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Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Arts Picks: DnA Fest, Hannes Schmid, NLB Read30
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Dido & The Belindas by T:>Works was first shown as a work-in-progress during Singapore International Festival of Arts 2024. T:>Works' DnA Fest Singapore theatre vanguard T:>Works is marking its 40th anniversary with 11-day DnA Fest. The acronym is short for English composer Henry Purcell's Dido And Aeneas, but the classic 17th-century opera of spurned love has been wrenched in radical directions. Artistic director Ong Keng Sen reframes the lament to tackle mortality, inclusivity and, more rambunctiously, drag and underground ballroom culture. There are three parts to his maximalist vision, with tickets available separately. First is a film The House Of Janus, which premiered at the Singapore International Film Festival in 2024. Ong directed it in his Italian hillside home in Bettona with an international crew. His homestead with his nonagenarian partner, Adriaan van der Staay, becomes the setting for a reckoning with old age and separation, immersing viewers in the clashing aesthetics of cinema verite and operatic fantasy. Dido And Aeneas was the first opera the partners listened to together in the house 16 years ago, and remains a summer tradition. Second is an extension of T:>Works' work-in-progress presentation at the Singapore International Festival of Arts in 2024, an unabashedly theatrical twist on the original Dido And Aeneas story. Dido's rejection becomes a defiant statement from a place of social marginalisation. Drag queen Becca D'Bus is Dido, queen of Carthage. Her handmaid, Belinda, proliferates to become the Belindas, a whole 'tribe of the abandoned'. Ong reserves some surprises here in its composition. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Asia Dr Mahathir at 100: Still haunted by the Malay Dilemma Singapore What's next for PSP following its post-GE leadership shake-up? Singapore 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers Singapore NDP 2025: Diamond formations, 'multi-axis' fly-past to headline parade's aerial display Business New Career Health SG initiative launched to support both S'pore workers and employers Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Singapore Apex court upholds SMC's conviction of doctor who gave patients unapproved hormones This is a fully fledged production, with live singing by lyric tenor Thomas Michael Allen and party atmosphere supplied by DJ Toru Yamanaka. Late-night parties that centre the glamour of trans and queer culture with runway competitions and high energy voguing – dancers striking poses inspired by those of models in fashion magazines – is the final piece of the trilogy. Ong says DnA Fest is about building solidarities. 'Nightlife and voguing are very separate from the theatre scene, but we need to have more alliances, to open up the space to talk about being at the margins without necessarily becoming agenda-full. There must be more in our lives apart from the mainstream.' Still from The House Of Janus. PHOTO: T:>WORKS Where: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road MRT: Fort Canning When: July 16 to 26, various timings Admission: $12 for film, $40 for show, $25 (advance) and $30 at the door for night parties. Entry to all at $58 with DnA Pass Info: Hannes Schmid: A Life In Pictures For Gods Only series by Hannes Schmid on show at Appetite. PHOTO: MICHELLE MEI In 2001, Swiss photographer Hannes Schmid chanced upon a Taoist opera theatre in an open field in Punggol, where the actors insisted on playing to 100 empty chairs. Initially shooed away, he spent the next four years earning the troupe's trust until he was adjudged to have won the favour of the gods. His subsequent photo series, For Gods Only, offers a glimpse of the backstage and propitiation rituals of the since-disbanded troupe. These are overlaid with his Singaporean father-in-law's calligraphic Chinese characters, and are on display at restaurant, record lounge and art gallery Appetite in Amoy Street. The Swiss artist has led a storied life of immersing himself in his subjects. At a media preview, he regales listeners with stories about piercing his tongue for Thaipusam – 'I was bleeding like a pig' – and being held captive by cannibals in the mountains of now South Papua, Indonesia, when he went in search of American Michael Rockefeller, who vanished in Dutch New Guinea in 1961. Schmid's photos from another series, Blackstage, in which he photographed members of legendary bands AC/DC and The Rolling Stones, and another bringing together fashion and wildlife – think woman standing atop a herd of elephants – are also on show. Today, he spends much of his time fund-raising for the Cambodian commune he founded called Smiling Gecko, comprising farm, culture and music school, and spa, which has been labelled 'social art' for the way it uplifts local communities. Proceeds from the charity auction on Aug 2 will go to this