1. art and entertainment
2. theatre

S I N G A P O R E’S D E F I N I T I V E A R T S & C U LT U R E G U I D E
13
issue
03 APR
TO
16 APR
2015
FREE!
www.a-list.sg
FULL
14-DAY
Great
OUTDOORS
THE
LISTINGS for
arts & culture
events!
WHY IT’S IN TO BE OUT
INSIDE YUNI HADI * FIFTY SINGAPORE PLAYS * EDMUND WEE * ART CAFES
IN MEMORIAM
LEE KUAN YEW
1923 - 2015
“I am not given to making
sense out of life – or
coming up with some grand
narrative on it – other than
to measure it by what you
think you want to do in life.
As for me, I have done what
I wanted to, to the best of
my ability. I am satisfied.”
Lee Kuan Yew
Founding Father and
First Prime Minister of Singapore
CONTENTS
the
LIST
03 APR
TO
16 APR
2015
ISSUE 13
features
02
PROFILES
06
YUNI HADI
Meet the self-confessed introvert
who fronts the Singapore
International Film Festival.
THE GREAT
OUTDOORS
13
Jeremy Monteiro.
Haruki Murakami.
Mohamed Latiff
bin Mohamed.
NEWS
What’s with
the increasing
popularity of watching shows
outside a theatre?
cover photo ISTOCK
50 SHADES OF PLAYS
Fifty plays to celebrate 50 years
of Singapore English theatre!
14
09
WHAT’S A-BUZZING
RANDY CHAN
This award-winning architect
is boldly bringing design into
mainstream arts.
A London-based
actress/activist/filmmaker who resists
being pigeonholed.
07
COFFEE, TEA
OR ART?
Enjoy servings of
culture with
your latte at
these art cafés.
10
SUPPORTED BY
SEA Games soundtrack,
volunteer opportunities in the
arts and the latest contest.
15LISTINGs
24EPILOGUE
12
JENNIFER LIM
THE A LIST IS A
PUBLICATION BY
ABC GUIDE
gkkkkkkh
THE A TEAM
editorial director
MICHAEL CHIANG
creative director
TONY LAW
editor
PAMELA HO
specialist, social media
NICK YEO
writer
JO TAN
contributors PAMELA QUEK,
05
TheAListSG
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
head, social media
WILLIAM LOW
[email protected]
one small
voice
Get a Singaporean novel on the
Man Booker Prize longlist, says
publisher EDMUND WEE.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
GLOBALISING
SINGAPORE FICTION?
associate art director
WANG MEIMEI
[email protected]
[email protected]
EUGENE TAN, KI’ERN TAN,
JOEL TAN, JIMMY LEE
[email protected]
www.a-list.sg
ENQUIRIES
GENERAL
ADVERTISING
AListSG
alistsg
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The A List is published by MediaCorp Pte Ltd.
Caldecott Broadcast Centre. Andrew Road, Singapore 299939. Copyright is
held by the National Arts Council. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part without permission is prohibited. Distributed by MediaCorp Pte Ltd.
Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd.
HELD IN
IN CELEBRATION OF
D
What’s with the increasing popularity of watching
shows outside a theatre? EUGENE TAN
2
espite the heat and
humidity, the threat
of mosquitoes and
sudden downpours,
outdoor shows have
risen in number and popularity
in recent years.
PHOTO iStock
Today, Singapore’s arts and events
calendar is dotted with outdoor
shows — from old chestnuts like
Shakespeare in the Park, Ballet
Under the Stars and Concerts in
the Park to newer, more indiespirited gigs like St Jerome’s
Laneway Festival. Even performing
spaces have spilled beyond the
grassy slopes of Botanic Gardens
and Fort Canning Park. Spring
Wave Music and Art Festival
brought Mandopop acts to Gardens
by the Bay, while Lepark’s
BY
recent indie-music gig, Getai
Electronica, unfurled on the
rooftop deck of People’s Park
Complex in January.
Taking the performances
outdoors is not exactly a new
idea. Many of our traditional art
forms have always taken place
in the streets. Think of Chinese
opera — recently depicted in Toy
Factory’s revival of Titoudao —
and you’ll be reminded that it
was traditionally performed on
temporary stages by the roadside,
in open fields or on temple
grounds. Consider wayang kulit
(shadow theatre), which used to
be performed by the light of fire
in the old days.
