Review: Toruk – The First Flight by Cirque du Soleil (presented by Mediacorp VizPro)

A visually spectacular journey into the world of Pandora. Director James Cameron’s sci-fi film Avatar was a hit when it first premiered in 2009, with a completely new world built around his vision, from an extraterrestrial environment all the way to an entire new language for these iconic, giant blue humanoids. The dedication to creation was as evident then as it is now in Cirque du Soleil’s … Continue reading Review: Toruk – The First Flight by Cirque du Soleil (presented by Mediacorp VizPro)

The Finger Players 2018: An Interview with Citizen Dog Director Oliver Chong and Puppeteer Ann Lek

This June, The Finger Players return with a brand new season of theatrical productions to be staged at the Victoria Theatre. Each playing for a single weekend over two weeks, witness the return of their new shows with Citizen Dog and Framed, by Adolf, helmed by Finger Players resident director Oliver Chong and company director Chong Tze Chien respectively. In the first of a two part series, we … Continue reading The Finger Players 2018: An Interview with Citizen Dog Director Oliver Chong and Puppeteer Ann Lek

Preview: OFFSTAGE by Emergency Stairs

Following their production of new work Einstein in the Carpark at the Huayi festival earlier this year, experimental theatre company Emergency Stairs welcomes audiences into their home in an industrial estate in Mattar as they present OFFSTAGE. Staged by members of Emergency Stairs’ training arm, Emergency Shelter, OFFSTAGE is an all new work that examines the various roles behind the scenes of every theatre production. From the creative team of … Continue reading Preview: OFFSTAGE by Emergency Stairs

Review: Masters of Comedy by Toy Factory

A loving tribute to Chinese comedians and comedy in all its forms.  In our childhood, we recall many nights glassy eyed and glued to the television while wolfing down our dinners. There’s a keen sense of nostalgia associated with the act of watching television, remembered mainly as a family activity and one of the few times we truly get to kick back, relax and just … Continue reading Review: Masters of Comedy by Toy Factory

Review: The Consultant by Wag the Dog Theatre

Office politics makes for prime dramedy in this tightly scripted, well performed second outing for Wag the Dog.  Love it or hate it, we all form inextricable links to the office as we step into work each day. In a sense, an office even becomes a kind of intimate community, and it’s no wonder that for years, it’s been the source of both drama and … Continue reading Review: The Consultant by Wag the Dog Theatre

Review: Pissed Julie (茱莉小解) by Nine Years Theatre

Strindberg’s classic is re-appropriated to complicate issues of identity and the mutability of class in this new adaptation. In watching Nelson Chia’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie, there’s a scene from late animator Satoshi Kon’s film Paprika that came to mind: in the opening sequence, we see the title character’s reflection split across multiple mirrors, each displaying a different expression. In a similar way, Nelson has made the unusual choice … Continue reading Review: Pissed Julie (茱莉小解) by Nine Years Theatre

Toy Factory’s Masters of Comedy: An Interview with Judee Tan and Sugie Phua

As part of the Singapore Chinese Culture Centre’s Cultural Extravaganza, local theatre company Toy Factory has been specially commissioned to create opening show Masters of Comedy 《天才谐星》, premiering this week! Directed by Goh Boon Teck and written by Johsen Ong, the 90 minute show will be performed in Mandarin, and pay tribute to some of our most iconic local comedians, from Bai Yan all the way to Jack … Continue reading Toy Factory’s Masters of Comedy: An Interview with Judee Tan and Sugie Phua

Preview: Happy Ever Laughter 2018 by Dream Academy

Happy Ever Laughter has always been one of the biggest events of Dream Academy’s calendar, and was sorely missed last year. But Dream is more than making up for its absence with an all new edition that’s set to be bigger and better than ever! Now in its fourth instalment, Singapore’s biggest live standup comedy event ups the ante a whole new level with The Battle, … Continue reading Preview: Happy Ever Laughter 2018 by Dream Academy

SIFA 2018: Concluding Thoughts on A New Director and A New Festival

Nobody likes change. Humans are very much creatures of habit, and when things get shaken up, we naturally feel a little uncomfortable. So it comes as no surprise that when Gaurav Kripalani was first announced to take over as the new Festival Director of the Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA) from 2018-2020, many reflected upon his appointment with a little hesitation and some … Continue reading SIFA 2018: Concluding Thoughts on A New Director and A New Festival

Preview: Pissed Julie (茱莉小解) by Nine Years Theatre

Fresh from a successful premiere at the 2018 Macau Arts Festival, Nine Years Theatre (NYT) is flying back to Singapore to present their newest production Pissed Julie.  Initially proposed by artistic director Nelson Chia as an interesting project to embark on with Macau and performed in both cities, Pissed Julie went from a festival commissioned play featuring Macanese actors directed by Nelson, to an all new co-production between … Continue reading Preview: Pissed Julie (茱莉小解) by Nine Years Theatre