Theatre (Review)

A wicked reflection on victimization in the age of snowflakes. LONDON – For many adults, the image of a cane dredges up the memory of unpleasant childhoods, a symbol of punishment, fear and judgment. But as the years have gone by, corporeal punishment has in turn gone out of vogue, leaving the physical cane very much a thing of the past, becoming a hollow reminder of … Continue reading In London’s West End 2018: The Cane by the Royal Court Theatre (Review)