Then of course, there’s the getai
road show which ‘tours’ the
island during the Hungry Ghost
Festival. The raucous song-anddance shows are presented as
much for the live audiences as
they are for the departed souls
making their annual month-long
visitations.
While getai might traditionally
have showcased Chinese opera
troupes, they now feature energetic
singers and dancers in glitzy
costumes, performing synthesised
pop and sugary oldies. The form
is specific enough to have created
stars within the getai circuit. Getai
has also received that ultimate
stamp of cultural approval — it
was the subject of a loving homage
by Royston Tan, in his much-loved
film feature 881.
PHOTO Singapore Repertory Theatre
ALL A-BARD! THE SINGAPORE
REPERTORY THEATRE’S
ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE IN THE
PARK HAS BROUGHT CLASSICS
LIKE MACBETH, OTHELLO AND
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE TO
FORT CANNING PARK.
By the time the skies dimmed, the
hilly slope would
be covered with
a mass of happy
eager people,
ready for the
STAR PERFORMERS SPREAD
OUT A PICNIC BASKET AND
TAKE IN A MIXED BILL OF
WORKS AT BALLET UNDER
THE STARS, AN ANNUAL
SINGAPORE DANCE THEATRE
EXTRAVAGANZA.
“When our studios were located
in the park as well (from 1991 to
2012), it seemed a logical extension
of our activities. Now, with two
back-to-back weekends presenting
sophisticated world-class ballet in
an outdoor setting, that’s something
we always look forward to,” says
SDT artistic director, Janek
Schergen. For two weekends in
June, two diverse programmes will
be presented, promising to delight
old fans and newcomers.
It would appear that outdoor
performances offer an ideal setting
for socialising while enjoying the
arts. Whether you are packing a
picnic basket or opting for takeaway,
the combination of food and drink
in a convivial natural setting with
friends seems a good formula for a
fun time.
OPEN SEASON
THEATREWORKS HAS
BEEN A LONG-TIME
ADVOCATE OF OUTDOOR
SHOWS SUCH AS 2013'S
THE HAPPINESS EVENT
(PERFORMED AT GARDENS
BY THE BAY; INSET) AND
2004'S MA: MOMENT (SET
IN SAGO LANE; BELOW).
Fort Canning has also become
the playground for The Singapore
Repertory Theatre (SRT), which has
been staging Shakespeare in the
Park for eight years running. This
year, SRT presents its version of The
Tempest, helmed by Braham Murray,
one of the founding artistic directors
of the acclaimed Royal Theatre
Exchange in Manchester.
Staging Shakespeare outdoors is
not a new idea, as many companies
around the world do it as a summer
tradition. What sets the SRT
production apart might be the
cultural context.
3
PHOTOS TheatreWorks
At about the same time, the
Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT)
embarked on a new programme idea,
Ballet Under the Stars. Presented on
a stage at the base of the huge slope
in front of Fort Canning Centre, the
event invited audiences to come
early to save their spots, lay out
picnic blankets, then eat and drink
before the show began.
dance company to present a mixed
bill of works. Ballet Under the Stars
celebrates its 20th anniversary this
year, and remains as popular as ever.
PHOTO Singapore Dance Theatre
In the more contemporary context,
arts companies and promoters have
also been inspired to hold outdoor
shows, some even being quite sitespecific. In 1992, TheatreWorks
presented Theatre Carnival on
the Hill, which took place all over
Fort Canning Hill, with audiences
roaming from one space to another
to catch various performance pieces
created by different directors.
TheatreWorks would return to this
concept in 1994 with Longing,
which was directed entirely by
Cultural Medallion recipient Ong
Keng Sen, and incidentally, included
a performance of archival scripts of
comedic getai skits. Their ‘theatre
carnival’ concept was revisited again
in 1998 with Got to Go — Play Till
Dawn, an ambitious project that ran
overnight, ending with breakfast at
sunrise, overlooking Fort Canning.
“The challenge, or rather, the
excitement, is to use the spiritual
and ethnic Asian cultures and
religions to make the play visually,
directly pertinent to the audience,”
explains Murray. With an expected
turnout of 30,000 people, The
Tempest will run over multiple
nights from 29 April, and is what
SRT dubs the “largest picnic”!