project. Photo from Hannes Schmid's series combining fashion and wildlife. PHOTO: MICHELLE MEI Where: Appetite, 72A Amoy Street MRT: Maxwell/Telok Ayer When: Till Aug 10, from 6pm or by appointment, Tuesdays to Fridays; noon to midnight, Saturdays Admission: Free Info: NLB Read30 Visuals paired with book quotes are part of NLB's sensorial experiences for Read30. PHOTO: NLB To mark the National Library's 30th anniversary as a statutory board, it is hosting NLB Read30, a marquee edition of its biennial Read! Fest. Multi-sensory experiences have been created to ensure words leap off the page. Smell the world of C Pam Zhang's Land Of Milk And Honey or run your fingers over an installation inspired by Rachel Heng's The Great Reclamation at the National Library Building. The weekend will also usher in a charming market for literary accessories, including customised book sleeves and artisanal wares. Singaporean personalities like playwright Myle Yan Tay and celebrity chef Violet Oon have handpicked books for browsing and buying in eight pop-ups in central locations, from Ion Orchard to The Cathay. It is a good occasion to purchase that book you have been eyeing, with 10 per cent discounts on selected titles on the webstores of Closetful Of Books, Wormhole and Basheer Graphic Books. There is also a heavyweight panel at the National Library building on July 26 bringing together four current and former Singapore Writers Festival directors, titled The SWF Directors' Cut: Sing Lit, How Are You? This is free with registration at
Vogue Singapore
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Playwright Chong An Ong and director Timothy Koh investigate the meaning of home in Singapore, Michigan
In a faraway corner of Michigan, United States, situated at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River, is the little town of Singapore—or at least, it was, until the town met its demise in the 1870s when fires swept through the state, leading to surrounding areas being completely deforested to supply lumber for rebuilding, and thus causing the winds and sands to erode the town into ruins due to the lack of protective tree cover. Today, its remnants lie buried under the sand dunes of Lake Michigan, its only legacy found in its reputation now as the state's most famous ghost town—and, more recently, as the opening anecdote used in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first National Day Rally in 2024. It is this fabled town that sets the scene for Pangdemonium's latest production. Written by Chong An Ong and directed by Timothy Koh, Singapore, Michigan follows three college friends—two Singaporeans and one American—on a mission to find the abandoned town. But when they find themselves trapped in a blizzard, they are forced to confront questions of belonging, passion versus practicality, and what home really means. Developed as part of Pangdemonium's New Works Lab, the play is Ong's first, written during his own time spent studying in the States. Last year, an early version of it was also staged at the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). In the lead-up to the show, Ong and Koh chat about the inspiration behind the play, the parts they've been looking forward to explore in the rehearsal room, and what they're most excited for audiences to see. Singapore, Michigan stars Ching Shu Yi, Shrey Bhargava and Zane Haney. Courtesy of Pangdemonium How are you guys doing in the lead-up to the show? Timothy: We're in the midst of rehearsals right now, and that's been surprising in the best ways. We're making a lot of discoveries in the room that I wouldn't have thought of had I just read it on the page. I think that's just the magic of what happens when actors come into the space with us. That's always when I'm at my most excited, and when I have the most fun. Chong An, this is your first play. What has it been like getting to stage it? Chong An: It's like a pinch myself moment in a dream. It's really surreal and full-circle, as one of the first experiences that got me interested in theatre was Pangdemonium's Next to Normal production in 2013. I'm aware that they've done new original works before, but it's always been with really established writers and theatre professionals. To be in that company now is daunting, but also really exciting. I'm honoured to be a part of the New Works Lab program in particular, and I look forward to seeing more works come from other Singaporean writers as part of it. What inspired you to write Singapore, Michigan? C: I started writing this play in the winter of 2020, as part of an undergraduate writing workshop at the University of Chicago. I was in a similar place as the characters—a college senior about to graduate and come back home to serve my government scholarship. And I was thinking a lot about the same questions. What do I want to do with my future? How has four years of college in a foreign country shaped me, as opposed to the person I was before that? I think, in Singapore, oftentimes, there's this almost ritualistic invocation