Theatre
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ANNOUNCER: All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Of theatrical mischief, mastery, and comedy, the Theatre vertical delivers a critical analysis on the best and worst of visual storytelling on stage. If you would like your show to be reviewed, please contact us at [email protected].
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This April, the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) presents The Truth – a witty play about marital infidelity by French playwright Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton. The Truth sees two unfaithful middle-aged couples weave and get entangled in their web of lies. Michael (Lim Yu-Beng), who is married to Lauren (Neo Swee Lin), is having an affair with Alice (Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie), wife of his best friend Paul (Vivek Gomber). It seems that Lauren and Paul both suspect their partners have been unfaithful, without knowing with whom they are sleeping with. But when Alice guiltily threatens to confess all, Michael…
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Written by young Canadian writer Jordan Tannahill, Late Company is based on a Canadian teenager who committed suicide because he was bullied for being gay. With the central theme of teenage cyberbullying, the play cleverly navigates through related issues of how parenting, the societal environment, and polarising views on homosexuality could also impact the mental health of adolescences who are in the vulnerable phase of seeking their own identity. The plot revolves around a family, comprised of parents Bill and Tamara (played by Adrian Pang and Karen Tan) and their son Curtis (Xander Pang). As calm as they try to…
Read More »Singapore Management University’s Komunitas Indonesia (SMUKI) is back with their annual musical production, GAYA 2019 – short for Gelar Budaya. Titled Sangharsa: The Struggle, this year’s play is set in the 15th century. The ruler of Mataram, Senapati (I-En), looks to strengthen his iron grip over Nusantara by sweeping over every perdikans (villages) in the land – except for this village named Perdikan Mangir. Led by two young brothers – Wanabaya (Jerikho) and Baru Klinting (Mason) – they challenge Senapati’s conquest by defiantly protecting their village. In their attempt to do so, they face many challenges; which include confronting the…
Read More »Set up in 2010, Pangdemonium is a local theatre company dedicated to creating stories that are both challenging and relevant to the society we live in. This February, Pangdemonium is bringing Late Company written by Jordan Tannahill, to Singapore. Directed by Tracie Pang, the play touches on the difficult topic of cyberbullying, where it has escalated to the point of no reason and it became all too late to save the suicidal victim. We spoke exclusively to the cast and the director of Late Company to understand their creative process and what they hope to express through the play. 1.…
Read More »The Necessary Stage’s critically acclaimed play, Off Centre, returns 26 years after its premiere in 1993. Written by internationally recognised local playwright Haresh Sharma and directed by Alvin Tan (founder and artistic director of The Necessary Stage), Off Centre is a breakthrough play in destigmatizing mental illness and presenting an unflinching look at patients’ inner demons. The latest staging of the play features Abdulattif Abdullah and Sakinah Dollah, who will be taking up their original roles as Vinod and Saloma respectively, as well as Aidli Mosbit as Mak. In Off Centre, two patients meet at an Oasis Club function for…
Read More »In next year’s edition, ICN 2019 – Arunika: A Musical sheds light on the perspectives of both the Indonesians and the Dutch, with the historical setting of 19th century Batavia, the present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Presenting a blend of different Indonesian cultures (Balinese and Mollucan), the production aims to inspire its audience to strive for a more tolerant and peaceful society. Produced entirely by the Indonesian students of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), ICN is an arts and cultural community that produces theatrical works annually, albeit having taken a gap year in 2017. From the music composition, scriptwriting, training of actors and…
Read More »Guards at the Taj is a personal story of a friendship challenged under dictatorship. Two long-term friends, Humayun and Babur, stand guard at the Taj Mahal hours before it is unveiled at dawn. They are forbidden to look at the monument, speak, or lower their swords. The play reaches a turning point as the guards are ordered to do an unimaginably violent act and their friendship is changed forever. I leave the Singapore Repertory Theatre after Guards at the Taj with mixed feelings. For a start, I am impressed by the actors’ performance, especially since the whole play only runs…
Read More »Guards at the Taj, written by award-winning playwright and winner of the best new play in the 2016 Obie awards, Rajiv Joseph, will be performed in KC Arts Centre from 14 November 2018 to 1 December 2018. Set in 1648, Guards at the Taj is a dark comedy based on a myth about Taj Mahal, a mausoleum commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In the play, the majestic beauty of the Taj Mahal is a deliberate contrast to the ordinary guards who are placed in charge of the mausoleum the day before its unveiling.…
Read More »Last performed in Singapore in 2014, with iconic ABBA hits from the 70s, the musical Mamma Mia! once again proves its broad appeal with its latest production at the Sands Theatre. The audience was going wild in every scene, with non-stop laughter, applause, and even tears. The playful sexual innuendos, heartwarming family scenes, and lively rendering of the catchy oldies are the highlights of the night. One of the scenes that have made the deepest impressions is where leading lady Sophie’s mother, Donna Sheridan, met her three ex-lovers for the first time since decades. It is also the moment when…
Read More »RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3’s Diva, Shangela, will be making her debut in Singapore with her brand new show ‘Shangela is Shook’ next month on 12 December, 2018! The drag performer is known for being the only contestant to compete on three separate seasons of the Emmy-award winning reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race – Seasons 2, 3, and All Stars 3). A native of Paris, Texas, the performer graduated with honours from Southern Methodist University and currently resides in Los Angeles. Shangela – otherwise known as D.J. Pierce – has also guest starred as an actor on television shows…
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