4
“The 2015 edition of Laneway in
Singapore was the fifth, with a
veritable carnival of food, drinks
and other side activities. Certainly,
people attend for the music, but a
quick look on Instagram will also
tell you that a lot of thought and
planning goes into what festivalgoers wear there. While some might
dismiss this as frivolous, there’s no
mistaking that a day out at Gardens
by the Bay for Laneway is a surefire
way to have your finger on the
pulse of what is going on in fashion
and culture among young adults in
Singapore and the region.” Rocking
the crowds in January, the event
sold out its 13,000 tickets.
Catching music performances in
the outdoors is not a novel idea
here. The Singapore Symphony
Orchestra (SSO) has always held
free concerts at the Botanic
Gardens. Since 2008, the Singapore
Lyric Opera has organised its
annual free-admission Opera in the
Park, also at the Botanic Gardens,
with the aim of extending the opera
experience to a wider audience.
The Singapore Chinese Orchestra
has also brought free concerts to
parks and outdoor neighbourhood
PHOTO Laneway Festival Singapore/Chugg Entertainment
William
PHOTO
“Singapore is a
cultured, forwardthinking country
with an abundance
of globally-minded
young people shaping
its aesthetic, and
many have amazing
tastes,” says Danny
Rogers, co-founder
of the St Jerome’s
Laneway Festival.
“Their sensibility, the cool expat
community and Singapore’s close
proximity to other culturally savvy
hubs around Asia have enabled
Laneway to grow into the event it
is today.
Low
This formula is even
more attractive when
it comes to music
festivals. One of the
most high-profile
festivals on the
calendar is probably
St Jerome’s Laneway,
which started
in Melbourne
in 2004.
locations. Music fans and nature
lovers can look forward to a series
of outdoor concerts — part of the
SG50 celebrations — organised by
the National Parks Board (NParks).
Meanwhile, the Esplanade has been
holding regular gigs for free every
weekend at its Outdoor Theatre,
which throws in a stunning view of
Marina Bay for good measure.
Large-scale outdoor performances
come with their own challenges.
Rain can mar the best-made
plans, as the 15,000-strong crowd
(including many well-heeled
women) who showed up for J Lo’s
2012 outdoor concert at Gardens
by the Bay will attest. Or it can
liven up proceedings, too, as
screaming fans at the SM Town
K-pop extravaganza held at The
Float @ Marina Bay that same year
will vouch for. Acoustics at an
outdoor venue may also not live up
to expectations, but the ambience
and setting usually compensate for
the sound.
Perhaps it is this element of
unpredictability that makes outdoor
arts and events even more dynamic
and exciting. With many more such
open-sky events filling up the arts
calendar, there’s ample opportunity
for everyone young and old to spread
out a mat, get comfortable and enjoy
the show! A
OUT-RAGEOUSLY FUN
MUSIC EVENTS LIKE ST
JEROME’S LANEWAY
FESTIVAL (LEFT) AND GETAI
ELECTRONICA (BELOW)
BRING THE BEAT — AND
CROWDS — TO LOCATIONS
LIKE GARDENS BY THE BAY
AND THE ROOFTOP CAR
PARK OF PEOPLE’S PARK
COMPLEX.
Come out,
come out,
wherever
you are
There are lots of
opportunities to
take in an outdoor
performance!
Shakespeare in the Park —
The Tempest
WHEN From 29 April
WHERE Fort Canning Park
PRICE From $40 to $108 at Sistic
Ballet Under the Stars
WHEN 12-14, 19-21 June
WHERE Fort Canning Green
PRICE From $22 to $44 at Sistic
SSO Classics in the Park —
Mother’s Day Concert
WHEN 10 May
WHERE Shaw Foundation Symphony
Stage, Singapore Botanic Gardens
PRICE Free
NParks SG50 Concert Series
WHEN 9 May
WHERE Admiralty Park
PRICE Free
More concerts
in parks
Singapore Botanic Gardens 7 & 8 AUG
Bedok Reservoir Park 26 SEP
Jurong Central Park 31 OCT
Gardens by the Bay 19 DEC
INTERVIEW BY PAMELA
HO
one
small
voice!