of the idea of home. After four years of talking to both my Singaporean and non-Singaporean friends, I was having these epiphanies about the concept of home that I wouldn't otherwise have had if I'd stayed in Singapore. It was a transitional period of my life where a lot of these questions were boiling, and it honestly almost felt like I had no choice but to write it, to process a lot of the emotions that I was going through. The play follows three friends who get snowed in whilst on a mission to find the ghost town of Singapore, Michigan. Courtesy of Pangdemonium Has the play evolved since you first started writing it in 2020? C: For sure. Writers will often say that playwriting itself is a very lonely endeavour, but the exciting part of the experience is when the play meets other people. Having conversations with the Pangdemonium team, receiving feedback from a wider audience at the developmental platform at SIFA, and now having the actors in the room—I get to learn new things about the play and expand it beyond what was a very personal piece that I had written for myself. Incorporating all these different experiences and perspectives of home really enriches the dramatic potential of the piece. So a lot has evolved, not just from when the play first met Pangdemonium, but from when I first wrote it five years ago by myself in a college basement classroom in Chicago. Has writing this play helped you to find some of the answers to the questions you were asking? C: For me, rather than answers, it's more about finding other people who feel similar, and discovering community and companionship through the power of art. That was a conversation I had with Tim as well—about having a more open-ended exploration of the play, and being okay to sit in the ambiguity of it. 'In Singapore, oftentimes, there's this almost ritualistic invocation of the idea of home' Timothy, as a director, what draws you to the plays that you choose to work on—and why this play in particular? T: I've been quite known in the scene for doing classic or classic-adjacent work. That is a big part of my desire to work in theatre, and that will always be there, but what I've also been pushing for in the last couple years is new plays and new young playwrights, because there is nothing more thrilling than being able to create something entirely new. That said, I think that there is a very strong through line in all the plays I choose to do, which is that they all concern intelligent, articulate characters who are faced with very difficult decisions. I like exploring the psychological aspect of characters, and I think this is true both for my classic work and for new plays. But with this piece, I was certainly drawn to it because the characters are so richly drawn and so complex that we learn new things about them every day, and I think that's what makes it fun. Was there an aspect of the play that you were most excited to tackle in the rehearsal room? T: It's no secret that there is snow in this play, and that's something I've been quite excited to play with. Obviously, we're not getting real snow on stage, but when you come see the show, you'll see how we tackled it. This show has some fun sets and scenic moments that we employ, so I'm very excited to tech it because I think that would be the final piece to the puzzle that we've been working on. C: I agree that the snow is very exciting. Winter is my favourite weather, and when I first started writing the script, I always knew this play was going to be set in the winter, because the dissonance of Singapore in the winter is very interesting. But this is such a personal piece for me, so the most exciting thing is really just having these characters and words and emotions that have lived within me for five years at this point come to life on stage. Singapore, Michigan was developed as a part of Pangdemonium's New Works Lab. Courtesy of Pangdemonium Have there been any challenges along the way? C: I have a day job—I'm a civil servant—so it's been a bit of a challenge for me to balance the rehearsal and script revision demands, plus my own personal life as well. T: I'm lucky that this is my day job [laughs]. Every piece presents different kinds of struggles, but weirdly enough, I actually think this has been going quite smoothly. Nothing particular comes to mind. C: I do think there was a degree of trepidation before coming into the rehearsal room, right? There were moments right before and right after we had the actors come in that I personally felt a bit without a safety net. And then afterwards, it was like, 'Oh, this is good. There's a lot to explore here. We're ready for the actors to attack it'. What has that been like—seeing the actors bring your words to life? C: It's really surreal. Words fail to describe that kind of feeling. What I will say is, as a playwright, the ideal is always to be able to create something that is flexible enough to fit different interpretations. That was something that I wanted the text to have. I wanted room for the actors to play and discover, so it's very heartening to see that validated. There is space for other collaborators to come in and offer their own additions, which is the magic thing that you always want in the theatre. T: And we have such intelligent performers in Ching Shu Yi, Shrey Bhargava and Zane Haney. Sometimes I feel the actors might know the characters in more intimate ways than we do, because they offer up interpretations of texts that we don't think about, and we're like, 'Whoa, okay, yeah, that makes so much sense'. I think that is the most enlightening part about the rehearsal process. 