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[Listing] BODY X : The Culprit

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After two successful runs in 2014 (BODY X The Wedding) and 2016 (BODY X The Rehearsal), BODY X returns with a brand new murder-mystery online: BODY X The Culprit.

This happened 35 years ago during the economic crisis of the mid-1980s.

Lacking substantial evidence, the case was left unsolved.

 

While tackling the challenges of an unprecedented recession and rapid business decline,

a neighbourhood kopitiam had to face another murderous impact —

a Regular Patron was found dead outside the shop in the early morning,

lying face-down at his usual spot.

 

All who were in contact with him the previous night

—Big Boss, Kopi Auntie, Cleaner, Beer Girl, Stall-owner—

had valid alibi and were not at the scene of the crime.

However, they all had disagreements with the victim before.

 

Was it an accident? Or is the murderer one of them?

Body X is a pioneering immersive-interactive Mandarin murder-mystery in Singapore theatre. An original and innovative theatrical format conceived and created by seasoned theatre practitioners, Li Xie and Danny Yeo. Both directors emphasised that the 2020 online version should retain important features—the involvement of and the autonomy in choice-making for the audience, the exploration of performance space, as well as the experimentation of unknown theatrical practices.  

So, are you behind-the-scene or in-the-scene? You decide. 

Come traverse through time and space to help solve this murder-mystery with us… this time, virtually. 

Body X The Culprit runs from 9–13 September 2020 via Zoom. Performed in Mandarin with no subtitles. Tickets from $18 at Peatix. 

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AMBOI! Teater Ekamatra Launches a Fundraising Challenge

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Despite several cancelled performances, Teater Ekamatra has rolled with the punches and continued to put up performances to champion minority voices. In its efforts to safeguard the future of the arts and to ensure that minority voices have a place within it, Teater Ekamatra has launched a fundraising challenge with a goal to raise $10,000. 

Titled AMBOI!, a colloquial Malay word that expresses wonderment, the fundraising challenge will run from 24 July till 31 August 2020.

It has the unique effect in which every dollar donated will be multiplied four-fold. This is made possible by a private donor who has generously committed to match dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000. The total amount will then be doubled through the Cultural Matching Fund. This will translate into the company being able to receive $40,000 should they be able to achieve the fundraising target.

Furthermore, reaching this fundraising milestone of $10,000 will “unlock” a special reward in the form of a free mini festival of performances via Zoom on 25 September 2020. The two-hour session will feature performances by surprise guests and collaborators of Teater Ekamatra as a way to thank all donors who contributed to the AMBOI! fundraising challenge. 

The funds raised will help to support Teater Ekamatra’s future programmes, including upcoming digital projects such as a reimagining of recently cancelled production Berak; children’s programme Mat Champion; its long-runnning Playwright Mentorship Programme; and Baca Skrip, a new Zoom play reading series. It will also cover overhead expenses such as rental and staff salaries. 

“As a word with multiple meanings, AMBOI! is an apt rallying cry to galvanise the community with the same spirit of playfulness, thrilling delight and creative expression that is associated with the work of Teater Ekamatra. We hope this fundraising challenge, with its 1:4 feature, will inspire more giving. It’s equally a challenge to ourselves to keep finding ways to carve out space for the ethnic minority voice in Singapore in the years to come.”

Shaza Ishak, Teater Ekamatra’s Company Director

If you would like to support Teater Ekamatra’s artistic endeavours, please donate generously via their giving.sg campaign page. This challenge runs from 24 July till 31 August 2020. 

Teater Ekamatra presents Baca Skrip: #_____

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In an unexpected turn of events, rather than worrying about creating new works through a digital medium, Teater Ekamatra decides to team up with veteran theatre producer Fezhah Maznan to look back at key works in Malay theatre through a series called Baca Skrip: #______.

Baca Skrip is a monthly online script read of Malay plays by prolific Malay playwrights from Singapore. The scripts are selected based on their impact on Singapore Malay theatre history and / or are representative of the chosen playwright’s oeuvre.