How do we put Singapore fiction on the world map? We get a novel
on the Man Booker Prize shortlist, says publisher Edmund Wee.
I GREW UP READING
SINGAPORE FICTION, books
like The Adventures of Holden Heng,
Spider Boys and Son of Singapore.
I realise young people today don’t
know what life was like in the past,
and they can’t read about it because
all these books are out of print.
So when I set up Epigram Books
in 2011, one of the first things I
did was to approach these authors
and ask to buy the rights to their
books. I re-edited, re-published and
launched them under the Singapore
Classics series.
a proper job!” So we lost that whole
generation of stories.
publisher will give you, even in
the West.
But I think we have moved to a stage
now where parents are more open
and supportive, so we’re getting a
new generation of young writers
— like Amanda Lee Koe and Dave
Chua — who say, “I want to write!”
And they’re actively pursuing
creative writing courses overseas.
I’m not rich, my company is still
in the red, but I’m willing to put
my money where my mouth is.
I’ll publish your novel and I’ll take
it to London. Stop looking for an
American or British publisher. We
care for your story, more than a
foreigner will ever care for your novel.
Two years ago, I declared that
one of the goals of Epigram Books
is to get a Singaporean writer on
the Man Booker Prize shortlist or
Fiction is important to a country. It’s
all about stories that bond people:
For an American, if you talk about
the spirit of Tom Sawyer, everyone
knows it’s the American spirit of
adventure! In England, back in
1837, a writer wrote a novel about
an orphan. When I ask kids, “Do you
know who he is?” Everyone knows
— Oliver Twist! Do you know who
wrote the book? Charles Dickens!
Then I ask them, do you know who
was the Prime Minister of England at
the time? What did he do? Nobody
knows, nor do they really care.
My goal is to get
a Singaporean writer
on the Man Booker
Prize longlist within
five years.
EDMUND WEE PUBLISHER
In the early days, we had good
fiction writers like Catherine Lim,
Gopal Baratham, Goh Poh Seng and
Stella Kon. They were brought up
under the British system — they
could write well, were interested in
writing, and they wrote!
But there came a period where few
wrote because we were told building
the economy was more important
than writing our stories. Then, if
young people told their parents
they wanted to be a writer or artist,
they would’ve been hit on the head
and told, “Don’t be mad, go and get
longlist within five years. Since the
Man Booker Prize only considers
novels, I’m channelling my energy
into acquiring novels. How? Submit
your novels and I’ll give the winner
$20,000, more than what any
Dickens wrote Oliver Twist 178
years ago and he’s still remembered
today. So I tell students, “Look,
100 years from now, nobody will
remember who the fifth Prime
Minister of Singapore was. But if
you were to write a book that is so
fantastic, it will last forever.”
Great books do not die — whether
it’s Romeo & Juliet or Dream of the
Red Chamber. When you write a
great book, it lives on forever. A
EDMUND WEE is a home-grown publisher and CEO of
Epigram Books, which published Amanda Lee Koe’s Ministry
of Moral Panic, winner of the 2014 Singapore Literature
Prize (English Fiction). He was a psychologist with the civil
service and a journalist with The Straits Times before setting
up his own design firm, Epigram, in 1991. In 2008, he won the
prestigious President’s Design Award for Designer of the
Year. Wee’s career took another turn in 2011 when he set up
Epigram Books. He publishes almost 50 books a year and is
a fierce champion of Singapore Literature.
5
Profile
YUNI HADI
YUNI
HADI
A SINGA
br PORE
oa AN
d
he
T
in-betweener
She fronts the
Singapore International
Film Festival, but Yuni
Hadi admits she is
more at home behind
the scenes, matching
artists with projects.
BY PAMELA HO
conferred the Honorary Award at
The Substation’s 6th Singapore
Short Film Awards. From the
tributes that poured in from local
film-makers like Royston Tan and
Boo Junfeng, it was obvious her
quiet, consistent support has not
gone unnoticed.
In fact, it was Hadi reaching out
to film-maker Anthony Chen while
in-between projects that led to her
becoming co-producer of his film, Ilo
Ilo (2013), the first Singapore feature
film to win the Camera d’Or Award at
the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
What sparked her cinematic
passion can be traced to secondary
school, when she heard guest
speaker, writer Gopal Baratham.
