Crystalwords

Getting to Know You

2026-09-13T15:00:00.000+08:00

by Edward Eng
Gangguan! Theatre
Goodman Arts Centre Black Box, Singapore

So much of theatre depends on the relationship between actor and audience: sharing a common space, getting comfortable with one another and surrendering to a live experience that can never be replicated. In Getting to Know You, presented by young theatre collective Gangguan! Theatre, playwright Edward Eng pushes the boundaries even further. There are no rehearsals. Two actors are presented with a script moments before they go onstage. They only see their individual lines and discover the characters they play in real time along with the audience. Each performance features a different pair of actors.

It's an ambitious theatrical experiment and even if the concept is interesting, it falters in its execution. In order for a show like this to work, one needs both a compelling script and actors who are able to embrace anything that is thrown at them. Eng, unfortunately, gives us a rather tired tale featuring two thirty-something former lovers, Alex and Eri, who reconnect in a nightclub on New Year's Eve after years apart. On a stage littered with balloons, confetti and tinsel, they jest and banter, trading tales of past relationships and present struggles into the small hours of the night.

At the closing performance I attended, Vanessa Toh and Izzul Irfan do their utmost to breathe life into these characters - a free-spirited podcaster who has spent several years abroad and a civil servant-turned-baker who has traded a conventional career to pursue his passions. They are tentative at first, pausing respectfully and getting acquainted with the rhythms of the dialogue before slowly surrendering to the script. Yet, the chemistry between the pair never quite takes flight.

There is an artificiality to the whole enterprise that one simply cannot shake off. Eng and co-director Tan Hui Er's attempts to involve the audience feel forced. Every now and then, the lights dim and an audience member seated in a corner is tasked with playing narrator, dutifully reading out lines of chunky exposition that are meant to add to the backstory. Elsewhere, specific audience members are told to hand props such as a cigarette or Polaroid camera to the actors. These moments, while occasionally comical, end up disrupting the flow of the actors who themselves are trying to grapple with a script neither has seen before.

Getting to Know You wants to tell a meaningful story about the fragility of modern relationships while simultaneously turning the act of performance itself into an experiment. The problem is that these two ambitions never quite reconcile themselves. As audience members, we become acutely aware of two actors struggling to conjure up a story, and never quite end up buying into the story itself. I found myself reflecting on Nassim Soleimanpour's White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, where an actor encounters a sealed script for the first time and negotiates it together with the audience. While a lot depends on the individual actor, there is an element of trust and respect for the audience in that play that simply does not exist here. Seeing the two actors peer at their scripts and wait for the next cue, I could not shake off the sense that I was watching a school drama rehearsal.

There is much to admire in a young company willing to take this kind of risk and I am aware that my experience may be different from those who caught the production on other days. Yet, the fact remains that this form of experimental theatre is a tall ask for the audience. It might appeal to a theatre crowd keen for something unusual but is unlikely to float the boat for new audiences. In getting to know each other through the contours of a play, the actor and audience should not end up getting lost.

The Crystalwords score: 2/5

Come From Away

2026-09-12T20:00:00.000+08:00

book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Pangdemonium
Victoria Theatre, Singapore

Sometimes the greatest tragedies can produce the greatest moments of human kindness. Come From Away, written and composed by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and presented by Pangdemonium as the company’s swan song, tells the extraordinary true story of the events following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Due to US airspace being closed, 38 planes carrying some 7,000 passengers were diverted to Gander International Airport in the rugged Canadian province of Newfoundland. Over the next few days, the locals pulled out all the stops to make these frightened, anxious ‘come-from-aways’ feel at home in a time of deep uncertainty, donating food and clothes, opening up their homes and turning community spaces into shelters.

Sankoff and Hein have condensed hundreds of real-life interviews into a searing, bittersweet musical that gives us a sense of the mayhem during those days while allowing individual stories to breathe. We witness moments of romance and prejudice, solidarity and sadness. People from completely different walks of life coming together in the face of a great disaster and simply being there for one another. Rather than focusing on the tragedy itself, it is the deep sense of humanity that ultimately shines through, making this a musical that remains relevant even a quarter of a century later.

From rousing opening number ‘Welcome to the Rock’, the 100-minute production moves with an energy that has one literally on the edge of one’s seats. Tim Koh, in a hugely impressive musical theatre directorial debut, is the undisputed captain of this enterprise, marshalling a talented ensemble of actors who effortlessly slip in and out of characters with a simple change of costume and props. Koh, who has demonstrated his skill in dense, wordy dramas like Doubt, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and A Doll's House, Part 2, is sensitive to pace and scale, keeping the audience invested throughout and balancing big, boisterous moments with quieter ones that tug at the heartstrings.

There is lovely work by Sheila Francisco as a devoted Gander matriarch who forms a friendship with a passenger anxious about her missing son back home, Inch Chua as a woman navigating an unexpected romance with a fellow passenger and Lim Yu-Beng as Gander's indefatigable mayor who promptly declares a state of emergency and orders the hockey rink to be converted into a walk-in refrigerator to manage food supplies. It would of course be remiss not to single out Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai who absolutely commands the stage as pioneering female pilot Beverly Bass with in solo 'Me and the Sky'.

Photo Credit: CRISPI

Longtime collaborator Eucien Chia provides a handsome set that takes design cues from the actual Gander airport and a malleable acting space allows scenes to melt smoothly into each other. Central to the design aesthetic are twelve chairs that are used to conjure up everything from planes and buses to cafes and bars. Deft choreography by Andy Benjamin Cai makes the transitions feel effortless. Genevieve Peck's lighting, Jing Ng's sound and Leonard Augustine Choo's vibrant costumes round things off, creating a rousing sensory spectacle. My one niggle on the gala night performance was that the vocals tended to compete with the music, making it difficult to hear some of the performers, a fact not helped by the variety of accents they were adopting.

I've had the privilege of seeing almost all the forty-odd productions in Pangdemonium's repertoire over the years, many of which have been reviewed on this blog. More than than any individual show, it is the legacy of their work that I will always fondly remember: introducing audiences to the very best of world theatre, launching the careers of so many talented actors and creatives and creating a safe space to discuss difficult topics.

Each production in Pangdemonium's finale season has, through design or not, quietly reminded us of this legacy. Force Majeure highlighted the precarious role of artists in a changing landscape and how they could so easily be at the mercy of institutions. The Mirror was a sobering nod to the spectre of state censorship that continues to plague the arts industry and the importance of being able to tell stories freely. And Come From Away, with its warm and life-affirming message, leaves us glowing from its wonderful celebration of community, something the company has so tirelessly sought to create over the past 16 years.

This is the perfect ass-kicking send off.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

3 Queens

2026-09-06T15:00:00.000+08:00

by Haresh Sharma
The Necessary Stage
Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Singapore

Time is the greatest villain in The Necessary Stage's 3 Queens, a tender and quietly lacerating examination of friendship that unspools over the course of decades. Written by newly appointed Artistic Director Haresh Sharma and co-directed by Sharma and Adib Kosnan, we visit sisters Bedah (Siti Hajar Gani) and Zeina (Munah Bagharib) and their neighbour Aida (Siti Khalijah Zainal) around Hari Raya every few years.

These are three Malay-Muslim women who grew up together, ready to face the world as one, but whose paths slowly diverge as time goes by. We hear of career milestones and failed relationships, death and disease. The everyday dreams and disappointments that fill out a life.

Part of the pathos of the play is that we never see the moments that happen between each scene, instead having to fill in the gaps from fragments of conversation, piecing together how time has slowly changed these characters. They drift apart, as so many people inevitably do, but slowly find their way back to one another.

Like Sharma’s taut, naturalistic dramas Good People and Fundamentally Happy, 3 Queens is a play whose apparent simplicity masks a deep, intuitive understanding of relationships and how they twist and evolve over time. A final scene set in the past proves especially poignant because we finally see these characters without all the pain and baggage that has accumulated over the years, while still knowing what lies in store for them.

