Naeem Kapadia, Author at ArtsEquator

Make Hantus Great Again: Breaking Bread With the Undead

“Make Hantus Great Again”, Teatre Ekamatra’s latest production, combines kooky supernatural characters with social commentary this Halloween.

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Image credit: A. Syadiq.

Berak: Letting it Go

Naeem Kapadia reviews ‘Berak’ by Singapore’s Teater Ekamatra and comes away moved by the sensitive trancreation of the original play by Chong Tze Chien.

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Podcast 101: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022

ArtsEquator’s theatre podcast is back in 2022, with critics Lee Shu Yu, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia in a post-show conversation about three productions at M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022: The Essential Playlist by The Second Breakfast Company (Singapore), Being: 息在 by 微 Wei Collective and Collaborators (Singapore) and OK Land by Circle Theatre (Thailand). This episode is part of

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Podcast 100: Singapore Theatre Year In Review

Listen as speakers Ke Weiliang, Lee Shu Yu, Matt Lyon, Nabilah Said and Naeem Kapadia share their thoughts about Singapore theatre in 2021, including observations and shows they found memorable. Mentioned in this episode: ArtsWok, Brown Voices, Checkpoint Theatre, Double Confirm Productions/Sight Lines Entertainment, Drama Box, Eng Kai Er, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay,

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Crispian Chan / Tuckys Photography

Podcast 99: The Mother and ________ Can Change

In this episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Naeem Kapadia, Matthew Lyon and Nabilah Said discuss two productions: The Mother by Pangdemonium, and ________ Can Change by The Necessary Stage. Stream Podcast 99: ArtsEquator · Podcast 99: The Mother and ________ Can Change Also available on Spotify. Podcast Transcript Nabilah Said (NS): Hello and

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Wild Rice

Podcast 98: Love & Information by Young & Wild

In this episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Naeem Kapadia, Matthew Lyon and Nabilah Said discuss Love & Information by Young & Wild, which is the youth arm of Singapore theatre company Wild Rice. Stream Podcast 98: ArtsEquator · Podcast 98: Love & Information by Young & Wild Also available on Spotify. Podcast

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Bernie Ng

Bedside Banter: Cyril & Michael by Bridging the Gap Collective

By Naeem Kapadia (800 words, 2-minute read) Two strangers meet on gay dating app Grindr and share an encounter in a hotel room. Except it’s not just fast, meaningless sex. Budding playwright and theatremaker Theo Chen’s assured two-hander, presented by Bridging the Gap Collective, is a deceptively simple play that slowly draws one into its

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Arts House Limited / Nine Years Theatre and The Pond Photography

Podcast 95: Three Sisters and _T0701_ at SIFA 2021

In this episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Naeem Kapadia, Matthew Lyon and Nabilah Said discuss Three Sisters by Nine Years Theatre and _T0701_ by Zeugma, which were both part of SIFA 2021. Stream Podcast 95: ArtsEquator · Podcast 95: Three Sisters & T0701 at SIFA 2021 Also available on Spotify. Podcast Transcript Naeem:

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The Year of No Return (1)_Courtesy of Tuckys

Tuckys Photography

Podcast 90: Critics Live: The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage at SIFA 2021

Singapore critics Clarissa Oon, Lee Shu Yu, Nabilah Said and Naeem Kapadia discuss The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage, presented at Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA). The performance took place from 21-22 May 2021 at Victoria Theatre, and from 5-20 June via video on demand. Critics Live! is a critics-led

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Podcast 85: Singapore Theatre, Year in Review

In our end-of-year roundup, Nabilah Said, Naeem Kapadia and Matt Lyon take stock of the year in Singapore theatre, alongside guests Lee Shu Yu from Centre 42 and Max Yam from Arts Republic. This podcast is published as part of Year In Review, an annual discussion and round-up of the performing arts in Singapore organised

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Podcast 83: Waiting For The Host by Pangdemonium

Nabilah Said, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia discuss Waiting For The Host by Pangdemonium. The play is written by Marc Palmieri and directed by Tracie Pang. Waiting For The Host ran from 15 Oct to 1 Nov on SISTIC Live. Stream Podcast 83: ArtsEquator · Podcast 83: Waiting For The Host Download Podcast 83 here.