“It was the first time I discovered
there was a Singaporean creative
voice and it moved me in a very
strange way. I think it translated
very strongly when I became part
of the film community. Why aren’t
we telling our stories?”
In 1999, Hadi joined nonprofit arts space The Substation
as a senior programmer. When she
left in 2003 for MediaCorp’s Arts
Central as commissioning editor,
she brought many local filmmakers into the field of television,
elevating the quality of arts
programmes on TV.
In 2006, she co-founded
Objectifs Films, a distribution label
dedicated to bringing Asian short
films to a global audience.
Hadi, who is based in
Bangkok, muses, “You know when
you have to fill up immigration
forms and they always ask for
your occupation? I used to really
wonder! I started writing ‘arts
manager’ and I feel that’s what
I do, no matter where I go. It’s
always about seeing the potential
in something and closing the gap.” A
PHOTO Rebecca Toh
6
“I HAVE A VERY DEADPAN
VOICE. AND I’M PRETTY
INTROVERTED,” discloses
Yuni Hadi, executive director of
the Singapore International Film
Festival and director of Objectifs
Centre for Photography and Film.
Despite assuming such highprofile frontline roles, Hadi sees
herself more as a behind-the-scenes
arts manager or film curator.
“I’m always interested in
people who are in-between
projects. I check up on them
and ask how I can help,” she
says, explaining that she was
inspired by curators-of-old she’d
read about while pursuing her
diploma, degree and Masters in
Arts Management at LASALLE
College of the Arts. These curators
followed artists’ careers and
helped build the community.
“Artists go through ups and
downs, just because someone
stops making a film for a year or
two doesn’t mean he is no longer a
film-maker,” she reasons.
In March this year, Hadi was
Z
NEWS e
Latest
FROM THE ARTS SCENE
TEXT BY PAMELA
HO
SONGS FOR
SPORTS
Soundtrack to the SEA Games goes digital —
fully downloadable on iTunes!
14
T
he 28th
South
East Asian
(SEA) Games brings
together the best of
our music talents to
provide the emotive backdrop for the
event, held from 5-16 June. Songs of
the Games is a fully-digital album,
featuring 14 tracks, including the
three official theme songs performed
by The Sam Willows, Daphne Khoo
and Tabitha Nauser.
WE WANT
YOU!
Always wanted
to volunteer in the
arts? Here’s your
chance ...
L
Listen for free
at the SEA Games
website, Spotify,
AMPED and Deezer,
or download
the full album from iTunes at
$9.98 — individual songs priced
at $1.28 to $1.48. Stand to win
cash prizes too if you upload your
rendition of any of the 14 songs
via YouTube. Contest is open to
the region. For details, visit www.
songsofthegames.com.
ove the world of theatre
but can’t act? Drama Box,
a non-profit contemporary
theatre company, is looking for
volunteers to drive their projects
for the year. You can volunteer for
a wide range of roles, from frontof-house duties to photographers
and backstage crew. To find out
more, visit www.dramabox.org. A
ERRATUM
Issue 11, pg 7 should read: She (Mrs Bhaskar’s
granddaughter, Malini) was enrolled in
School of the Arts, not LASALLE College
of the Arts.
STAY SOCIAL
& WIN!
YouTube sensations THE PIANO GUYS are
coming to town for a 2-day performance and
we have tickets up for grabs. If you want to
score free passes to their show, stay tuned to
our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages.
Follow us for updates, news and other surprises!
TheAListSG, AListSG and alistsg
Feature
I’M EVERY
WOMAN
The classic Emily
of Emerald Hill
returns with
theatre veteran
Karen Tan in
the lead, while
Adrian Pang
headlines Huzir
Sulaiman’s The
Weight of Silk
on Skin (bottom).
Shades
Plays
OF
To celebrate a half century of
Singapore English theatre, a
vibrant selection of 50 Singapore
plays are treated to restagings
and dramatised readings. BY JO TAN
A
mong the
Esplanade’s
assortment of
performance
festivals and series
of programmes, The Studios is
probably the quirkiest: specialising
in small selections of intimate,
experimental and often, new
works with a healthy disrespect
for convention. This year however,
The Studios series present 50
extremely established local plays
dating from the 1960s onwards,
including classics like Haresh
Sharma’s Off Centre and The
Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate “S”
Machine by Tan Tarn How.