Photo Credit: Tuckys Photography

3 Queens is bolstered by warm, infectious performances by its three actors, seasoned performers who inhabit their roles with warmth and sensitivity. Sharma and Adib give us a clean, homely staging that allows the emotions to land, balancing moments of girlish silliness with genuine emotional anguish. A simple hug shared between two friends who see each other after a space of years speaks far more than any words ever can.

There are subtle references to politics, class and religion here but it's ultimately human relationships that are put under the knife. It's hard not to reflect on one's own relationships over the years, wondering when things shifted and how time slowly drove a gulf through what once felt impenetrable. A reminder, if anything, to reach out and connect with that special someone before time has had its final say.

The Crystalwords score: 3.5/5

Charged

2026-07-31T20:00:00.000+08:00

by Chong Tze Chien
Teater Ekamatra
Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Singapore

Chong Tze Chien’s acclaimed 2010 play about two National Servicemen who are found dead during guard duty over Chinese New Year remains as powerful, explosive and urgent as ever in this fine revival by Teater Ekamatra.

Director Mohd Fared Jainal coaxes fantastic performances from his cast and brings a thoughtful and nuanced eye to the action, blending the visceral with the poetic.

Admittedly, the script shows its age in places and some scene transitions could be tighter but its exploration of race, class and privilege is as salient as ever. Everyone carries their own pains and prejudices and this production reminds us that sometimes the most important thing is empathy—reaching out for the person next to you and simply trying to understand.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

The Mirror

2026-06-27T20:00:00.000+08:00

by Sam Holcroft
Pangdemonium
Singtel Waterfront Theatre, Singapore

Who gets to decide the stories we tell? And what can we do to resist this?

Sam Holcroft’s The Mirror is an explosive, chameleonic play that constantly shifts beneath our feet, reminding us of the inexorable struggle between censorship and artistic expression, the importance of representing truth and the threat of going against the system. Incisive, thrilling, urgent and essential. Beautifully acted with outstanding turns by Ghafir Akbar and Andrew Marko.

Tracie Pang has given us 16 years of incredible theatre at Pangdemonium and her final directorial credit for the company is no exception.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

An Interrogation

2026-06-07T16:00:00.000+08:00

by Jamie Armitage
Sight Lines
KC Arts Centre, Singapore

Rookie inspector meets suave suspect. Who will crumble first?

Inspired by real life events, this taut police drama set entirely in a stark interrogation room is written by Jamie Armitage (co-director of hit musical SIX), directed by Krish Natarajan and presented by Sight Lines. Live CCTV footage gives the audience slightly unnerving macro and micro perspectives of the events unfolding before our eyes.

What appears to be a routine questioning over the case of a missing woman turns into a careful excavation of gender and class as a game of words ensues between interviewer and interviewee, leaving no one unscathed.

It's powered by compelling performances by Nadya Zaheer, Salif Hardie and Lim Kay Siu but could do with a touch more subtlety in its sound effects and character transitions. A crisp, competent production that continues the company's now-signature mystery theme.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5

Myles - Soulmate in a Box

2026-05-15T20:00:00.000+08:00

by Inch Chua
Singapore Repertory Theatre
KC Arts Centre, Singapore

What happens when technology meets desire? Can you manufacture the perfect partner? Enter Myles – Soulmate in a Box, a slick and incisive one-person musical about love and AI written, composed and performed by the incandescent Inch Chua and presented by the Singapore Repertory Theatre.

It's a tale that reminds us of the sheer power of technology and how it can take on a sinister edge when pushed to its limits. Thomas Agerholm directs with deftness, bringing together a superb creative team with a sleek set, evocative lighting and truly stunning multimedia. Chua keeps us rapt throughout the 90-minute production, blending sonic brilliance with emotional depth and showcasing an impressive range of songs that propel the narrative. She's promised to release the soundtrack!

I remember writing several years ago that I’d love to see an authentic science fiction story set in Singapore but I don’t think we’ve gotten there yet. Myles – Soulmate in a Box confidently proves me wrong. In an age where AI has penetrated every aspect of our lives, this is a musical that's both timely and timeless, excavating themes that will resonate deeply with audiences. Glad to see a fully-realized version after catching a work-in-progress two years ago.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

La Luna

2026-04-19T15:00:00.002+08:00

by Ridhwan Saidi
based on the film by M. Raihan Halim

Teater Ekamatra

Pesta Raya 2026

Singtel Waterfront Theatre, Singapore

Inspired by the 2023 film of the same name by M. Raihan Halim which was Singapore's entry to the Oscars, this Esplanade presented by Teater Ekamatra is a highlight of the 25th edition of Pesta Raya. La Luna follows a conservative, patriarchal village shaken by the arrival of a sassy newcomer who opens a lingerie store.

Playwright Ridhwan Saidi and director Mohd Fared Jainal give us a production that unfolds like a technicolour, lyrical pantun, with cheeky songs, witty wordplay and infectious choreography. The powerhouse cast have the audience eating out of their hands, with scene-stealing turns from the ever-reliable Siti Khalijah Zainal, Rizman Putra and Munah Bagharib.

Some of the film’s nuances are traded for broader, more crowd-pleasing beats (including a slightly jarring reference to impalement) and a new framing device about a character writing a thesis feels unnecessary. Still, this is a thoroughly enjoyable production that captures the film’s themes of embracing change, celebrating community and creating space to be oneself.

The Crystalwords score: 3.5/5

Randai Macbeth

2026-04-17T20:00:00.005+08:00

adapted by Norzizi Zulkifli
based on the play by William Shakespeare
ASWARA
Pesta Raya 2026
Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore

This is quite the treat. Shakespeare's classic tale interpreted through the Minangkabau folk theatre tradition of randai which fuses music, dance and martial arts into a form of communal storytelling performed in a circle.

Adapted and directed by acclaimed theatre maker Norzizi Zulkifli, Randai Macbeth hews close to the original plot but cuts out most of the secondary characters, making space for song and movement to buoy the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the use of simple stagecraft to conjure up scenes: a bloodstained cloth unfurling from above powerfully signifies the murdered Duncan while swaying lamps are used to reflect Macbeth's tortured state of mind.

It's a visually stunning production with strong performances and beautiful choreography, led by Che Kem as Macbeth, Juhara Ayob as Lady Macbeth and Amir Ameezan as Banquo. Admittedly, the surtitling proved a little clunky, using large swathes of Shakespearean text alongside contemporary Malay dialogue, but it's a small distraction in a production that richly reworks a Western theatre classic through a distinctively Eastern lens.

The Crystalwords score: 3.5/5

End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland

2026-04-03T20:00:00.011+08:00

adapted by Ako Takahashi
based on the book by Haruki Murakami
Esplanade Theatre, Singapore

Another visually sumptuous Murakami adaptation on stage. Produced by HoriPro Inc., End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland premiered in Tokyo in January before embarking on an international tour that starts with Singapore.

Directed and choreographed by Philippe Decouflé and adapted by Ako Takahashi, it's a cerebral, entertaining yet quietly devastating story that see-saws between two parallel narratives with the slickness of a thriller.

Decouflé marshals a taut and talented cast led by Tatsuya Fujiwara and Misato Morita, weaving immersive multimedia, fluid choreography and arresting live music into a vivid staging of Murakami's text. The gradual mingling of the storylines is beautifully executed, culminating in a dazzling final sequence that will remain with one for a long time.

The idea of surrendering one's consciousness and losing the essential agency that makes us human gains added potency in this relentless age of AI.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

Force Majeure

2026-03-08T15:00:00.497+08:00

by Stephanie Street
inspired by Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters
Pangdemonium
Victoria Theatre, Singapore

It's been nine years since Pangdemonium collaborated with playwright Stephanie Street on Dragonflies, a powerful tale of displacement in the face of an uncertain, fractious world. Street unpacks similar themes in this sumptuous, layered take on Chekhov's Three Sisters, relocating the action from provincial Russia to modern day Southeast Asia. It makes a terrific start to the company's final season.