'As a playwright, the ideal is always to be able to create something that is flexible enough to fit different interpretations' Lastly, what are you most excited for audiences to see with this play? T: I'm excited for the audience to be challenged. I really like theatre that challenges audiences to think more deeply about situations or people or issues in a way that perhaps they have not thought of before. I would consider this play successful if it raises difficult questions for audiences, while still offering a fun and enjoyable theatrical experience. But I think at the heart of it, I really want the audiences to investigate what home means. What does it mean to belong, and how do you think about home when you're not there? C: When I wrote this play, I included a lot of twists and turns—kind of like the Alfred Hitchcock theory of drama being such that there is a bomb under the table. The audience knows it's there, but they don't know when it's going to go off. We've really amped up those twists and turns in the rehearsal room. Yes, I think it's important that the play explores important themes and provokes important reflections, but I'm also excited to see the audience react to the roller coaster ride that I hope we're creating for them. I feel like it would be very gratifying to see the different energy that each new audience will bring every night. Singapore, Michigan runs from 26 June to 11 July 2025.
Vogue Singapore
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Meet the trailblazers: How SRT's Gaurav Kripalani has shaped Singapore's theatre scene
In his 29 years with Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), artistic director Gaurav Kripalani has produced over 150 works. His portfolio spans a diverse range, from original local scripts to theatre's biggest classics. Under his helm, SRT was the first Singaporean theatre company on Broadway—as associate producer of the play Golden Child in 1998, which would then go on to be nominated for three Tony Awards. In addition, the importance that Kripalani places on arts education has seen SRT become one of the most prominent producers and commissioners of children's theatre in Southeast Asia. A theatre veteran who has always championed the local arts scene, he was also the festival director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts from 2018 to 2021. Tell us your origin story. How did you first fall in love with theatre? I was seven or eight when I acted in my first play, and that was it. I was hooked. From that moment, I knew theatre was what I wanted to dedicate my life to. I pursued it in school, earned a degree in acting, and eventually, the opportunity at SRT came along. I count myself incredibly fortunate. Most people spend years searching for their calling, but I found mine early and never looked back. How has your relationship with theatre evolved over the years? These days, my role as artistic director doesn't leave much time for acting, ironically, even though I could technically cast myself. But the evolution has been meaningful. I taught myself how to be a producer back when there wasn't a playbook. Everything was trial and error. I had a mantra: if we were going to crash and burn, we'd do it in style. We took bold financial risks and thankfully, many of them paid off. That passion is still the same, but now it's channelled through empowering others and building something larger than myself. 'We're doing our part to shape a renaissance city, one where we not only feed minds but nourish souls.' What is the biggest challenge you have faced throughout your career and how did you overcome it? Working in the non-profit arts sector means challenges are a daily affair, but that's part of the thrill. In the early days, we had no money at SRT. We'd use ticket revenue from one show to pay the debts of the previous one. If a production underperformed, creditors would chase us for months. Every morning, from 10am to noon, I was on the phone pleading for extensions. It was humbling and character-building. The turning point came in 2002 with Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress, the opening musical at the then brand-new Esplanade Theatre. It was a huge leap of faith and it paid off. For the first time, we turned a profit. From then on, I made a promise: we would never operate in debt again and every actor, supplier and collaborator would be paid promptly. That commitment has never wavered. As a leader in the scene, what do