Each session will be accompanied with an introduction which provides a sense of the historical, social, political, and cultural context of the work. After the reading, a critical response will be given by an invited guest. This is meant to provide audience several ways of looking at the work.

This series serves to rekindle the work with today’s Malay theatre audience and create a sense of continued history for Singapore Malay theatre in general.

First Session (29 May, 8 p.m.)

Baca Skrip: #HantaranBuatMangsaLupa

Genap 40 (read by Shida Mahadi and Izzul Irfan)

Hawa, who is pregnant, receives a premonition that she will meet Malaikat (angel) on the 39th day, where she hopes to enquire about the fate of her child and her self; revealing her true desire to challenge predestination.  

W.C. (read by Mish’aal Syed Nasar and KayKay Nizam) 

Two mean in a toilet cubicle. 

They talk, but not a lot. 

They touch but not too much. 

Only the four walls bear witness to their dispositions. 

W.C. was created to examine the complexities between men—abandonment, trust, and maybe even love. It speaks of comfort and sacrifice, or lack thereof. 

94:05 (read by Fir Rahman) 

94:05 invites the audience to the life and memories of Ahmad bin Abdullah. As he tidies his studio apartment, Ahmad finds it hard not to reminisce. He shares with us every important juncture he has passed through, slowly revealing his struggles with fate. Every now and then he contemplates mortality, especially in moments when hope becomes fleeting. 

Performed in Malay with accompanying Malay text and English surtitles.

Tickets at $10 from Peatix.

[Listing] La Mariposa Borracha – The Drunken Butterfly by Creatives Inspirit

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La Mariposa Borracha —The Drunken Butterfly
If you were to do your last show,
what would it look like?

Join X as she escapes from the hospital to do her one last spectacular show with her troupe.

Expect a rollercoaster ride of emotions as X attempts to complete her mission encountering unexpected surprises, multiple failures, ridiculous dancing and one giant party!

Performance Dates/Times:
Friday to Sunday, 26 – 28 July 2019, 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 27 & 28 July 2019, 3 p.m.

Venue: Gateway Theatre Black Box
Nearest Mrt: Redhill Mrt Station

Come with your friends and family to enjoy this playful performance!
General Admission – $30
Student Price – $26
Confetti Couple – $52
Disco 4 – $100
Party Bus of 20 – $400

Tickets from Peatix.

Presented by Gateway Arts Festival 2019. Produced by Creatives Inspirit Pte Ltd.

[Listing] Singapore Lyric Opera Sings of Nature and Hope at Opera in the Park

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The Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO) is proud to present Opera in the Park for the 12th consecutive year on 15 June 2019, Saturday, at 5.30 p.m. The beautiful setting of Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage at the Singapore Botanical Gardens complements this year’s theme, “Nature and Hope”, as families and friends can indulge in a nice picnic while immersing themselves in opera music. 

SLO is grateful for the continuous support of Singapore Botanical Gardens and SPH Gift of Music in bringing opera to  a wider audience.

Audience can expect to enjoy joyful and uplifting arias from several classics such as Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Delibes’ Lakmé, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, J. Strauss’ Die
Fledermaus, Verdi’s Aida and La Traviata.

The audience will also get to enjoy a mini preview of SLO’s upcoming production, Bizet’s Carmen. Jonathan Charles Tay will be singing  “La fleur que tu m’avais”, and Martin Ng will perform the rousing aria, “Votre toast”.

 The concert will also feature soloists from the SLO–Leow Siak Fah Artists Training Programme: Cherie Tse, Zhang Jie, and Chieko Sato. Regular  attendees of Opera in the Park will also be pleasantly surprised by new faces Sim Weiying and Joyce Lee who will be performing a couple of solo arias.