Street is largely faithful to Chekhov's original plot but removes the military background, refashioning her characters as a worldly, eclectic group of artists. Crucially, she gives us a new prologue which expands her thematic focus, introducing patriarch John (Ebi Shankara), an eminent painter who decides to move back to Southeast Asia with his family after years in Europe to take advantage of money that is now pouring into the local arts ecosystem. After his untimely death at a gallery opening, his four children struggle to get on with their lives, all the while hankering to return to Europe, a dream that grows ever more tenuous as the years inexorably march on.

Eldest sister Leah (Selma Alkaff), is a former actress who now works as a teacher, trading passion for practicality. Middle sister Mary (Inch Chua), a musician trapped in a loveless marriage to tedious academic Ken (Benjamin Chow), finds herself drawn to the charismatic Vic, the newly-arrived director of an arts centre. Youngest sister Irene (Rebecca Ashley Dass) dreams of moving back to Europe to find artistic fulfilment and love but ultimately settles for bumbling writer Theo. Alongside the titular sisters is their brother Andrew (Benjamin Kheng), a once-successful musician who becomes mired in a pit of domesticity and inaction after marrying the domineering Nat (Sharda Harrison).

Photo Credit: Crispian Chan

Each of these characters is deeply unhappy and the tragedy of the play is that they can never seem to break out of the crippling ennui that slowly engulfs them. Happiness, even when it presents itself, is revealed to be but fleeting. Street's adaptation also opens up powerful discussions about the role of artists in society and how their lives are cruelly fashioned by budget cuts and bureaucrats. As its title suggests, a central theme in Force Majeure is how human lives are at the mercy of events beyond their control. A successful arts centre can close down and get turned into a commercial development at the drop of a hat. The floods that cause widespread destruction and homelessness in the city hint at the ever-pernicious threat of climate change and how even the physical environment we live in may no longer be safe.

Is returning to Europe necessarily the answer for these siblings, who, to all intents and purposes, lead fairly privileged lives? It's certainly not the glittering metropolis that Moscow stood for in Chekhov's original. There's a lot of bleakness to this story but what we are ultimately left with, not unlike Dragonflies, is an image of human resilience, the quiet will to keep moving on and face another day. The sisters may be thwarted in both love and life but at least they have each other for support.

Director Tracie Pang coaxes delicate, nuanced performances from her cast and keeps the pacing taut despite the play's wordy, four-act structure. There is an evident attempt to economise on the cast by having actors double up in roles and, while this mostly works, it occasionally proves confusing for audiences. Standout turns include Selma Alkaff as the sensible, maternal Leah and Ebi Shankara in a dual role as commanding patriarch and garrulous uncle. Singer-songwriters Inch Chua and Benjamin Kheng also beautifully lean into their musical talents as part of their characters, delivering a stunning opening number.

Photo Credit: Crispian Chan

Eucien Chia's set is a bohemian parlour that is as much living room as studio, a space where past and present, life and art, lovingly coalesce. It is dominated by three towers, crammed with ornate antiques and each bearing one of the paintings from the late patriarch's triptych unveiled in the prologue. These beautiful, haunting images, depicting each sister suspended in water, grow more aged and worn as the play progresses. This is complemented by Jing Ng's soundscapes and James Tan's lighting design, creating a rich, multi-sensory canvas that immerses us into the world of these characters.

Even while watching this play about artists, Pang never allows us to forget that what we are watching is itself a living, breathing work of art. The wings of the stage are deliberately exposed and we see the actors at all times, changing between scenes and handing one another props. We see percussionist Marc Monteiro (who has a few cameos) play music and witness actors create live sound effects throughout the play. It reminds us that while we mourn the dashed hopes and disappointments of one group of artist-characters, another group of artist-actors stand before us in the flesh—still fighting the good fight and daring to dream.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

Pretty Ugly

2026-01-18T19:30:00.329+08:00

by Theo Chen
Comma 2026
*SCAPE Gallery, Singapore

This is not the first time I've experienced Theo Chen's writing. I caught his debut play Cyril & Michael back in 2021, an assured, astringent take on modern gay relationships. Neither is it the first time I've seen him on stage; he made his professional theatre debut as a vivacious member of the ensemble in Pangdemonium's Kimberly Akimbo last year. But this is the first time I've encountered a solo show written and performed by the emerging theatre-maker and it is pretty amazing.

Pretty Ugly is a cabaret performance directed and produced by Shien Hian Lim that forms part of COMMA, the signature creative arts festival at *SCAPE. Dressed in a figure-hugging black dress and heels, Chen warmly greets us as we enter the gallery space on the top floor. We are invited to sit wherever we feel comfortable and crack open a complimentary canned drink as he takes his spot in the centre, accompanied by music director Joel Nah on the keyboard.

It's a taut, tender show that grapples with big themes: the idea of never feeling beautiful in one's own skin and struggling to fit in. Through a mix of song and intimate storytelling, Chen shares anecdotes about his days growing up in Singapore, his love of theatre and dressing up and romantic struggles which left him wondering if he was ever worthy of love. He describes how he tried to erase parts of himself that did not subscribe to a certain ideal of masculinity only to realise that there is no such thing - what's important is to be confident, sincere and embrace one's authentic self, warts and all.

Image by Naeem Kapadia from the 18 January 2026 performance

Chen is a natural performer who not only belts out musical theatre numbers with gusto but has the ability to effortlessly draw his audience in. He's chatty and vulnerable, sassy and searing all at once. A segment where he lovingly recalls a family member who supported him throughout his life has one blinking back tears. In a lovely, rather cathartic moment, he invites every member of the audience to join him in a slow dance, just allowing us a moment to shed our inhibitions and find comfort within our own bodies.

Part of the beauty of this show is that it is never fully about Chen, but seeks to uplift and celebrate all who witness it. You will leave feeling a lot less ugly.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5

A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical

2026-01-16T20:00:00.023+08:00

by Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders
music by Henry Allen

Singapore Fringe Festival 2026

(organised and curated by TNS)
Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore

The Singapore Fringe Festival is back! After losing its title sponsor of the past two decades and very nearly facing closure, the indie festival organised by The Necessary Stage has received a new lease of life following an outpouring of support from the community. This 22nd edition is a smaller, leaner affair, featuring just four shows and two panel discussions.

Kicking things off is this sweet, sassy celebration of queer love. Written, directed and produced by Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders under the banner of their company Woody Avenue and featuring original music by Henry Allen, it's a small musical with a big heart. Protagonist Charlie (Natalie Yeap) wants to write a glittering musical about lesbians that draws from her life, roping in gay best friend Chris (Mitchell Fang) to help her put pen to paper. Yet, even as she recounts her heady romance with the charming Zo (Coco Wang Ling), she finds herself quietly unravelling as she battles personal demons. Will Charlie find her love story?

It's a short, simple musical and while there's nothing especially groundbreaking here in terms of character development or themes, perhaps that isn't the point. The energetic performances and raucous songs will have audiences swept up. A particularly memorable sequence depicts the minefield of online dating and the many strange people one tends to meet online. Elsewhere, cheeky inside jokes about lesbian culture draw knowing giggles from the crowd.

At the end of the day, A Lesbian Love Story reminds us that not everything in life needs to be perfect. One's found family, the community that rallies around an individual and sticks through their highs and lows, could be the real love of one's life.

There have been precious few plays in Singapore over the years that have centred the lesbian experience and it's wonderful to see this show so proudly and warmly hold space for the community. And judging from the completely packed audience who were laughing, sighing and gasping throughout, they definitely felt seen. That's a love story we all need.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5

Playwrights Galore (2025)

2025-12-31T09:00:00.032+08:00

Not looked at this for two years now so here's the updated annual list of playwrights from whom I've seen at least four plays in performance (it's gone up from three!). Been keeping track of this for more than 15 years now and it's great to see the list growing.

