5. IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND SINGAPORE, JUST WATCH HIS PLAYS That statement may sound a bit presumptuous, but there’s a grain of truth to it. After all, Sharma has written more than a hundred plays since the late 1980s, many of which have become classics, published in books, taught in schools, and staged and […]
Understanding Haresh Sharma: 5 things to know about Singapore’s premier playwright Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (630 words, 6-minute read) Penned by writer Goh Boon Teck, Prism was conceived in 2003 under a commission by Japanese theatre company Kageboushi, to become a grand-scale million-dollar touring production with performers from six Asian countries, featuring a variety of Asian artforms (such as martial arts and gamelan music). Essentially, Prism tells
Toy Factory’s “Prism” refracts social reality Read More »
The Vault: Becoming Mother, 19 Mar, 4pm, Centre 42 Dance practitioners and researchers Dr. Nidya Shanthini Manokara and Jocelyn Chng investigate motherhood in its various manifestations – from creating life to producing creative work. Grounded in their dance practices of bharatanatyam and ballet respectively, Shanthini and Jocelyn respond to themes of creation and creativity in
13 – 19 March 2017: Singapore Read More »
“And leaving gold in a public area–of course it would be bait. Not so much for thieves, but the ensuing discourse, already overdetermined, of whether it was authorised, legal, permissible, safe. MP’s and Town Council officials weighing in, sandpapering the gold with their pronouncements more than the slipper-soles of the residents who actually use the
Staircase artwork by Singaporean Priyageetha Dia depicts a reverse-Midas scenario Read More »
Duration: 21 minutes Dance practitioners and educators Stephanie Burridge and Susan Sentler discuss Cloud Gate 2‘s A Triple Bill, including the interplay of music and choreography, references to Martha Graham’s aesthetics, and the many ways bodies can “carve the architecture of a space”. Cameo mentions of other dance groups and productions in this podcast review
Podcast 11: Cloud Gate 2, “A Triple Bill” Read More »
Family Secrets – A Date With Friends 2017 by The Necessary Stage, 10-12 Mar, Esplanade Theatre Studio The Necessary Stage’s Theatre for Seniors presents Family Secrets, a double bill of well-loved plays by Cultural Medallion winner Haresh Sharma, about two families encountering change through illness afflicting their senior members, and how they rise above the challenge
6 – 12 March 2017: Singapore Read More »
ExxonMobil Campus Concerts – Alfaaz, NUS University Cultural Centre, 1 March, 8pm Alfaaz (n.): Urdu for spoken word; the distinguishing factor that makes us undeniably human. Words shape us, unite us and yet at the same time, divide us. Much like humanity, language constantly evolves. The complexity and sense of poetry of years past have
27 Feb – 5 Mar 2017: Singapore Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (1500 words, 15-minute read) There is a distinctive break made between the modern, sans-serif typeface of the word “Artist” and the classical serif typeface of the word “Empire” in the title/publicity material of the National Gallery Singapore’s reinterpretation of the 2015 Tate Modern’s exhibition “Artist and Empire”. The typographical split signifies a
Empire Strikes Back: “Artist and Empire: (En)countering Colonial Legacies” Read More »
Indices of Vanishment by RAW Moves, 23 – 25 Feb, 8pm, Aliwal Arts Centre Choreographed by Edith Podesta, Lighting Design by Adrian Tan, Sound Design by Teo Wee Boon and performed by RAW Moves Company Dancers, Indices of Vanishment is the 2017 edition of RAW Moves’ annual Repertory Platform. Indices of Vanishment is a movement performance that examines
20 – 26 February 2017: Singapore Read More »
ExxonMobil Campus Conerts – Discovery: Stephycube, 16 Feb, 6pm, NUS Yusof Ishak House Singer-songwriter Steph likes to strum late into the night in the privacy of her room, where she mixes popular radio songs. Although her online repertoire consists mainly of acoustic tracks, her musical influences are mainly pop rock while her lyrics are inspired
13 – 19 February 2017: Singapore Read More »
Dancer-choreographer Raka Maitra, 46, and dramaturg T. Sasitharan, 59, have been constant collaborators. He is the director of the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI), while she is the founder of 10-year-old dance company Chowk, known for its contemporary expressions of the traditional Indian dance form of Odissi. When asked, the two recall a disagreement with some mirth, like
By Kathy Rowland (1030 words, 15 minute read) Skin in SIN, a new burlesque group, made its debut at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (M1SFF) last month. Members of the group had spent several months learning the art of burlesque whilst developing their stage persona and performance, under the mentorship and training of Singaporean drag
Your underwear is showing: Foreign Bodies Read More »
Congratulations to Marcus Yee for winning AICA + ArtsEquator’s Inaugural Best Essay on the Singapore Biennale 2016 by an Emerging Art Writer Competition with this essay. By Marcus Yee, (3040 words, 30-minute read) “A map of the world that does not include utopia is not worth glancing at.” — Oscar Wilde [1] 1. Find escape
Cloud Gate 2 – A Triple Bill, 7-8 Feb, 8pm Cloud Gate 2, the sister company of internationally acclaimed Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan brings to Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre three dance works by groundbreaking Taiwanese choreographers Cheng Tsung-lung and Huang Yi: Wicked Fish, The Wall and Beckoning. More information. Watch Local 2017: Singapore Telemovies, 7-11
