★☆☆☆☆ Review: Lion by Toy Factory

Second chances just don’t happen. Playing as part of Toy Factory’s 2021 The Wright Stuff Festival, Lion is a play that deals with a smorgasbord of difficult topics. Written by Jedidiah Huang, the plot follows Yi Kai (Lim Wei Wen Wayne), a single, reformed party playboy jock, on the cusp of adopting the teenage Danial (Bryan Tee) as his son. But when his interviewer turns … Continue reading ★☆☆☆☆ Review: Lion by Toy Factory

★★☆☆☆ Review: The Time Machine by Toy Factory

A fledgling idea that needed more time in the incubator. From HG Wells’ The Time Machine to Doctor Who’s TARDIS, the idea of time travel has fascinated us for centuries. But the key idea that strings them all together, that motivates so many time travelers, is a single theme – regret, and the drive to change the past for the better. Kicking off Toy Factory’s … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: The Time Machine by Toy Factory

Preview: Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2021

After their last edition in 2019, which saw four brand new scripts from budding young playwrights produced for the stage, Toy Factory Productions Ltd’s The Wright Stuff Festival is back for 2021, once again shining the spotlight on new writing from young scriptwriters in Singapore. This year, the festival focuses on the theme of “Inwards”, which encouraged their playwrights to create and submit new works … Continue reading Preview: Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2021

★★★★☆ Review: A Dream Under The Southern Bough – Existence by Toy Factory (SIFA 2021)

The long-drawn out dream finally comes to an end in an impressive finale to Toy Factory’s ambitious adaptation. Back in 2018, local theatre company Toy Factory was given a rare opportunity amongst local theatre companies – a chance to stage a single play across three parts over the next three years in the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). That play would be Goh Boon … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: A Dream Under The Southern Bough – Existence by Toy Factory (SIFA 2021)

Preview: Still Sailing – Affection, Infection, and other Afflictions by Toy Factory

After previously announcing Direct Entry, their new Director-Mentorship programme, Toy Factory has now revealed its first-ever digital theatre presentation born from it, with Still Sailing launching this November. Directed and written by Toy Factory’s inaugural director-mentorship mentee Andy Pang, the play will be streamed on Vimeo from 23rd November to 6th December, and will be a ‘raw, honest, and light–hearted depiction of solace’ between two broken souls … Continue reading Preview: Still Sailing – Affection, Infection, and other Afflictions by Toy Factory

Preview: Toy Factory announces new Director-Mentorship programme with Direct Entry

Following their Wright Stuff playwright mentorship programme, local theatre company Toy Factory Productions Ltd  is ready to mould and shape the directors of tomorrow, with artistic director Goh Boon Teck having selected Andy Pang as the first mentee under their new director-mentorship programme, Direct Entry. Designed specifically to spearhead the visions of bright young theatre directors, and sharpen their creative eye for the stage, the … Continue reading Preview: Toy Factory announces new Director-Mentorship programme with Direct Entry

Open Call: Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2021 needs your scripts!

If you ever thought you were a good writer, now’s the time to show it. Following their second edition of The Wright Stuff in 2019, Toy Factory is ready to return for a third round of showcasing brand new Singaporean scripts come 2021. Budding playwrights are welcome to submit new plays between 24th July to 24th September 2020 to Toy Factory, in the hopes of … Continue reading Open Call: Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2021 needs your scripts!

Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2019: The Puppet King (玩具王) by Titus Yim

★☆☆☆☆ (Attended 2/11/19, Matinee) Final production of The Wright Stuff 2019 meanders in its exploration of existentialism.  While the characters of Pixar’s Toy Story have always dealt with inherent struggles surrounding ideas of abandonment and purpose, none of the ever faced these ideas head-on, at least, not with quite as much darkness as the one infused into Titus Yim’s The Puppet King. Directed by Renee Chua, The Puppet King is set … Continue reading Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2019: The Puppet King (玩具王) by Titus Yim

Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2019: Random Access Memory by Mark Cheong (Review)

Techno thriller collides with family drama and spells the future of humanity.  What are humans if not an organic computer? With Mark Cheong’s Random Access Memory, the age-old question of what it means to be human is explored as a group of anthropomorphic computer parts attempt to resolve over the course of the 75-minute play. Directed by Stanley Seah, Random Access Memory feels a little like a cross between … Continue reading Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2019: Random Access Memory by Mark Cheong (Review)

Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2019: Ashes, Ashes by Rajkumar Thiagaras (Review)

Some things are better left fed to the flames.  Two years ago, the Straits Times reported on the demolition of Lakshmi Villa, a generations old family home that had grown too costly to maintain, with the land sold off for development of new condominiums. Taking inspiration from this story, Rajkumar Thiagaras wrote his debut play Ashes, Ashes, presented as part of Toy Factory’s Wright Stuff Festival 2019. Directed … Continue reading Toy Factory’s The Wright Stuff Festival 2019: Ashes, Ashes by Rajkumar Thiagaras (Review)