Joshua Tan, an up-and-rising conductor from Singapore, will be leading the SLO Orchestra. The SLO Chorus, Youth Choir, and Children Choir will also make a guest appearance at the concert together with their respective conductors, Terrence Toh and Rose Loh.

OPERA IN THE PARK: Nature & Hope
Conductor: Joshua Kangming Tan
Soloists: Cherie Tse, Zhang Jie, Chieko Sato, Joyce Lee Tung, Sim Weiying, Jonathan Charles Tay, and Martin Ng
SLO Chorus and Youth Choir Conductor: Terrence Toh
SLO Children’s Choir Conductor: Rose Loh

Programme

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro
• Overture
• Giunse alfin il momento (Sim Weiying)
• Aprite presto aprite (Cherie Tse, Joyce Lee)
• Sull’aria (Cherie Tse, Zhang Jie)
Delibes Lakmé
• The Flower Duet (Joyce Lee, Chieko Sato)

Wagner’s Lohengrin
• Bridal Chorus (SLO Chorus)
J. Strauss Die Fledermaus
• Im Feuerstrom der Reben (Sim Weiying, Jonathan Charles Tay, Cherie Tse, SLO
Chorus & Youth Choir)

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
• Scuoti quelle fronda di ciliegio (Zhang Jie, Chieko Sato)

Bizet’s Carmen
• La cloche a sonné (SLO Chorus)
• La fleur que tu m’avais (Jonathan Charles Tay)
• Les Voici! (SLO Chorus, Youth Choir & Children’s Choir)
• Votre toast (Martin Ng)

Verdi’s Aida
• Gloria all’Egitto (SLO Chorus, Youth Choir & Children’s Choir)

Verdi’s La Traviata
• Brindisi (All singers)

Programme not in order of performance. Artistes and programme subject to change. This concert is subject to weather conditions.

[Listing] Opera in the Park 2018

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The Singapore Lyric Opera brings opera outdoors once again on 23 June 2018, 6 p.m., at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage, Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Celebrating the 11th season of its outreach programme, SLO aspires to bring the opera experience to a wider audience through this free outdoor event. This collaboration with SPH Gift of Music Series allows an environment that encourages everyone from all walks of life to join in and immerse themselves in opera music while having a picnic with family and friends. This breaks the formal barrier of a traditional opera setting and brings opera closer to the audience.

2018 is a very special year as it marks the 200th and 100th anniversaries of two special composers—Charles Gounod and Leonard Bernstein respectively. The programme line-up for this year features several classics from these two legends including Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, Faust; and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, West Side Story. Another popular favourite, Verdi’s Aida, would also be performed.

Joshua Tan, an emerging star conductor from Singapore, will lead the Orchestra. The concert will also feature soloists from the SLO–Leow Siak Fah Artists Training Programme: Cherie Tse, Zhang Jie, Chieko Sato, Zerlina Tan, Jack Sun, and Dennis Lau. The SLO Chorus and Children Choir will also make a guest appearance at the concert.

Programme
Now in its 11th year, Opera in the Park celebrates the anniversaries of Gounod & Bernstein, with a selection of classical favorites you don’t want to miss.

Gounod   Romeo et Juliette
• Overture
• Je veux vivre (soprano)

Gounod   Faust
• The Jewel Song (soprano)
• Avant de quitter ces lieux (baritone)
• Faites-lui mes aveux (mezzo)
• Soldiers Chorus

Bernstein   Trouble in Tahiti
• What a movie (mezzo)

Bernstein   West Side Story
• I feel pretty (soprano)
• America (soprano, mezzo)
• Tonight quintet

Verdi   Aida
• Gloria all’Egitto (SLO Chorus)
• Egyptian March
• Vieni, o guerriero vindice (SLO Chorus)

Programme not in order of performance
Artists and Programme subject to change
This concert is subject to weather conditions
Concert-goers are advised to take public transport

FREE ADMISSION

Sponsored by
Singapore Press Holdings
SPH Gift of Music Series

[Listing] Fun Home by Pangdemonium!