Haresh Sharma and Alfian Sa'at continue to dominate the list (Shakespeare aside) and it's great to see a strong Singaporean contingent with many established names like Chong Tze Chien, Joel Tan and Huzir Sulaiman.

William Shakespeare (28)

- Macbeth (x5)

- Twelfth Night (x4)
- Romeo & Juliet (x4)
- The Taming of the Shrew (x3)
- The Tempest (x3)
- Hamlet (x3)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (x3)
- Much Ado About Nothing (x3)

- Othello (x2)
- King Lear (x2)
- Richard III (x2)
- Julius Caesar (x2)
- Coriolanus
- The Winter's Tale
- The Merchant of Venice
- Henry VI Part I
- Henry VI Part II
- Henry VI Part III
- Henry IV Part I
- Henry IV Part II
- Henry V
- Pericles, Prince of Tyre
- The Comedy of Errors
- As You Like It

- Henry VIII

- Measure for Measure

- Cymbeline

- Richard II

Haresh Sharma (28)
- Off Centre (x2)
- Mixed Blessings
- What Big Bombs You Have!!!
- Mobile
- Gemuk Girls
- godeatgod
- Best Of
- Poor Thing
- Pioneer (Girls) Generation
- Ghost Writer
- Best Of (His Story)
- Actor, Forty
- Those Who Can't, Teach
- Fundamentally Happy
- This Chord and Others
- Hope
- Tropicana the Musical
- Sanctuary
- Underclass
- Civilised
- Acting Mad

- Kebaya Homies

- The Year of No Return

- _Can Change

- Three Years in the Life and Death of Land

- The Prose and the Passion

- Eclipse

- SG Insecure

Alfian Sa'at (17)
- Cooling Off Day (x2)

- Hotel (x2)
- Homesick
- Dreamplay: Asian Boys Vol. 1
- Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol. 2
- Hansel & Gretel
- Cook a Pot of Curry
- Geng Rebut Cabinet
- An Actress Prepares
- Mama White Snake
- The Insiders
- Tiger of Malaya
- Merdeka

- Pulau Ujong

- Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

- The Death of Singapore Theatre as Scripted by the Infocomm Media Authority of Singapore

- The Wizard of Oz

Alan Ayckbourn (11)
- Absurd Person Singular
- Table Manners
- Living Together
- Round and Round the Garden
- Bedroom Farce
- Taking Steps
- Season's Greetings
- Snake in the Grass
- Life of Riley
- Relatively Speaking
- A Small Family Business

Chong Tze Chien (11)
- Rant & Rave (x2)
- Real Men, Fake Orgasms
- Spoilt
- Turn by Turn We Turn
- Starring Hitler as Jekyll and Hyde
- Between the Lines: Rant and Rave II
- Poop!
- Framed, by Adolf

- Murder at Mandai Camp

- OIWA: The Ghost of Yotsuya

- Kingdoms Apart

Joel Tan (10)
- Jack and the Bean-Sprout
- The Way We Go
- Tango

- Cafe

- Tartuffe

- Pinocchio

- Mosaic

- G*d Is a Woman

- The Serangoon Gardens Techno Party of 1993

- The Emperor's New Clothes

Nabilah Said (7)
- Drip

- yesterday it rained salt...
- Angkat: a Definitive, Alternative, Reclaimed Narrative of a Native
- Heavy Weight

- Havoc Girls and Kamikaze Boys

- Where Are You?

- (un)becoming

Huzir Sulaiman (6)
- Occupation
- Atomic Jaya
- The Weight of Silk on Skin
- The Last Bull: A Life in Flamenco
- Displaced Persons Welcome Dinner

- Escape to Batam

Noel Coward (5)
- Present Laughter
- Blithe Spirit
- Private Lives
- Design for Living
- Hay Fever

Irfan Kasban (5)
- 94:05 (x2)
- Genap 40
- W.C.
- Tahan
- Angkat

Harold Pinter (5)
- The Lover (x2)

- Betrayal (x2)
- The Dumb Waiter
- The Collection

- The Homecoming

Anton Chekhov (5)
- The Cherry Orchard (x2)

- The Seagull
- Ivanov

- Three Sisters

- Uncle Vanya

Tennessee Williams (5)
- The Glass Menagerie (x4)

- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- Sweet Bird of Youth

- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Jo Tan (5)

- King (x2)

- Forked (x2)

- A Bit (part of Two Songs and a Story)

- Session Zero

- Happy Place

Neil Simon (4)
- The Prisoner of Second Avenue (x2)
- The Odd Couple (female version)
- Rumors
- Lost in Yonkers

Tom Stoppard (4)
- Rock 'n' Roll
- Arcadia
- The Real Thing
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Arther Miller (4)
- The Man Who Had All the Luck
- The Crucible
- All My Sons
- Death of a Salesman

Zizi Azah (4)
- The Gunpowder Trail
- Paradise
- Yusof
- How Did the Cat Get So Fat?

Faith Ng (4)
- For Better or For Worse
- Normal
- Whale Fall

- The Fourth Trimester

Thomas Lim (4)

- Supervision (x2)

- Grandmother Tongue

- Straight Acting

- National Day Charade

Jean Tay (4)

- Boom (x2)

- The Cemetery, Dusk

- Tiny Country

- pass.ages

The Cherry Orchard

2025-11-09T14:00:00.021+08:00

by Anton Chekhov
adapted by Simon Stone

Esplanade Theatre, Singapore

Simon Stone brilliantly transplants Chekhov's iconic play to South Korea in this LG Arts Center production at the Esplanade, giving us a version of The Cherry Orchard that unfolds with the raucous energy of a K-drama while losing nothing of the text's profound humanity.

The Russian aristocracy is here reinvented as a declining chaebol family in Seoul who find their generational business crumbling while an upstart from humble beginnings is only too keen to stake his claim upon the world. It's a sleek, cinematic production that's both beautiful to behold (architectural designer Saul Kim's set is a veritable work of art) while remaining alive to moments of pain and pleasure that seamlessly bleed into each other.

The cast, headlined by veteran film actress Doyeon Jeon and Squid Game star Haesoo Park, are fantastic in their parts and bring an effortless charm that endears them to the audience. Much like in Bong Joon Ho's award-winning film Parasite, Stone excavates the class consciousness in Korean society to brilliant effect; the heiress has delusions of grandeur despite being destitute while the now-wealthy son of a chauffeur is beside himself for being able to own the grand house where his father once worked.

Photo Credit: LG Arts Center

It's a tender, elegiac and beautifully observed production and my only niggle is the wordy, rapid fire surtitling which does not always make it clear which characters are speaking at a given time. Glad to see a superb Chekhov production in Singapore.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

Happy Place

2025-11-08T20:30:00.216+08:00

by Jo Tan
Singapore Writers Festival 2025
Play Den, The Arts House

There's so much focus on writing and creating new plays but what about rewriting existing plays to realise their full potential? That's the spirit behind Rewrite My Fire, an initiative pioneered by theatre maker Jo Tan to allow scripts to have a second lease of life.

In this program as part of the Singapore Writers Festival, Tan has chosen to revisit Happy Place, a play that earned her a particularly discouraging review when it premiered in 2023 but one she did not simply want to consign to the annals of history. She's worked with dramaturg Joel Tan and director Judy Ngo to take the entire play apart and put it together again, retaining the core relationship of content creators trying to navigate an uncertain and hostile world.

Photo Credit: Jo Tan

The action revolves around perky radio deejay Val (Tan) who has invited her estranged university friend Estee (Rusydina Afiqah) for an interview on her morning talk show. Her co-host Poe is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, a deadly epidemic called the Evanescence rages outside, causing people to explode into small pieces if they come into contact with it.

