★★★☆☆ Review: No Particular Order (TRIP 2023)

Sim Yan Ying attempts to make sense of the chaos of war and conflict in this mood piece. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Sim Yan Ying “YY”) 6 Script (Joel Tan) 6 Performance (Arielle Jasmine Van Zuijlen, Karen Tan, Pavan J Singh and Shrey Bhargava) 6 Set Design (Hella Chan) 6 Lighting Design (James Tan) 6 Sound Design (Lee Yew Jin – Ctrl Fre@k) … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: No Particular Order (TRIP 2023)

Preview: Pesta Raya 2023 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

With the end of Hari Raya comes another special event in May – the Esplanade’s annual Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts. Running from 18 – 21 May 2023 at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Pesta Raya 2023 celebrates and presenting the best of the arts in the Nusantara, thought the art of stories. One of the oldest art forms, storytelling is a … Continue reading Preview: Pesta Raya 2023 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

★★★☆☆ Review: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions

One last, mishmashed hurrah for a fast-disappearing art form. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Goh Boon Teck) 6 Script (Goh Boon Teck) 6 Performance (Gwee Lay Hua, Clement Yeo, Doreen Toh, Tiara Yap, Timothy Wan, Wayne Lim, Wendy Toh, Asher Kang) 7 Music Composition (August Lum) 7 Lighting Design (Gabriel Chan) 7 Set Design (Goh Abigail) 7 Sound Design (Sandra Tay) 7 Costume/Make-up Design … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions

Review: Siapa Yang Bawa Melayu Aku Pergi? (Who Took My Malay Away?) by Faizal Abdullah

by Robyn Ong LONDON – Often, upon entering a new institution, there is a painful but necessary getting-to-know-you process that must be endured. You go around a circle of strangers and, one by one, you all introduce yourself with your name, maybe a fun fact, and — in a city as cosmopolitan as London, at least — where you’re from. When I say Singapore, something … Continue reading Review: Siapa Yang Bawa Melayu Aku Pergi? (Who Took My Malay Away?) by Faizal Abdullah

TRIP 2023: An Interview with Renee Yeong, director of ‘I am trying to say something true’

Singaporean theatremaker Renee Yeong (she/they) spent her undergraduate years at NYU in America before returning in 2019, and had initially planned to return to the States on a freelance artist visa after spending some time with family and friends. That plan was put on indefinite hiatus once the pandemic struck, and she’s since been based in Singapore, working a corporate role by day to make … Continue reading TRIP 2023: An Interview with Renee Yeong, director of ‘I am trying to say something true’

TRIP 2023: An Interview with Sim Yan Ying “YY”, director of No Particular Order

Over the course of the pandemic, Sim Yan Ying “YY” (she/her) established herself as an early-career director unafraid to experiment with form and boldly tackle new, never-before performed scripts. To that end, she’s probably one of the most exciting young directors to look out for in Singapore, and makes a perfect candidate for the first batch of the Esplanade’s inaugural TRIP programme, which empowers early … Continue reading TRIP 2023: An Interview with Sim Yan Ying “YY”, director of No Particular Order

An Interview with Adrian and Tracie Pang, on Pangdemonium’s 2023 season and beyond

Running a theatre company has never been easy task, but the pandemic made it about a million times harder. Beyond the fact that companies were completely unable to stage their usual live shows, even in the aftermath when the world began to open up again, people had other priorities on their mind, whether spending money on travel and shopping, or saving up after particularly tight … Continue reading An Interview with Adrian and Tracie Pang, on Pangdemonium’s 2023 season and beyond

The Necessary Stage launches Associate Artist Programme, featuring Deonn Yang and Sindhura Kalidas

The Necessary Stage (TNS) is delighted to unveil a brand new iteration of its Associate Artist Programme (AAP) in April 2023, commencing with two young Associate Artists—theatre-makers Sindhura Kalidas and Deonn Yang—being attached to the company for a year. TNS has, over its 36-year history, been at the forefront of developing new generations of young artistic voices. Many of Singapore’s current art and theatre changemakers— … Continue reading The Necessary Stage launches Associate Artist Programme, featuring Deonn Yang and Sindhura Kalidas

NUS Arts Festival 2023: An Interview with director Chong Tze Chien and performer Jo Tan of ‘The Future Show’

Predicting the future is all but impossible, but that’s never stopped all of humanity from speculating the infinite possibilities tomorrow might hold. It stands to reason then, that it makes for a rather exciting, experimental type of show, one that Canadian performance artist Deborah Pearson has crafted with her work The Future Show. Adapted by director Chong Tze Chien and writer/performer Jo Tan, The Future … Continue reading NUS Arts Festival 2023: An Interview with director Chong Tze Chien and performer Jo Tan of ‘The Future Show’

★★★★☆ Review: An Inspector Calls by Wild Rice

Social commentary on the 1% subverts the traditional mystery. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Glen Goei) 9 Script (J.B. Priestley) 8 Performance (Ghafir Akbar, Serene Chen, Benjamin Chow, Siobhan Covey, Lim Kay Siu, Dennis Sofian, Yap Yi Kai) 9 Music and Sound (Julian Wong) 8 Lighting Design (James Tan) 8 Set Design (Wong Chee Wai) 8 Costume/Hair/Makeup (Leonard Augustine Choo/Ashley Lim/Bobbie Ng) 9 Total … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: An Inspector Calls by Wild Rice