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To round off their 2017 Season, Pangdemonium is performing FUN HOME, the stunning musical about a family that’s nothing like yours and exactly like yours.

Based on Alison Bechdel’s best-selling graphic memoir, the piece interacts with Bechdel at three different ages. Moving between past and present, it reveals her unique childhood, a growing understanding of her own sexuality and how she handles her uniquely dysfunctional family. FUN HOME is a gripping portrayal of a daughter’s determination to connect with her volatile, brilliant father whose temperament and secrets have defined her family and her life.

“FUN HOME is an exhilarating, heart wrenching, and moving musical which will resonate with anyone who has ever felt different, even within their own family. The story—based on real life experiences of Alison Bechdel—is a roller-coaster of comedy and tragedy, and the songs are sublimely beautiful. Be prepared for a truly unique and unforgettable musical theatre experience.” said Adrian and Tracie Pang, Artistic Directors of Pangdemonium.

Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Score and Best Book, the haunting melodies of Jeanine Tesori and poetic lyrics of Lisa Kron set a foundation for this refreshingly honest musical.

Starring Adrian Pang, Monique Wilson, Nikki Muller, Elena Wang, Benjamin Kheng, Gail Belmonte, Chloe Choo, Elly Gaskell, Aria Zhang, Damien Weber, and Bjorn Haakenson.

Named Best Musical of the Year by the New York Times, FUN HOME is a daring and innovative work about seeing your parents through grown up eyes. The Singaporean debut of this intimate and emotional theatrical experience is not to be missed!

FUN HOME runs from 29 September–15 October at the Drama Centre Theatre, Rated R18, Tickets from Sistic. 

[Listing] The Singapore Monologue Slam 2017

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The Singapore Monologue Slam (SMS), Singapore’s first monologue competition, returns in 2017 for its second edition. The SMS is a platform for young actors and writers to showcase their skills in front of a live audience and a jury panel from the film and theatre industry.

Supported by *SCAPE, and Noise Singapore, the competition is open to all 13 to 35 years old who reside in Singapore. The competition, held at *SCAPE from 21 to 24 September 2017, urges all to ‘step into the spotlight’.

“The SMS expands the community. It enables people to believe that creativity is inherent in everyone. Not just the actors on stage, but the audience as well,” says Thomas Pang, a two-time Best Actor nominee for the LIFE! Theatre Awards, and the youth ambassador of the competition’s 2017 iteration.

This year, inclusivity will be the focus of all new initiatives. One of which is an online competition, which enables adults beyond the age of 35 to participate. The winner of this competition will be granted entry into the Grand Slam. Kamil Haque, the artistic director of Method Productions, hopes that this will make the competition more accessible for all.

“The SMS is our way of empowering young people to express themselves and pursue their creative dreams,” says Kamil Haque. Mr. Haque has worked as an acting coach and director for more than 1000 students including the youth at Singapore’s first professional acting studio, Haque Centre of Acting & Creativity (HCAC).

A series of pre-competition events will be held at HCAC, to ease participants into their competition journey. From personalized consultations to masterclasses, participants will be mentored and guided every step of the way.

More awards and prizes will also be introduced to reward performers with talent and potential. The 2017 edition boasts a value of more than $22,000 in prizes – a steep increase from 2016’s prize value of $16,000.

In addition, prizes are also made more encompassing. The Special Jury Recognition Award is aimed at rewarding well-performing actors beyond the highest scoring participant. The idea is to reward as many deserving actors as possible. “It is a fair playing field for anyone, from any background, to work on their craft, learn, and be rewarded for the good work they do. You don’t need to be a trained actor to take part
at all.” says Mr Haque.

To bring creativity and the love for monologues to the masses, the finalists of this year’s competition will also be taking their monologues on tour in different venues around Singapore.

Registration to enter The Monologue Slam competition ends 30 June 2017.