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Podcast 82: Who’s There & Two Songs and a Story

Nabilah Said, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia discuss Who’s There by The Transit Ensemble (Singapore/Malaysia/US); and Two Songs and a Story by Checkpoint Theatre. Who’s There ran from 4 – 8 August on Zoom as part of Ice Factory 2020 by New Ohio Theatre. Two Songs and a Story is an online video series on SISTIC

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Courtesy of How Drama and Sight Lines Entertainment

Podcast 80: Murder at Mandai Camp And Fat Kids

As ArtsEquator’s theatre podcast returns since the start of the pandemic, Nabilah Said, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia appropriately discuss two recent Singapore productions created for digital platform Zoom – Murder at Mandai Camp by Sight Lines Entertainment and Fat Kids Are Harder to Kidnap on Zoom by How Drama. Murder at Mandai Camp ran from

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Dancing with the Demons: “The Son” by Pangdemonium

By Naeem Kapadia (914 words, 4 minute read) Everyone tells us that a person battling mental health issues should seek professional help. But how exactly does one find the means to get the help they need? When confronted with a loved one who experiences such issues, how does a family unit react and figure out

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Albert Lim K.S.

Lightfay ofway ancyfay: “Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens” by Wild Rice

By Naeem Kapadia (1,062 words, 7-minute read) It’s quite impossible to bid the year goodbye without WILD RICE’s traditional holiday pantomime, a veritable institution on the Singapore theatre calendar. Over the past 15 years, the company has developed a niche in blending this uniquely British tradition with colourful local characters and themes, creating an occasion

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Tuckys Photography

Reframing Colonialism: “Civilised” by The Necessary Stage

By Naeem Kapadia (954 words, 4-minute read) There has been a slew of works responding to the bicentennial of Singapore’s founding by Sir Stamford Raffles, an event that the authorities have chosen to spend all year celebrating through a series of activities such as guided tours, exhibitions and immersive performances. Ayer Hitam: A Black History

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“Guards at the Taj”: The Bloody Brushstrokes of Beauty

By Naeem Kapadia (885 words, four-minute read) First there’s its scale – with its magnificent marble dome, soaring pillars and lush surrounding gardens. Then, the perfect symmetry; it can literally be folded in half both forwards and backwards. Finally, the purity of that incandescent white marble. Commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum

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Madkings Productions

“Platform Series: Journeys”: Of Skin and Sole

By Naeem Kapadia (885 words, 5-minute read) It’s an exciting time for the emerging playwright in Singapore. Workshops, residencies and other artistic opportunities abound to develop and showcase fresh work, often in collaboration with theatre companies. These include platforms such as The Wright Stuff by Toy Factory, The Orange Production by The Necessary Stage and

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“Khwaab-Sa”: Shakespeare with masala and magic

By Naeem Kapadia (800 words, 6-minute read) Atul Kumar is no stranger to Shakespeare. The artistic director of Mumbai-based group The Company Theatre was first seen here in 2009 in the title role of Hamlet: The Clown Prince, which featured a troupe of clowns attempting to stage Shakespeare’s tragedy with a good dose of madness

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“Germinal”: Metaphysical Magnificence

By Naeem Kapadia (738 words, 7-minute read) What are human beings without language, possessions and a sense of time and place? How do we make sense of our surroundings? Stripped of all trappings of civilisation, can one start from scratch and create a brand new world with form and function? This unique, challenging and wildly

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“Army Daze 2”: Green Popcorn, No Crunch

By Naeem Kapadia (960 words, 7-minute read) There’s no denying the impact of Michael Chiang’s Army Daze, which brought the world of national service (NS) to the Singapore stage for the first time in 1987. This light-hearted tale of the misadventures of five recruits as they bungled through Basic Military Training captured the Singapore zeitgeist

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FRAGO: A tender meditation on our brothers in arms

By Naeem Kapadia (1020 words, 10-minute read) Singapore marks fifty years of national service (NS) this year and it’s only apt that we commemorate this integral aspect of our local culture in the arts. Much focus has been placed on the two years of full-time service and particularly basic military training, a powerful experience that

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