SIFA 2024: An Interview with Singapore experimental band The Observatory on exploring darkness and the underground in ‘REFUGE’

The Observatory are not your ordinary band. Going beyond making music alone, the local Singaporean band has been closely involved in art beyond entertainment for two decades, always ready to speak truth to power and constantly using their sound to amplify their thoughts and feelings about social issues, even expanding into the realm of visual art in 2022’s REFUSE at the Singapore Art Museum which … Continue reading SIFA 2024: An Interview with Singapore experimental band The Observatory on exploring darkness and the underground in ‘REFUGE’

SIFA 2024: An Interview with composer Safuan Johari and choreographer Eddie Elliott on collaboration and culture in ‘Suara / Oro Rua’

If we put our ears to the Earth and listened, what would we hear? In Suara / Oro Rua, Singapore’s Safuan Johari and New Zealand’s Eddie Elliott come together in an unexpected cross-country collaboration to imagine the sound of fossilised voices emerging from the deep, and what we leave behind year after year, as the dance performance premieres this May as part of the 2024 … Continue reading SIFA 2024: An Interview with composer Safuan Johari and choreographer Eddie Elliott on collaboration and culture in ‘Suara / Oro Rua’

SIFA 2024: An Interview with Lithuanian artists Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė & Lina Lapelytė on beach opera ‘Sun & Sea’

One of the most exciting and outrageous pavilions at the 2019 Venice Biennale came from a rather surprising source – Lithuania, which till then had only occasionally caught the public eye when it came to the art world. When visitors stepped into the Lithuanian pavilion, they entered an entirely different world, one that was dappled in sunlight, a room full of sand and actual people … Continue reading SIFA 2024: An Interview with Lithuanian artists Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė & Lina Lapelytė on beach opera ‘Sun & Sea’

SIFA 2024: An Interview with Trajal Harrell, creator and choreographer of speculative dance ‘The Romeo’

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou? The answer might surprise you, with Trajal Harrell’s dance work The Romeo, which takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s young lover and star of tragedy Romeo and Juliet, from which is crafted a dance for people of all origins, genders, and generations, of all temperaments and moods, dance when they face their tragedies and only dance. Making its Singapore premiere this May … Continue reading SIFA 2024: An Interview with Trajal Harrell, creator and choreographer of speculative dance ‘The Romeo’

SIFA 2024: An Interview with Alex Serrano, co-creator of AI-driven dance performance ‘Una Isla’

The arts have always grown in tandem with technology, be it developments in set-building and engineering that allow for new stunts and stage movements, or in terms of audio and the ability to bring sound and voice to new heights. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) touted as the next big thing, it was only a matter of time before it too was incorporated into theatrical productions. … Continue reading SIFA 2024: An Interview with Alex Serrano, co-creator of AI-driven dance performance ‘Una Isla’

SIFA 2024: An Interview with puppeteer Viktor Lukawski on playing Captain Ahab and puppetry in Plexus Polaire’s ‘Moby Dick’

Herman Melville’s Moby Dick has long been considered an epic of literature – a massive tome of a book that chronicles the odyssey of the Pequod, as they’re led by their obsessive Captain Ahab seeking revenge on the sperm whale that bit his leg off – the titular Moby Dick. Often considered one of the Great American Novels, the novel has been countlessly referenced across … Continue reading SIFA 2024: An Interview with puppeteer Viktor Lukawski on playing Captain Ahab and puppetry in Plexus Polaire’s ‘Moby Dick’

An Interview with French Ambassador to Singapore Minh-di Tang on the place of culture and the 2024 vOilah! France Singapore Festival

Singapore and France have always enjoyed strong bilateral ties, all the way back to 1965, when France became one of the first 13 countries which recognised our independence. Even today, the two countries continue to enjoy plenty of exchange and agreement – most recently, DPM Lawrence Wong even visited France to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking of how best to build even stronger … Continue reading An Interview with French Ambassador to Singapore Minh-di Tang on the place of culture and the 2024 vOilah! France Singapore Festival

Preview: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Pangdemonium!

This June, one of theatre’s greatest tour de forces comes to life, with Pangdemonium! presenting Edward Albee’s magnum opus – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Directed by Timothy Koh, the play has been studied by literature students around the world (including for the local A level syllabus) and has entranced audiences around the world with its riveting blend of tension, rapid fire wordplay, and unrelenting … Continue reading Preview: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Pangdemonium!

Pesta Raya 2024: An Interview with Mohd Fared Jainal and Ridhwan Saidi on Teater Ekamatra’s epic new reimagining of ‘Bawang Putih Bawang Merah’

For generations, the classic Malay fairy tale of Bawang Putih and Bawang Merah (literally garlic and shallot) has been passed down from orator to captive listener, a story filled with magic that takes all kinds of twists and terms in all its iterations. Now, acclaimed local theatre company Teater Ekamatra is getting ready to reintroduce this yarn to a brand new audience, reimagining it for … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2024: An Interview with Mohd Fared Jainal and Ridhwan Saidi on Teater Ekamatra’s epic new reimagining of ‘Bawang Putih Bawang Merah’

★★★★☆ Review: How I Learned To Drive by Renee Yeong

Full speed ahead into the complex topic of pedophilia and grooming in small town America. In America, with its long highways and winding roads, driving remains a necessity if you want to get out. As a result, getting one’s driver’s license becomes a key rite of passage, marking a coming of age for many Americans, symbolising newfound freedom with the ability to go anywhere, anytime … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: How I Learned To Drive by Renee Yeong