Details of The Monologue Slam Competition Participation
● Registration ends 30 June 2017
● Registration fee to enter competition: SGD$30.00. Payment by cash, cheque or credit card.
● Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. 60 slots
● Register online at http://bit.ly/joinsgmonoslam
● No audition required

Details of The Monologue Slam Competition Event
● Date: 21- 23 September 2017 (Thursday – Saturday) – Preliminary Rounds
● Date: 24 September 2017 (Sunday) – Grand Slam
● Venue: *SCAPE Gallery Theatre, Level 5
● Time: 8.00pm – 10.30pm
● Ticket Fee: SGD$22.00 (early-bird), SGD$25.00 (regular), $50 Festival Pass to all three semi-finals
● Online Ticketing: buytickets.at/sms2017

[Listing] Every Brilliant Thing by Bhumi Collective

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2017 M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Award nominee Andrew Marko (Falling, Electra, RENT) stars in the Singapore premiere of 2014 and 2016 Edinburgh Fringe hit Every Brilliant Thing presented by Bhumi Collective, and directed by Mohamad Shaifulbahri.

​Synopsis

“You’re six years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy.

So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world.

Everything that’s worth living for.

1. Ice Cream
2. Kung Fu Movies
3. Burning Things
4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose
5. Construction cranes
6. Me

You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling.

Soon, the list will take on a life of its own.”

A new play about depression and the lengths we will go to for those we love.

Based on true and untrue stories.

For tickets, please visit Bhumi Collective.

[Listing] Crossings by Young & W!ld

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crossings

Every single day, we make choices – from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat. But, once in a while, we make the kind of big decisions that change everything. Step into the world of Crossings and get to know characters who have arrived at that critical crossroads in their lives. The choices they will make in this bold double-bill of original plays will change their journeys forever: setting them on the road to self-discovery… or self-destruction.

Vix, a social media darling, and a prickly, forgetful mother are thrown together in the aftermath of a tragic train accident. Vix resolves to help her elderly companion in the best way she knows how – through selfie sticks and videos. But how do you rescue someone who cannot even remember her own loved ones? And what happens when difficult truths come tumbling out? A strange tale of memories and lives shrouded in darkness, The Mother, The Son and the Holy Ghost explores what it takes to walk through the tunnel and into the light.

Happy and in love, Danielle and Chris are just about to tie the knot. But not everything is as it seems. Within their picture-perfect relationship lies a train-wreck of betrayal and abuse: from an unlikely affair to the sudden appearance of a former lover. As the champagne gets warm and the cake waits to be cut in Arbitrio, Danielle and Chris have to deal with the choices they made in the past, the emotional entanglements of the present and the uncertainty of the future.

Bold, inventive and thought-provoking, young & W!LD’s Crossings is a celebration of new Singapore voices and talent. The eight members of young & W!LD, from the ages of 19 to 24, came up with the stories, characters and themes that will feature in Crossings via improvisations and devising workshops. With their help, Rodney Oliveiro, their programme co-director, put together the final scripts of both plays.

“Just like these troubled characters, we all have to live with the decisions we make and their consequences,” explains Oliveiro. “I chose the main title of Crossings because it speaks to me of human wills and desires and ambitions – how we always bravely chug along, how we’re always busy with a new endeavour, even as we occasionally miss the subtle signs pointing towards our doom.”

The current cohort of young & W!LD embarked on their 18-month training programme in February last year. Since then, they have gained valuable experience in devising and performing their own original work. Following months of intensive workshops, they presented When S#!T Hits The Fam, an experimental piece that explored the trials and tribulations of family life, in May 2016.

“Over the past year, I’ve been most impressed by their openness, their willingness to try new things and their support for one another,” says Serena Ho, co-director of young & W!LD and Crossings. “I hope they will trust their voices and never stop surprising themselves.”

Crossings

15–19 February 2017

Centre 42, Black Box

Tickets at $30 from Peatix