Much of the tension comes from the two women's differing attitudes to entertainment. Val is all about using feel-good humour and cheap jokes to entertain her listeners while the more serious, grounded Estee feels compelled to educate people about hard truths, a fact that has led her to fall out of grace for her outspoken views on social and political issues. They spar both on and off air, treading into deeply personal territory as they excavate their own rocky relationship and the unsettling world around them.

Happy Place offers an important message about the role of artists and content creators. Should they simply toe the line and trade on carefree entertainment for the masses or is it important to ask difficult questions despite the consequences? The Evanescence is a clever symbol for so many external threats that worm away at our essential humanity, from geopolitical strife to the constant state of censorship and surveillance in Singapore society.

Photo Credit: Jo Tan

I caught a reading of the reworked play earlier this year at Centre 42 (where Tan spent a year as Writer-in-Residence) and there's already so much that has changed between that rework-in-progress and this fully realised new version. There's a sharper delineation of the characters, clearer exposition and slightly more optimistic ending. It may not be quite perfect but it's punchy, entertaining and makes its point in just an hour.

Tan has relentlessly focused on improving her plays over the years. Both her monodramas Forked and King have been through multiple iterations and gone on to win hearts at the Edinburgh Fringe. I have no doubt Happy Place will enjoy an equally happy afterlife.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5

Twelve Angry Men

2025-11-07T20:00:00.003+08:00

by Reginald Rose
translated and directed by Nelson Chia

Singtel Waterfront Theatre, Singapore

Reginald Rose's courtroom drama is given an electric retelling in this taut, gripping and layered production translated and directed by Nelson Chia and presented by Nine Years Theatre.

It's a production that soars through its shouting and silences, unexpected humour and deep flashes of humanity. Chia is in perfect control of the material, balancing textual fidelity with delicate observational heft and showing us how these twelve men are forced to examine their own lives even as they decide the fate of another's. He extracts rich performances all round with standout turns by Danny Yeo, Tay Kong Hui and Ryan Ang.

It's complemented by strong production values with a clean, elegant set by Wong Chee Waou, stylish period costumes by Anthony Tan and evocative lighting and sound design by Genevieve Peck and Jing Ng.

Photo Credit: Nine Years Theatre

I've enjoyed NYT's Mandarin versions of world classics over the years and this is the company at its finest, blending great storytelling with solid theatrical craft. Missed the original staging 12 years ago and I'm really glad I managed to catch this sold-out show. One of the best I've seen this year.

The Crystalwords score: 4.5/5

Singapore, Michigan

2025-06-28T20:00:00.565+08:00

by Chong An Ong
Pangdemonium
The Singapore Airlines Theatre
LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore

I was in the shower when the call came.

I scrambled out, furiously towelling off, as a genteel voice on the other line offered me a job at one of London's biggest and most prestigious law firms. As an overseas Singaporean student wrapping up university, it was a life-changing moment. Should I stay on in the UK to start my career or return to Singapore – a place where everything was clean, comforting and familiar but where I inevitably felt pigeonholed and forced to live life according to a script? I still remember gripping my flip phone, water pooling at the floor.

Pangdemonium’s latest production, written by Chong An Ong and directed by Timothy Koh, features a young Singaporean couple at a similar crossroads. Manish (Shrey Bhargava) and Carol (Ching Shu Yi) are students in their final year of university in the US. In the dead of winter, they decide to take a road trip with their American friend Jesse (Zane Haney) to check out a ghost town in Michigan called Singapore – once a thriving place but now buried beneath sand dunes and sadly forgotten following deforestation of the surrounding area. When the trio get snowed in due to a blizzard that makes driving practically impossible, tensions rise, secrets are spilled and difficult choices have to be made.

We never visit either version of Singapore – the real and the forgotten – but they stand like ghosts over this intimate, deeply empathetic drama that unfolds for the most part in a motel room where the friends are holed up.

Photo Credit: Pangdemonium

Practical, no-nonsense Manish is ready to return home with a solid degree, serve out his scholarship bond and plan the next chapter of his life. Jesse, a carefree writer who believes in the American ideal of individuality, is all for living life fully and embracing every opportunity that comes his way. Carol, caught somewhere in between, is an environmental science major who is drawn to advocacy work in the US but must deal with the pressures of taking over her wealthy family’s oil and gas business back home. Should she choose duty or passion? Her head or her heart?

Debut playwright Chong, who draws on his own experiences studying abroad, has crafted a play that wears its themes lightly but with a quiet fecundity, interrogating what it means to have a relationship with a place even when one is on the other side of the world and what the idea of "home" truly means. The choices these characters have to make may seem trivial, and indeed smack of privilege, but can end up shaping the entire course of their life.

And indeed, as any Singaporean who has been in a similar position may agree, there is so much complexity in these decisions. Familial obligations are naturally a major point. Manish cannot contemplate the thought of breaking his bond and saddling his hardworking immigrant parents with debt. Carol resents the idea of a staid corporate life in an industry she is ethically opposed to but feels obligated to the family who funded her expensive degree. Her lone act of rebellion is in dating an Indian boy even though she knows her parents will never approve. How many Singaporeans have compromised their choice of career, housing or even life partner simply to please their parents?

Photo Credit: Pangdemonium

Koh infuses this dense, layered text with brisk pacing and sharp performances. Bhargava brings the perfect shade of Singaporean bluntness to Manish, casually deriding America at every opportunity while making repeated comparisons to things back home. Ching conjures up the dithering Carol, so desperate to forge her own identity, with subtle code-switching, something her boyfriend is only too happy to point out. Haney acts as a nice foil to the highly strung Singaporeans, easygoing for the most part but with a quiet mettle that suggests there is more to him than one may expect. We get to see all three characters together and each pair (Manish and Carol, Carol and Jesse and Manish and Jesse) then gets a scene, allowing for the dynamics to develop further. Things veer towards melodrama in the play's closing moments but we are left with a powerful image of a character bursting through the door, ready to confront their own destiny.

The action is convincingly brought to life in Eucien Chia’s set, beautifully lit by James Tan, which features a moving, golf buggy-like car and a backdrop that hints at the snowy landscape in the opening scene. Even when inside the dingy motel room where the bulk of the action takes place, we never lose sight of the constant snowfall from the window, emblematic of that cold, uncertain world that lies outside. The sheet expanse of the space however diffuses the action and one wonders if this could have worked in a tighter, black box setting.

It's certainly heartening to see Pangdemonium, a company that has built a reputation in staging acclaimed Broadway and West End hits, showcase a new local play (the last was Ken Kwek's This is What Happens to Pretty Girls in 2019) and I am excited to see what other voices their New Works Lab playwriting mentorship program will unearth. Singapore, Michigan is a rich, riveting and deeply relatable story that will certainly strike a chord with all audiences.

The Crystalwords score: 3.5/5

No Man's Land

2025-06-15T15:00:00.563+08:00

co-conceptualised and co-directed by Alvin Tan and Sim Yan Ying (YY)
by Danial Matin
The Necessary Stage
Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore

Boys wear blue. Boys don’t cry. Boys like sports.

From the earliest days of our existence, we’re bombarded with conceptions of masculinity. We hear about it at home and school, from both loved ones and strangers. Many of these are subtle, quietly seeping into our consciousness and affecting the way we think and act. As a drama club kid in an all-boys school, I deliberately downplayed my interest in theatre because it did not seem cool. As a fragrance enthusiast exploring the world of niche perfumery, one of the first things I had to unlearn was the idea of perfume being gendered - something media certainly leads us to believe with its celebrity-driven ads. How do we dismantle these ideas and achieve a more nuanced understanding of what it means to be a man?