6 – 12 Feb 2017: Singapore Read More »
Dance is a visual and sensory medium. It is a close cousin of music. Dance is very ancient, and has been used to express our hopes and fears even before language existed. Hence, when in the theatre, let the dancers lead you to breathe, to move and to run, then to recall that there is
“Dance can break down walls”: Interview with Cloud Gate 2’s Cheng Tsung-lung Read More »
A pop-up market of contemporary luxury goods being sold to a wealthy elite doesn’t begin to encapsulate the diversity of languages, countries, and cultures of the region, not to mention the many kinds of artistic spaces and projects embedded therein, all of which are largely unseen at Art Stage. Like Singapore’s mega-city aspirations of being
Everything Points Inward: Capitalism and Its Discontents at an Art Fair in Singapore Read More »
Duration: 27 minutes Dance educator and writer Stephanie Burridge joins Matt Lyon in discussing Dance Nucleus‘ HATCH, a showcase of works-in-progress by the company’s artists-in-residence: Felicia Lim, Wayne Ong & Leia Ang and Yarra Ileto as well as Maya Dance Theatre’s Release 6.0. They share their thoughts on each of the works, also discussing the role
Podcast 10: HATCH 2017 and Release 6.0 Read More »
The Esplanade rings int he Chinese New Year with performing arts We don’t know yet how President Donald Trump will deal with China, but we do know that China is a force to be reckoned with. That’s not only from an economic and manufacturing point of view – Chinese mobile phones take much better selfies than
The Rooster Catches Fire: The Esplanade’s Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (1200 words, 20-minute read) There are so many performance modes packed into the approximately 70 minutes of FIGHT! PALAST #membersonly – confessional monologue, workshops, live fighting, interactive sketches – that it is difficult to classify. Performance makers have been using this form of super-hybridity for a while now, but it still takes
3 #Millennials Read “Fight Club”. You Won’t Believe What Happens Next! Read More »
As their lead single Colossal suggested, the veteran outfit haven’t lost a step in the preceding decade, jumping right back into a sea of distortion and wash of sound. But it’s more than just those stylistic hallmarks – their new seven-track release makes you feel the same feels that prime Astreal did – which probably means that prime Astreal never
Singapore indie rock outfit Astreal shines a “Light”, their first album in over a decade Read More »
By Pavithra Raja (1695 words, 20-minute read) What are the sounds of Singapore? It’s hard to pin down, given that Singapore is the site of a number of different musical influences, many of them rooted in the different ethnic communities that make up the country. We often hear the term “melting pot” when discussing Singapore
Sonic Multiplicity: Reflections on “Sounds of Singapore” Read More »
Deruma by Azpirasi & Dian Dancers, 26 – 27 Jan at Esplanade Theatre Studio Presented as part of Esplanade Theatre’s Pentas series, which is its second annual programme of Malay arts, apart from Pesta Raya. Deruma follows the local folktale of Si Tanggang. It’s a story about filial piety and gratitude told through Malay dance and traditional
23 – 29 Jan 2017: Singapore Read More »
…dive into the making of Singapore’s first feature film selected for competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival with Director Kirsten Tan and Producer Weijie Lai. Tags: Kirsten Tan Pop Aye
Podcast interview with “Pop Aye” Director Kirsten Tan & Producer Weijie Lai Read More »
Seng Yu Jin: Our roundtable comprises students from the MA in Asian Art Histories programme at LASALLE College of the Arts, and we are looking at the Singapore Biennale 2016 – An Atlas of Mirrors, henceforth SB2016, as a case study of the “curatorial complex”. If I may start with a summary of ideas about
The Curatorial Complex: A Roundtable on the Singapore Biennale Read More »
SWF POP #15: Screening of Between The Lines: Rant & Rave II, 18 Jan at The Projector This is a screening of a recorded theatre production, Between The Lines: Rant & Rave II, a 2012 play by award-winning playwright Chong Tze Chien. Restaged at the Singapore Writers Festival 2016 featuring actors Serene Chen and Jean Ng,
16 – 22 Jan 2017: Singapore Read More »
“Sensitive and nuanced, this piece is almost like a Judith Butler essay, popping at the seams with its investigation of gender and the way it is performed, mimed, mocked and torn apart basically.” Tags: LGBT M1 Singapore Fringe Festival Tan Liting
Judith Butchler – Review of Tan Liting’s “Pretty Butch” at M1 Fringe Read More »
2016 was a busy year for theatregoers in Japan, and an especially fruitful one for those with an interest in Malaysia. The Kyoto Experiment 2016 (22 Oct – 13 Nov) featured the documentary theatre work, Baling by Mark Teh as its festival opening piece. It was produced by Five Arts Centre, one of Malaysia’s most
Faith in Tokyo: A review of ‘Nadirah’ and ‘Family’ Read More »
Datang Untuk Kembali (Arriving to Return), 13 Jan, 6:30 PM The performance starts at The Exhibition Hall, Block 43 Malan Road. Part of CITIES FOR PEOPLE NTU CCA Ideas Fest 2016-2017, it is a collaboration between artist duo indieguerillas, fashion designer Lulu Lutfi Labibi, and music director Ari Wulu. The performance will move between different locations
9 – 15 January 2017: Singapore Read More »
By Satpal Kaler (630 words, 6 minute read) Back in university, my Botswanian friend told me that there is a high demand for executioners back in her country, because very few locals want to do the job. They see it as murder; even if it is done in the name of the law. Boo Junfeng’s
Learning the Ropes: A Review of ‘Apprentice’ Read More »
