SIFA 2018: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower (Review)

Afro-futurism is given a musical touch in a stirring work of speculative fiction. Toshi and Bernice Johnson Reagon’s Parable of the Sower is a genre defying work that, if it were to be summed up, would simply be a powerful musical adaptation of one of the most seminal works of Afro-futurism. Parable of the Sower was originally written as a novel by award-winning author Octavia E. Butler, and is … Continue reading SIFA 2018: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower (Review)

Review: Secret Theatre Project Singapore

A club night gone very very wrong. Richard Crawford’s Secret Theatre Project has made a bit of a name for itself ever since it began a couple of years ago, gaining a worldwide following. Playing to international audiences as it toured cities from London to New York to Hong Kong, the gimmick behind the project is simple – take a popular film (past projects have … Continue reading Review: Secret Theatre Project Singapore

SIFA 2018: TAHA by Amer Hlehel (Review)

Deceptively simple, Amer Hlehel puts the power of words onstage with a tour de force performance as the eponymous Palestinian poet.  How does one go through countless losses and still come out an optimist? In the eyes and life of Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali (1931-2011), one will find that it is completely possible. Directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi, TAHA is a show with a simple set-up – writer … Continue reading SIFA 2018: TAHA by Amer Hlehel (Review)

SIFA 2018: The Hidden by Kamini Ramachandran (Review)

Unearthing the stories hidden within this age-old monument.  As Singapore’s oldest Christian church, the Armenian Church is rife with the memory of travelers and people past, its very walls pulsating with a special kind of hidden power only afforded to the oldest of structures. With such a history behind it, it stands to reason that it makes for the perfect monument to stage something brimming … Continue reading SIFA 2018: The Hidden by Kamini Ramachandran (Review)

Preview: The Consultant by Wag the Dog Theatre

After their 2017 production of Shelagh Stephenson’s family drama The Memory of Water, Wag the Dog returns in 2018 with their sophomore production, this time with Heidi Schreck’s corporate drama The Consultant. Set in a cutthroat office environment, colleagues at a small New York pharmaceutical advertising agency continue to draw their paychecks as the company grows smaller and smaller, no thanks to the 2008 economic collapse. … Continue reading Preview: The Consultant by Wag the Dog Theatre

SIFA 2018: A Dream Under The Southern Bough – The Beginning by Toy Factory (Review)

原来只是一场梦。 Inspired by Tang Xian Zu’s 16th Century Kun Opera 《南柯记》, A Dream Under The Southern Bough – The Beginning marks the first part in a planned theatre trilogy that will be staged over the next few years, and the start of an incredibly ambitious project from Toy Factory. Adapting the opera for a contemporary audience, director Goh Boon Teck and script editor Zhu Xin Chen have in … Continue reading SIFA 2018: A Dream Under The Southern Bough – The Beginning by Toy Factory (Review)

Voilah! 2018: So France, So Good

When Frederic Coiffe joined So France as executive chef one month ago, he noticed the many restaurants focusing on gastronomic, complicated cuisine, and had only one thing on his mind: to bring simple but authentic French food to Singapore. Only a month old, So France is located in the brand new Duo Galleria at Bugis, and was set up by a team of enthusiastic French … Continue reading Voilah! 2018: So France, So Good

Preview: Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2018

LONDON – With nine years of history behind it, the Wandsworth Arts Fringe returns once more this May to bring over 170 shows in over 55 venues across the borough. Taking place from May 4th to 20th, each and every nook and cranny in Wandsworth will be transformed into a performance space, and audiences can expect an eclectic mix of theatre, circus, music, outdoor arts, dance … Continue reading Preview: Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2018

SIFA 2018: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower (Preview)

 Considered one of the foremost pioneers of the Afro-futurism movement, Hugo and Nebula Award winning author Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sowerfollowers is a sprawling, epic tale of the spiritual awakening of young Lauren Olamina, amidst a dystopian America wracked by the violence brought on by climate change, unrelenting greed, and systemic injustice. Known for her keen ear for sonic Americana, musician Toshi Reagon has been celebrated for … Continue reading SIFA 2018: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower (Preview)

SIFA 2018: TAHA by Amer Hlehel (Preview)

Born in a village in Galilee in 1931,Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali has been through many things – he fled with his family to a refugee camp in Lebanon in 1948 before returning to Nazareth where he ran a souvenir shop and taught himself classical Arabic literature and learnt English. But through it all, he remained an unerring optimist, and in his works, celebrated the … Continue reading SIFA 2018: TAHA by Amer Hlehel (Preview)