No Man’s Land, The Necessary Stage’s latest devised interdisciplinary production, written by Danial Matin and co-conceptualised and co-directed by Alvin Tan and Sim Yan Ying (YY), seeks to interrogate just that. Through a series of loose, inter-connected vignettes, we are introduced to four men of varying backgrounds and experiences. A newly-single man (Shahizman Sulaiman) shuts down emotionally when he discovers his girlfriend is pregnant and seeks solace in the gym. There, he meets a closeted gay man (Vishnucharan Naidu) who is trying to negotiate his sexuality and body image. Elsewhere, his childhood buddy (Neo Hai Bin), the admin of a popular Telegram group trading sexually explicit images of women, finds himself in a pickle when the tables are turned on him. The latter’s reserved father (Michael Tan) reminisces about early sexual experiences behind closed doors. Rounding off the cast is the dynamic Suhaili Safari in an assortment of female roles, acting as a foil to the various men.

YY has developed a clear aesthetic as a director over the years and this is abundantly on display here. Much like in her earlier shows Who’s There, No Particular Order and Dive, this is a reflexive, hybrid work that seeks to confront thorny issues with compassion. It also forms a nice counterpoint to her production Pass:ages from last year, which focused on women and ageing, giving her the chance to interrogate the male experience.

Photo Credit: Tuckys Photography, The Necessary Stage

The action is situated in what appears to be an oval boxing ring with the actors entering the arena in attire that resembles wrestling suits. They grunt, yell and thump their chests in a primal display of masculine energy before pulling on costumes for the various scenes. Clothes, here, are almost emblematic of the armour we wear as we perform our gender each day. The scenes are interspersed with sinuous movement sequences by choreographer Hafeez Hassan that blend the classic and contemporary, drawing from silat, bharatanatyam and hip-hop. I’ve not always been a fan of YY’s penchant for dance interludes in the past but it works seamlessly here, allowing the characters to express themselves in a poetic and beautiful way while giving the narrative an arresting visual texture. Jing Ng's throbbing, disjunctive soundscapes add a powerful sonic edge, allowing us to embrace the discomfort alongside the performers.

Being a devised work that involves close collaboration with the performers, some of the stories have a rich authenticity, from two queer siblings battling the weight of parental expectations to a man looking back on his life and wondering if he could have done things differently. However, the vignette-like structure does not give one the chance to truly sit with the characters. For a play where the glitz, grunting and gyration can be a little over the top, the quietest moments are sometimes the most powerful. A near-wordless scene between father and son over a dinner table - spanning disbelief, disgust, anger and compassion - emerges as one of the most moving of the evening.

Photo Credit: Tuckys Photography, The Necessary Stage

There are points where Danial Matin’s script could also be more subtle. A mid-show break, ostensibly framed as an interval, is designed for Shahizman to break the fourth wall and start mansplaining the preceding scenes to the audience so that we can "align" our narratives. It’s delivered with charm but feels too on-the-nose. Likewise, a scene towards the end where Suhaili breaks character and rails about being the token female actor in a play full of men falls flat. There’s an interesting point in how women – through their roles as wives, mothers and sisters – may unwittingly perpetuate a certain breed of toxic masculinity and even be part of the problem. One does not need to listen to the other characters apologising and reassuring her that her contributions are vital though.

No Man's Land may not come any closer in helping us understand how we negotiate masculinity in the modern world. Yet, like the performers in the arena, it is important for us to wade into this strange and disconcerting space and confront our deep-seated prejudices. Acceptance is the first step towards change.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5

Waiting for Audience

2025-05-30T20:00:00.655+08:00

by Nelson Chia
Nine Years Theatre

Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025

SOTA Drama Centre, Singapore

Natalie Hennedige's final year as SIFA Festival Director has been rich in classics. Not just classics, but classics reimagined. Orwell's Animal Farm performed with life-sized puppets. A stripped-down, wordless version of Shakespeare's Lear. And now this – an original Mandarin play that cleverly riffs on Beckett's absurdist masterpiece Waiting for Godot.

Waiting for Audience was first presented by Nine Years Theatre as part of Tomorrow and Tomorrow, a works-in-progress showcase at last year's SIFA. Earning warm reviews, it was one of the only works that was commissioned for a full-scale production at this year's festival and is currently competing for the prestigious Teresa Pomodoro International Prize in Milan. Written by Nelson Chia and starring both himself and his wife Mia Chee, it's a warm, wacky and wistful ode to theatre and the audience.

Looking rather like Beckett's tramps Didi and Gogo, two actors, A (Chee) and O (Chia) dressed in caps and coats, enter a dilapidated theatre on the night before it is due to be demolished. It's a mess of stacked chairs, dusty lighting rigs and sound consoles. Each has booked the space for one final performance with key stakeholders. They banter and bicker only to realise that the joke is on them: the theatre has been rented to each of them by an agent who has since absconded, they have identical guest lists and to add insult to injury, each has prepared the same material, a selection of Shakespearean speeches. Faced with no other option, they grudgingly agree to share the stage by drawing a line through it with masking tape. After all, the show must go on.

Photo Credit: Crispian Chan

There's a delicious irony in seeing two actors peering at an empty theatre which is of course packed. And apart from the two bickering thespians, we have an additional character on display: the surtitles. Here, in a joyous meta-theatrical nod, it takes on a life of its own, speaking both to us and directly to the characters, acting as the very soul of the space. It's a brilliant way to showcase a technical side of theatre-making that is often taken for granted, particularly for those who cannot access works performed in another language. The care and effort taken to render the Mandarin translations by surtitlist Tennie Su must certainly be commended and significantly add to the viewing pleasure.

Nine Years Theatre has long had a reputation for rather serious theatre, many of which have been Mandarin versions of world classics like An Enemy of the People, The Lower Depths, and Three Sisters. It's refreshing to see the two actors simply have fun and lean into comedy. Chia, who also directs, gives us a taut yet elegiac one-hour show, buoyed by delightful lighting by Emanorwatty Saleh and sound effects by Jing Ng. Chee and Chia, who recently performed in the acclaimed two-hander See You, Anniversary, have an infectious energy and easy camaraderie. They draw from elements of physical theatre, clowning and Chinese cross-talk, skilfully blending slapstick with solemnity. The onomatopoeic qualities of the characters' names, naturally, contributes to the humour.

Photo Credit: Crispian Chan

In a particularly entertaining sequence, the actors take turns performing Macbeth's classic "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy in a variety of different dialects and styles, ranging from melodrama to a rap that brings the house down. Of course, behind the humour there is a bite, the speech famously lamenting death and the relentless trudge of time. Are they also lamenting the demise of a theatre that has contained so many worlds? One cannot help but reflect on the various arts spaces in this country that have been lost to us over the years.

And, indeed, behind all the madness and mayhem of this production, a deeper question comes to the fore. What is the point of theatre itself? "We exist because they exist", Chee's character remarks when the pair realizes that no one is in fact coming to their show. Is theatre, or any other art form, created purely for an audience to consume or for its own intrinsic merit? Hope, ultimately, is what sustains them – hope for a theatre filled with appreciative crowds, hope that their work has some meaning, hope that they can simply continue to tell stories.

With Waiting for Audience, Nine Years Theatre has crafted a piece that is both hilarious and heartfelt, a celebration of actors who work so hard to entertain and how, we, the audience, are inextricably part of that equation by receiving and responding to their work. It's a privilege to witness these two fine actors perform for us and reflect on a lifetime of shows that we have seen and will see by other actors, on other stages. Long may we dream together.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

Lear

2025-05-25T16:00:00.566+08:00

adapted by Ramesh Meyyappan
based on the play by William Shakespeare

Raw Material
Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025
SOTA Studio Theatre, Singapore

There are few plays quite as epic as King Lear. It embraces all of humanity in its grasp: king and pauper, father and child, madness and reason, sight and blindness. All playing out in a cosmic battle of good versus evil. Can it be done any other way? Glasgow-based Singaporean theatre maker Ramesh Meyyappan offers an eloquent answer in this SIFA commission presented by Raw Material in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, distilling the great Shakespearean tragedy into a wordless domestic drama that unfolds in just an hour.

