★★★★☆ Review: project SALOME by Ong Keng Sen / T:>works (SIFA 2022)

Unpacking and reimagining the complexities of Salome through a modern lens. Princess of Judea, villainous exotic dancer, or vengeful femme fatale? The historical figure of Salome’s claim to fame lies in her request to see the head of John the Baptist as reward for performing a dance for her step-father. But one thing that is never made clear is her intentions for doing so, with … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: project SALOME by Ong Keng Sen / T:>works (SIFA 2022)

★★★☆☆ Review: Devil’s Cherry by Kaylene Tan and Paul Rae (SIFA 2022)

The outback becomes both nightmare and dreamscape for a couple running from their own problems. The name ‘devil’s cherry’ brings to mind a great many things – ideas of temptation, of evil, and perhaps, the loss of innocence. The moniker itself is an alternative to its more common name ‘deadly nightshade’, a poisonous plant and invasive species to Australia, bearing black, cherry-like fruit. Just a … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Devil’s Cherry by Kaylene Tan and Paul Rae (SIFA 2022)

★★★★★ Review: Bangsawan Gemala Malam by Teater Ekamatra (SIFA 2022)

Shakespeare’s classic comedy lends itself perfectly to the bangsawan form. In Malay culture, the bangsawan is a traditional opera form performed by theatre troupes, regaling its audiences with epic tales, its scenes both melodramatic and comedic, punctuated by song and dance. While no longer as common in modern day Singapore, the form has found new life during the 2022 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Bangsawan Gemala Malam by Teater Ekamatra (SIFA 2022)

Review: Delicate Spells of Mind by Lucy McRae (SIFA 2022)

Unveiling the mysteries of the inner mind. If you could look into your mind, what would you see? In her short film Delicate Spells of Mind, British-born, Australian science fiction artist Lucy McRae imagines the inner workings of the human mind as anthropomorphised creatures working as part of an operating system, and invites you to take a closer look. Commissioned for the 2022 Singapore International … Continue reading Review: Delicate Spells of Mind by Lucy McRae (SIFA 2022)

★★★★☆ Review: Ceremonial Enactments by MAX.TAN, Nadi Singapura and Bhaskar’s Arts Academy (SIFA 2022)

Drawing power from tradition and ceremony to herald the start of SIFA 2022. Because of their historical and cultural significance, a ritual is often a powerful, sacred act of performance. At times celebratory, and at others a form of salvation, rituals form the heart of the 2022 Singapore International Festival of Arts, and are explicitly given the spotlight in Ceremonial Enactments, drawing strength from movement, … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Ceremonial Enactments by MAX.TAN, Nadi Singapura and Bhaskar’s Arts Academy (SIFA 2022)

★★★★☆ Review: Holly Herndon – PROTO (SIFA 2022)

Hear the sounds of the future, as machine learning meets music. In this age of speculative and sci-fi films and television series showcasing apocalyptic views of a robot futures, fantastical space and transcendent possibility, Holly Herndon’s album PROTO would feel right at home. An American experimental musician based in Berlin, Holly Herndon played in Singapore as part of the 2022 Singapore International Festival of Arts … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Holly Herndon – PROTO (SIFA 2022)

★★★★☆ Review: The Glass Menagerie by Pangdemonium

Every moment is a fragile one. Memory comes to us in fragments, with our subconscious suturing the gaps to form a blurry whole, almost dream-like in our minds. In that same vein, there is an unmistakable air of the surreal in memory plays such as Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, a work wrought with sentiment, constructed with an artifice and nostalgia that seems to suspend … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Glass Menagerie by Pangdemonium

Unbreakable: An Interview with Tracie and Adrian Pang on Pangdemonium’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’

Since they made their debut on the local theatre scene in 2010, “ass-kicking” theatre company Pangdemonium has been staging one contemporary script after another, each one carefully curated and selected for entertainment value, and for their ability to shine a light on key societal issues ripe for discussion. On the cusp of their 10th anniversary however, the company was about to change things up, and … Continue reading Unbreakable: An Interview with Tracie and Adrian Pang on Pangdemonium’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’

Preview: The Glass Menagerie by Pangdemonium!

Originally slated to be presented as part of their 2020 season, local theatre company Pangdemonium is kicking off their 2022 season with a production of beloved American play The Glass Menagerie, catapulting playwright Tennessee Williams from obscurity to fame, and a titan of 20th century drama. Originally performed in 1944, The Glass Menagerie is considered a ‘memory play’, where the lead character narrates the events … Continue reading Preview: The Glass Menagerie by Pangdemonium!

★★★★☆ Review: The Mother by Pangdemonium

The existential crisis of the loss of motherhood excruciatingly performed onstage. The COVID-19 pandemic has left most of us mentally exhausted and burnt out, uncertain when we will ever reclaim a sense of normalcy ever again. In many ways, Pangdemonium’s staging of The Mother encapsulates that same feeling of despondence, in its portrayal of a mother struggling to let go of her maternal role, and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: The Mother by Pangdemonium