By Patricia Tobin (500 words, 5-minute read) A dark traditional Japanese Buddhist altar, or butsudan, stands tall onstage. Engraved gold hinges line the thick borders and towering, half-folded black doors, akin to an oriental treasure chest. Upon the tolling of a bell, two old women slowly push open the butsudan doors, inviting us into the […]
“Ninagawa Macbeth”: The Bold and The Beautiful Read More »
By Isaac Lim (516 words, 5-minute read) A supersized Butsudan (Buddhist altar) frames the stage, flanked by two old peasants who open the panels to indicate the commencement of a ritual. Within is 16th century post-civil war Japan, replete with samurais and ninjas. Majestic silkscreen doors open and close to reveal different scenes. This is
Ninagawa’s “Macbeth”: Just Not Shakespeare’s Read More »
By Corrie Tan (2094 words, 20-minute read) The pantomime has come to be associated with a set of recognisable traits: traditionally staged during the winter festive season, they are musical comedies based on folk stories and fairy tales, stuffed with songs, farce and some form of audience participation – with colourful gags for the children
A Short History of the Singaporean Pantomime Read More »
In March, it was announced that Gaurav Kripalani, the Artistic Director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre, would succeed Theatreworks Artistic Director Ong Keng Sen as Festival Director of Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). This changing of guard foretells a significant shift in approach to programming and presentation choices: Ong is known to favour presenting
SIFA Changing of Guard Read More »
Three Kin by T.H.E Dance Company, Esplanade Theatre Studio, 7 – 9 Dec Three Kin is leading contemporary dance group T.H.E Dance Company’s closing production for the 2017 season and part of the company’s annual headlining showcase of creations by acclaimed Singaporean and international guest choreographers. Performed by T.H.E’s full-time principal dancers, the triple bill
4 – 10 December 2017: Singapore Read More »
In late 2016, anonymous attacks on the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2017 program surfaced online. The IMDA subsequently refused to issue ratings to M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2017’s performance-lecture Naked Ladies by Thea Fitz-James and Ming Poon’s Undressing Room, unless elements of the works be modified. The Fringe organisers pulled these shows out of the
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
“Khwaab-Sa”: Shakespeare with masala and magic Read More »
Recently I caught a round of theatrical experimentations by Southeast Asian and Japanese directors in Tokyo. Called One Table Two Chairs Meeting 2017, it was the second of a 3-year series at the Za-Koenji Theatre. Taking part were Prumsodun Ok (Cambodia), Kamei Juntaro (Japan), Fasyali Fadzly (Malaysia), Chey Chankethya (Cambodia) and Liu Xiaoyi (Singapore). One
Tikam-Tikam Japan: Table and Chairs Read More »
ANWESHA-Beyond the darkness! by Maya Dance Theatre, 1 – 2 Dec, Drama Centre Black Box Daily stories of unsuspecting victims crumbling under its consequences increasingly populate the media and social forums. Anxiety, depression and pressure are regular features, yet the awareness and discussion on the extent of their impact on mental well-being is rarely discussed. Maya
27 November – 3 December 2017: Singapore Read More »
Duration: 30 min From 12 December to 24 December 2017, up-and-coming theatre group Emergency Stairs presents Southernmost: One Table Two Chairs Project, a first-of-its-kind intercultural arts festival in Singapore that focuses on intercultural dialogue, through the format of One Table Two Chairs. It seeks to bring prominent and established traditional and contemporary theatre artists from the
Podcast 31: Emergency Stairs & Southernmost: One Table Two Chairs Project Read More »
BOOM! by Jean Tay, presented by The Callbacks, Drama Centre Theatre, 24 Nov 8pm The Callbacks once again presents a night of truth, humour and sentiment with their take on ‘Boom’ by Jean Tay. Centred on the struggle between a mother and son who are divided about their HDB property going en bloc, the play will
20 – 26 November 2017: Singapore Read More »
Pada 15 – 18 Disember tahun lalu, Swordfish+Concubine karya Kee Thuan Chye telah dipentaskan di dalam bahasa Mandarin di Pentas 2, KLPAC. Tidak sampai setahun, naskhah ini dipentaskan sekali lagi di KLPAC. Kali ini di Pentas 1, ruang yang lebih besar, dan diarah dan diterbitkan sendiri oleh Kee Thuan Chye dengan barisan pelakon yang baharu
“Swordfish+Concubine”: Sebuah Teater Epik yang Dramatik Read More »
Discipline the City (23 August – 26 November 2017) is a three-act multi-arts exhibition held at The Substation. Going beyond a static presentation commonly utilised in exhibitions, the show includes permanent exhibits, site-adaptive performances, punk tours, talks, workshops, a shop and rotating exhibits. The monumental programme demands repeat visits over the whole period of the
Contingent Spaces: “Discipline the City” at the Substation Read More »
Dreamseeds Arts Fest by Club Rainbow, 18 – 25 Nov, *SCAPE An initiative by Club Rainbow (Singapore), Dreamseeds Arts Fest 2017 is a multi-experiential arts festival headlined by the non-profit organisation’s beneficiaries. Dreamseeds Arts Fest is an open-to-public inclusive arts platform that offers beneficiaries the opportunity to realise their creative potential and connect with a
13 – 19 Nov 2017: Singapore Read More »
Poop! by Chong Tze Chien A family left stranded in the aftermath of a father’s seemingly irresponsible, selfish suicide, must learn to navigate its way through the nooks of grief and crannies of letting go and letting be, all whilst holding to semblances of hope through a widow’s grief, a mother’s denial, and the celebration