In this taut, stripped-down version adapted and performed by Meyyappan, Lear is a soldier surrounded by his three daughters: Goneril (Nicole Cooper), Regan (Amy Kennedy) and Cordelia (Draya Maria). All other characters have been excised. He stands tall and proud at the beginning as he slowly prepares for battle, shaving and donning his uniform. The picture of authority and respectability. He snaps at his daughters as they nervously skirt around him, trying to help. When he finally returns from battle, weary and having lost his hearing, he suffers from PTSD and slowly finds his mind unravelling.

Being a deaf artist, Meyyappan has always used a rich visual language to communicate and here, he manages to capture the essence of Shakespeare's tale while putting his own spin on the well-worn narrative. It's still very much about one man's descent into madness but poetry and political intrigues have been traded for a quieter reckoning. So much of Lear is about the battle of the mind and what better way to convey this than by taking away his sense of hearing, making him trapped in a world which feels increasingly alien to him?

Photo Credit: Tommy Ga-Wen Wan

Director Orla O'Loughlin orchestrates the action in a beautiful mix of movement and sound, aided by Derek Anderson's evocative lighting and David Paul Jones' haunting soundscapes. Most of the action takes place in a spartan, circular space that adds to the tension and claustrophobia as the characters interact. An image of the war-returned Lear thrashing around in bed, running soil helplessly through his hands, is eerily reminiscent of Poor Tom in the heath. This Lear is both hero and villain, both father and fool — a fact driven home by him donning a fool's cap in a scene that grotesquely blends comedy and tragedy. Meyyappan turns in a powerful, touching performance that captures both the character's arrogance and vulnerability, painting a vivid portrait of growing old, living with disability and slowly losing one's grip on reality.

Those looking for textual fidelity are unlikely to find it here. There is less of an attempt to paint Goneril and Regan as spiteful, power-hungry villains and to distinguish them from Cordelia; the three daughters exist mostly as foils to Lear. However, if we were to strip the play down to its core, is it not a story about the fractured relationship between a father and his daughters? In a touching scene that echoes the beginning, it is the daughter who shaves the quiet and deflated father, a man who has now lost his power and agency. Lear is of course only human and cannot accept the changed reality, lashing out against his daughters as he suffers mental outbursts. It is perhaps apt that here, it is Lear himself who ultimately causes Cordelia to meet her fate.

Meyyappan and his team have crafted a poignant take on Lear that is both incisive and revelatory, a feat all the more impressive given that it does not rely on words. This is rich and moving physical theatre from a master of the craft.

The Crystalwords score: 3.5/5

The Pillowman

2025-05-24T15:00:00.119+08:00

by Martin McDonagh
Sight Lines
KC Arts Centre, Singapore

Martin McDonagh’s dark, disturbing drama is no stranger to Singaporean audiences. It was staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre in 2007 and, more recently, by Pangdemonium in 2017. This new, all-male version by award-winning playwright and director Chong Tze Chien (who will be helming the Singapore International Festival of Arts from 2026-2028), presented by Sight Lines, is notable for having each actor rotate all the roles in the play.

Set in an unnamed totalitarian state, we follow a writer, Katurian, who is being interrogated by two detectives – self-proclaimed "good cop" Tupolski and his hot-headed, sadistic partner Ariel – in connection with a series of gruesome child murders that bear an uncanny similarity to his short stories. His mentally-challenged younger brother, Michal, is locked up in a nearby room. As the scene goes on, we see an identical one taking place behind a translucent wall that bisects the stage, the three actors on the other side mouthing and occasionally saying the same lines aloud. Midway through, a pair of actors smoothly move through gaps in the wall and switch places. And it happens again and again throughout the play, actors deftly replacing one another in the middle of scenes and even sentences.

Chong’s concept may initially prove confusing but it adds another layer of storytelling to a play that is about the power of stories to mould our imagination and the narratives that confront us every day of our lives. The lines between accuser and accused, between villain and victim become increasingly blurred as they are inhabited by different bodies. Each member of the dynamic ensemble (Shrey Bhargava, Irsyad Dawood, Joshua Lim, Krish Natarajan, Jamil Schulze and Lian Sutton) brings a different physicality and texture to their interpretation – whether anguished or flippant, vehement or verbose. Simple accessories like jackets and scarves are used to distinguish the characters they play. Admittedly, some actors make a stronger impression than others and not everyone gets the same amount of time to sit with each character. However, the multiplicity of perspectives has the effect of destabilising one’s bias and making us increasingly question what we see.

Do we pity Katurian for having suffered an abusive childhood and seeking escape by writing violent stories? Was the impressionable Michal simply trying to impose a sense of order in his life by taking a cue from his brother? Are the police inspectors, apparent arbiters of justice, blameless for forcing everyone to accept a version of the truth that only they seem to see? In an age of uncertain laws and leadership, where the seemingly impossible can so easily become a reality, the play takes on a fresh relevance. The all-male dynamic drives this home, making it impossible to ignore the dangers of toxic masculinity and the primordial urge to control others, whether by words or actions.

Photo Credit: Crispian Chan

Chong extracts compelling performances from the cast. Despite a run time of nearly three hours, the pacing is tight and edgy. The brooding aesthetic is heightened by Grace Lin’s stark, minimalist set in shades of black. Rather than opting for larger-than-life theatrics and multimedia, scenes from Katurian’s short stories are played out in the background with a child-like innocence, aided by Genevieve Peck’s evocative lighting and Jing Ng’s unnerving soundscapes. In a particularly chilling sequence, a light goes off on Katurian just as he is about to be tortured while another actor playing him in the background screams and writhes in pain. In another scene, a detective paces back and forth across the length of the stage, played by a different actor each time he emerges from the malleable wall. Even for repeat viewers, the twists and turns in the plot come as a shock and when a gun is fired, it genuinely sends a ripple through the audience.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? There‘s no doubt that The Pillowman is a bleak, intense play that makes one desperate for a drink. However, it is a story that deserves to be told - one which makes us alive to the embedded narratives in our society that continue to distort and oppress. I am glad Sight Lines and Chong have risen to the task of reviving this gripping psychological thriller.

The Crystalwords score: 3.5/5

Home

2025-05-23T20:00:00.222+08:00

by Geoff Sobelle
Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025
Drama Centre Theatre, Singapore

What makes a house a home? Is it the physical structure – the walls, floors and furniture? Or is it the people, colouring the space with their unique sounds, smells and experiences? Home, an experiential work created by US-based performer Geoff Sobelle and presented as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, attempts to answer just that.

We start with a completely bare stage. A man (Sobelle) attempts to build a wall out of a few wooden frames. Soon, an entire two-storey house appears before our eyes, actors dressed as construction workers marching up and down in choreographed precision. As they install doors and railings, gradually filling the structure full of objects, we see it turn into a home populated with everyday people. The performance is entirely wordless, a flurry of movement and music, and this makes it all the more universal. Inhabitants go through their daily routines – waking up, using the bathroom, making breakfast, throwing out the trash, seemingly oblivious of one another. There is hilarity and heartbreak in the interactions. It’s almost as if the ghosts of all the people who have ever shared the house have been brought together, time and space collapsing into a singular present that holds them all.

There's a wonderful aspect of illusion to Home that adds to its magic. In one scene, a man pulls the covers over himself in bed only to emerge as a woman. Elsewhere, a chorus line of towel-clad actors take turns entering and disappearing behind a shower curtain. Director Lee Sunday Evans gives the piece a beautiful blend of structure and carefree abandon that makes us feel as if we are in the middle of a smoothly choreographed dance sequence one moment, a rowdy party the next. Live music by composer Elvis Perkins adds to the elegiac, wistful quality of the piece.