you think is the importance of mentorship and building a community? Though I see myself as something of a maverick, I've reached an age—and a point in my career—where I'm probably considered a veteran in the Singapore theatre scene. SRT has grown into one of the country's largest theatre companies, but our vision extends beyond the stage. A few years ago, we launched the Centre for Creative Learning to house all our education initiatives. We work with students and teachers in schools, train young actors and offer year-long paid residencies to those exploring different facets of theatre-making. It's clear to us that investing in the next generation is as important as producing great theatre. Building a sustainable, inclusive and inspired community is now one of the core pillars of our work. Looking forward, what is one change you hope to spark in the theatre scene in Singapore and how does this align with your vision for the industry? My vision is simple: that one day, when people in Singapore have a free evening, their first thought isn't, 'What should I watch on Netflix?', but rather, 'Which play or musical should I see tonight?'. One way we're working towards that is through The Little Company (TLC), our dedicated children's theatre division. We believe passionately that if you introduce children to high-quality theatre at a young age, they'll become arts lovers for life. Children who came to see our shows two decades ago are now buying tickets to Shakespeare in the Park and some are even bringing their own kids to TLC performances. It's a long game, but a vital one. I like to think we're doing our part to shape a renaissance city, one where we not only feed minds but nourish souls. Pre-order your copy of the Vogue Man 'Gold' issue online or pick it up on newsstands from 13 June 2025.
The Herald Scotland
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Review, Lear, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh: 'a mesmerising depiction'
Shakespeare's Lear is a man at war in Ramesh Meyyappan's radical reworking of one of the bard's mightiest plays. Standing shell-shocked in a mini arena circled by sandbags, Meyyappan's Lear is cast adrift from both his faculties and family, in conflict with himself as much as the three daughters who tend to him. Possessed with the overbearing anger of a parent whose children have learnt to stand up to him, Lear's own increasingly infantile nature comes to the fore as his psychic wounds get the better of him. All this is brought to life, not with soliloquies and verse, but with barely a word spoken over the show's hour-long duration. As Lear shelters from the blast, Orla O'Loughlin's exquisite production wraps an already moving depiction of a family at war inside David Paul Jones' score. Read more reviews from Neil Cooper: This moves between propulsive piano patterns and string based brooding to give the performance its emotional pulse. Derek Anderson's lighting design adds even more drama to the action played out on Anna Orton's dirt-laden set. Nicole Cooper as Goneril, Amy Kennedy as Regan and Draya Maria as Lear's much loved Cordelia navigate their way around it as casualties of the fallout. In execution, Meyyappan and O'Loughlin's construction recalls the wave of underground East European theatre that came up throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Its lack of dialogue lends it a similar global appeal by way of an international language of human empathy in response to extreme political adversity. There is a richness and depth as well to its depiction of sanity, madness and the family and the scars of battle that wound all. O'Loughlin's production is presented by producers Raw Material in association with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Singapore International Festival of Arts, where it premiered prior to its all too brief Scottish run. The moving silences left in the play's wake should see it go a whole lot further in a mesmerising depiction of one of the world's great tragedies that is both intimate and epic.
Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sifa 2025: Natalie Hennedige's swansong embraces diversity and accessibility without dumbing down
Stray Gods, which opened on May 30 as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa), is a live concept album by musician weish. PHOTO: MOONRISE STUDIO SINGAPORE – Straightforward celebrations can make for boring art. In the year of SG60, the heavy duty fell upon Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) director Natalie Hennedige to programme a three-weekend-long festival that could imbue official patriotism with the necessary complexity. Hennedige, known for her meta-theatrical, highbrow aesthetic, responded with innovation for her fourth festival. Her 2025 commissions – including a record 15 works from local groups – expanded inclusivity and accessibility while remaining true to Sifa's mandate to push artistic boundaries, in part by taking her erudition down a notch. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