The Finger Players’ Contemporary Classics Season 2017: “Poop!” and “The Spirits Play” Read More »
“PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil has bemoaned the lack of funding support for the arts, saying the impending closure of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) is a result of it. Fahmi, who used to be active in theatre, said the situation should be a wake-up call for the government to show that it
Govt urged to help KLPac avoid shutdown [Malaysia] Read More »
Bersama-sama: Exhibition Launch by Jasmeet Notay and Steph Jack, Supernormal Gallery, Kreta Ayer Road, 11 Nov 6pm – 10pm Bersama-sama is a small collection of abstract works by Jasmeet Notay and Steph Jack. Jack splatters and blends acrylics to create fluid, whimsical dreamscapes while Notay’s paintings are moody
6 – 12 November 2017: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Makassar from 6 – 12 November 2017 JAKARTA Jiwa – Jakarta Biennale 2017, 4 November – 10 December 2017, various locations, Jakarta Jakarta’s biannual international contemporary art exhibition is back with a theme of Jiwa. Jiwa or soul is the spirit or energy that drives
6 – 12 November 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Pichet Klunchun was invited to create an outdoor performance at Minami Ikebukuro Park, a popular hang-out place for families and young people in Tokyo, by the Festival Tokyo 2017. It was an ‘odd’ commission given that Pichet Klunchun is known internationally, as a choreographer and dancer, for his deconstruction of classical Thai dance, the khon,
Tikam-Tikam Japan: Site-Specific Monkeys by Pichet Klunchun Read More »
German Film Festival by Goethe-Institut Singapore, various venues and timings from 2 – 12 November 2017 The German Film Festival will present its 21st edition in 2017 over two weeks. This year, more than 30 ambitious and fascinating films will provide a unique insight into contemporary life in Germany
30 Oct – 5 Nov 2017: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Banda from 30 October – 5 November 2017 JAKARTA Japanese Film Festival, 2 – 7 November 2017, CGV Grand Indonesia, Jakarta Organised by the Japan Foundation, the Japanese Film Festival is a celebration of Japanese cinema outside of Japan. This year’s festival is held
30 Oct – 5 Nov 2017: Indonesia Read More »
By Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai (1900 words, 12-minute read) Pathey Nimidam 2017 opens up to a simple bare-bones theatre, plunged in darkness with a few blocks embellished with light, waiting for creativity and spark to bring them alive. From here stemmed eight different plays each unfolding within ten minutes. These offerings ran over a three-day period
Pathey Nimidam 2017: A Tamil Theatre Festival Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali from 23-29 October 2017 JAKARTA Murni? – Indonesian Contemporary Art and Design, Now – 15 November 2017, grandkemang Hotel Jakarta Murni in Bahasa Indonesia translates as “purity”. In this 8th exhibition of Indonesian Contemporary Art and Design (ICAD), the word Murni is asked
23 – 29 October 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Macho Dancer and Corponomy by Eisa Jocson, Esplanade Theatre Studio, 27 – 28 Oct This weekend at the Esplanade’s da:ns festival 2017 sees Eisa Jocson perfoming a double-bill of Macho Dancer and Corponomy. Corponomy is a new commission by the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay
23 – 29 October 2017: Singapore Read More »
By Patricia Tobin (534 words, 5-minute read) Pangdemonium’s Fun Home is a musical based on the same-titled graphic novel by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. Set in Pennsylvania, Fun Home zigzags between forty-something lesbian cartoonist Alison, “young Alison” as a child, and “medium Alison” as a college student. Her father is an English teacher and director of
Pangdemonium’s “Fun Home”: Safety in Numbers Read More »
By Patricia Tobin (483 words, 4-minute read) “Have you eaten?” is the go-to greeting for Singaporean Chinese families. Typically asked in dialect (“Jiak ba buay?”), or sometimes Mandarin (“Chi bao ma?”), “Have you eaten?” is a sign of courtesy towards your parents or grandparents, a simple question that bolsters familial bonds. W!ld Rice’s Grandmother Tongue
Lessons in “Grandmother Tongue” Read More »
The Necessary Stage, in collaboration with HANCHU-YUEI, one of Tokyo’s most innovative theatre companies, brings us a work that explores the digital remains of life after death in another thought provoking work, “Sanctuary” opening 1 November 2017. Acclaimed playwright Leow Puay Tin interviews the production’s dramaturg, Ken Takiguchi about being the man in the middle. Ken
Ken Takiguchi: A Dramaturg’s Sanctuary Read More »
Poop! by The Finger Players, Victoria Theatre, 20 – 22 October A man dies. His widow grieves. His mother laughs out loud because to her, death is merely a joke. His 8 year old daughter wonders, “When is life worth living; when is death worth celebrating?” Ticketing and more information. A Design Film Festival 2017
16 – 22 October 2017: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Yogyakarta from 16 – 22 October 2017 JAKARTA Dancing Queen, 17 October 2017, 8 PM, Basement Theatre Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta Djakarta Teater Platform returns with Bandar Teater production of Dancing Queen/Dansinkwin. This performance shows how text occupies space or activates space, which
16 – 22 October 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Duration: 18 mins The first Asian Youth Theatre Festival (AYTF), organised by Singapore’s Buds Youth Theatre, will take place at *SCAPE from 13 – 15 October. Featuring theatre practitioners and youth theatre groups from 10 Asian countries, it’s a chockablock weekend of original plays, workshops, street performances, and a flea market. We caught up with
Podcast 29: Asian Youth Theatre Festival 2017 Read More »