Photo Credit: Moonrise Studio

Slowly, the endeavour grows larger. Audience members are coaxed onto the stage to join the action. At first it is just one or two individuals, then more and more are pulled up until there are literally dozens of people on stage. They seem so completely in control of what they are doing that one is almost convinced that they have been planted. An audience member enthusiastically greets guests at a party that she appears to host, confidently handing out drinks. It is later revealed during the post-show dialogue that they were given very clear instructions by the cast to act in a certain way so that they appeared to be calling all the shots. This is audience participation on a completely different level and everyone gamely joins in.

We cycle through life’s experiences. Birthdays. Weddings. Graduations. Even a funeral. We celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. It feels that all of life itself is compressed within this rich human tapestry. And part of the beauty of this production is that we, the audience, are completely complicit. Cast members pass around a jar of olives so that we feel like we are part of the party we see onstage, we are asked to help string up lights across the theatre and even join in to sing a birthday song for a guest at a surprise party.

Photo Credit: Moonrise Studio

Just as suddenly as it begins, we see people leave the space one by one. At one point, we are left with the sight of audience members carrying out the same, mundane household chores than the actors were doing earlier. And it does not feel any different. Eventually, items are placed in boxes for sale, rooms are cordoned off with sheets and lights are turned off. The house becomes an empty shell once again, waiting to be coloured by another set of people and experiences. It makes us reflect on all the houses we have inhabited over our lives - how they were when we arrived, how we ultimately left them. What made them feel like "home" to us?

Home is a production that may feel unwieldy at times but gently coalesces into something far greater and more powerful than the sum of its parts. This is a frankly astonishing show, by turns weird, whimsical and wonderful. As much as it is about the idea of what makes a "home", there’s also a clever idea of turning the theatre (incidentally referred to as a “house”) into a “home" – a place where people from all walks of life can come together and share a common experience, hopefully leaving the space richer and more fulfilled than when they arrived.

Isn't that what any of us would wish from life itself?

The Crystalwords score: 4/5

Animal Farm

2025-05-17T16:00:00.000+08:00

by Oliver Chong
based on the novel by George Orwell

The Finger Players
Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025
Drama Centre Theatre, Singapore

Kicking off the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025 with this brand new adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, written and directed by Oliver Chong and presented by The Finger Players.

Chong's version of the classic political satire features 13 life-sized handcrafted puppets designed by Loo An Ni, each manipulated by a single actor. It's both a brilliant showcase of the puppetry work the company is known for and compelling physical theatre.

The ensemble cast do a great job in conjuring up each character in both voice and movement, with standout turns by Tan Rui Shan as silky propaganda-spouting porker Squealer, Darren Guo as hardworking horse Boxer and Yazid Jalil as the smart and cynical donkey Benjamin. Gabriel Chan's lighting, Stan's music and Tan Wei Ting's projection work come together smoothly to create a slick and cinematic experience.

Yet, with every adaptation, there are both gains and losses. Chong strives for economy and clarity in his version, distilling the key beats of the novel into neatly-captioned scenes, but does not offer a deeper, more nuanced perspective. Conflating the character of ribbon-loving mare Mollie with Benjamin gives the donkey a bizarre mix of wisdom and frivolity. Charismatic pig leader Snowball makes too brief an appearance to register an impact.

One cannot help but compare this staging of Animal Farm to Wild Rice's gripping 2002 version which placed the subject matter squarely within the Singaporean psyche. Indeed, coming so soon after the general elections, one wonders if more attempt could have been made to localise the text and draw out parallels between the haves and the have-nots in our society. It also seems curious that these beasts remain rooted in England while neighbouring farmer Mr Pilkington is portrayed as a mainland Chinese caricature.

Photo Credit: Moonrise Studio

Animal Farm is a gripping and technically impressive production of a world classic that continues to captivate audiences, reminding us of the dangers of authoritariansim and how absolute power corrupts absolutely. I just wish the writing had been slightly more ambitious.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5

Macbeth

2025-05-16T19:30:00.002+08:00

by William Shakespeare
Singapore Repertory Theatre
Shakespeare in the Park
Fort Canning Park, Singapore

This is Guy Unsworth’s third consecutive production for the Singapore Repertory Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park and it’s a triple whammy for the UK-based director. His productions for the signature outdoor theatrical event combine spectacle and substance but, more importantly, offer a compelling world that draws the audience in. His gender-swapped Julius Caesar was a sleek, political thriller set in R.O.M.E., an intergovernmental organisation similar to the ASEAN or G7. And here, he sets Macbeth not in Scotland but in the imaginary Scoalan, an epic desert landscape inspired by fantasy worlds such as Dune and Star Wars.

Richard Kent’s set consists of reddish-brown columns of varying heights that dominate the sand-filled stage. Echoing the famous Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, it feels both earthly and ethereal, containing numerous passageways and vantage points that create a sense of three-dimensionality as they are populated by the cast. There are even a few surprises in store such as an illuminated floor beneath the sand which forms the backdrop of the various prophecies.

The world-building infuses the entire production. The actors wear modish tunics that blend both Eastern and Western aesthetics. They greet one another with ritualistic hand gestures and chant in an imaginary language. Each production element contributes to the spectacle: Mervin Wong’s haunting music, Lee Ye Jin’s quietly dystopian sound, Gabriel Chan’s dazzling lighting which makes the columns glow like embers and Tan Rui Shan’s slick choreography that engulfs the stage during the dance sequences.

Photo Credit: Singapore Repertory Theatre

It’s perhaps apt that birds play a vital role in the narrative. We see them flapping across the stage, conjured up through Matt’s Hutchinson’s gorgeously rendered puppets manipulated by actors. This only underscores the many avian references in the text: the raven that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, the temple-haunting martlet seen above Macbeth’s castle and the owl that shrieks when the dastardly deed is done. The Weird Sisters (Melissa May Garcia, Vanessa Kee and Inch Chua) themselves resemble omniscient bird-like spirits, flapping their diaphanous shawls from all-seeing roosts.

Ghafir Akbar pours vigour and energy into the title role, conveying the journey of a man forced down a path of no return due to his ambition. His verse is energetic and impactful but where he falters is in handling the soliloquies that buttress the text. One gets the sense that he is perhaps too focused on delivering the lines without thinking through their meaning and giving the audience a clear thread to follow from beginning to end. His "tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech, for instance, does not quite convey the sense of fatalism and pathos one would expect from a man who finds himself cornered from all sides.

Julie Wee, in her seventh Shakespeare in the Park outing, turns in what is possibly a career-best performance as Lady Macbeth. She infuses every single line with a spine-chilling intention and control that make the words linger in our mind long after they are uttered. Her “unsex me here” and “out damned spot” speeches in particular rank amongst the best I have seen. One is left in no doubt that she is the villain behind the entire enterprise who is eventually destroyed by guilt.

Photo Credit: Singapore Repertory Theatre

While the uneven quality of acting has historically been an issue in SRT's Shakespeare in the Park productions, Unsworth has assembled a cast that does a solid job with competent and assured verse-speaking throughout. There are strong turns by veterans such as Daniel Jenkins as Banquo, Andy Tear as Duncan and Shane Mardjuki as Macduff. Even the actors in smaller roles manage to make an impact: Gaby Rae as Lady Macduff, Victoria Mintey as Lennox and Benjamin Koh as Angus.

Unsworth offers a version of Macbeth that is both accessible to those encountering Shakespeare for the first time and theatre regulars. It is indeed impressive that he manages to create such a complete and immersive experience in just slightly over two hours. His edits feel entirely organic and preserve the overall thrust and texture of the play. As someone who has always lamented the dearth of classic theatre in Singapore, this is a production that truly makes me excited for what lies ahead. Will we finally be able to create a Shakespeare production that can hold its own on the world stage?

This is an audacious, assured and arresting Macbeth that crackles beautifully under the stars.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5