“It’s a little bit of a departure this
year, for SG50, of course,” says
Rydwan Anwar, a member of the
Esplanade team and programmer
for The Studios. “But that’s
why this edition is called The
Studios: fifty (TSF). We want to
highlight that when all these 50
works first came out, they pushed
the envelope, before eventually
becoming the classics they are
now. It’s a nice resonance.”
Playwright/
director and
2006 Young
Artist Award
recipient Chong
Tze Chien, who
is co-curating
TSF with the
Esplanade, offers
more details:
“What Singapore
theatre has
achieved in
five decades
is astounding.
We want to
tell its story through presenting
these scripts as five fully-staged
plays with the rest grouped into
dramatised readings.
“We cross-compared plays from
different generations and noticed
many recurring themes, such as
gender and sexuality, politics and
society. We grouped the works
accordingly and within these
thematic selections, compared
plays on the same theme across
different generations. It’s
interesting to see how playwrights’
strategies in surfacing issues
changed over 50 years, and to
glimpse how Singapore society is
changing — or not.”
Even before that though, the
TSF team had to select plays to
make up the magic number 50.
This turned out to be tricky, not
because there weren’t enough
masterpieces to pick from, but
because there were too many.
Says Chong, “There are over 100
7
with it,” shares Chong. “For Jeff
Chen’s interpretation of Kuo Pao
Kun’s Descendants of the Eunuch
Admiral, instead of actors saying
the lines, he’s pre-recorded the
text, so the words are read by
an invisible chorus of voices,
accompanying the actors onstage.”
Then there was the issue of
coordinating the titanic throng
required to perform these 50
seminal plays. “It was quite crazy
juggling everybody’s calendar,
what with the different directors,
designers, actors, crew and
arranging rehearsal spaces. But
it’s also encouraging to see that
there’s more than enough talent in
Singapore,” grins Rydwan.
Rydwan is equally excited about the
reinterpretations. “I’m interested to
see Emily of Emerald Hill played by
a woman, since I missed Margaret
Chan’s performance,” he says,
referring to how one of the most
famous versions of the Stella Kon
classic featured Ivan Heng as the
titular matriarch. TSF’s version,
directed by 2008 Young Artist
Award recipient Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit,
is headlined by theatre veteran
Karen Tan. Adds Rydwan, “I’m also
excited to see some of the earlier
plays like 1964’s The Moon is Less
Bright [by Goh Poh Seng] brought
to life in our staged readings.”
Chong agrees. “Take the directors
involved. We have so many
to choose from in Singapore!
But we were hoping to see new
interpretations of the selected
works, so instead of the moreestablished directors like Ivan
Heng, we got those below the age of
50, from very seasoned to freshly
emerging ones. It’s been such a
celebration, such a rare opportunity
to get everyone involved.”
Indeed, many of these directors
are pulling out the stops in their
reinterpretations of the classics.
“We let the directors choose
which script they wanted to work
on, and many settled on their
choice because they thought
they could do something new
UNDER ONE ROOF Dozens of our
brightest and best playwrights,
from past to present, collaborate
in The Studios: fifty to restage
Singapore classics.
If sales are proof of anything, many
theatre-goers are psyched about
seeing these 50 works come to life.
“Many of the shows sold out within
weeks and we had to release extra
tickets,” says Chong. “There is a
hunger out there for local works
— there are people who really want
to see TSF productions and can’t
get tickets!
“On the flipside, you have many
people who know nothing about
local plays and may probably
remain oblivious. Not enough
ONCE AGAIN, WITH
FEELING Singapore
stage classics Off
Centre (top) and The
Lady of Soul and Her
Ultimate “S” Machine
(bottom) get fresh
reinterpretations with
an all-new cast.
people know how good the local
theatre scene is. I think the reason
is many of our theatre gems played
at small venues with limited runs.
That’s why it’s important to restage
classics, like what we’re doing
for TSF.
“People think Singapore theatre
is very new and still developing,”
laments Chong. “But we have
evolved very quickly these past 50
years. I will unapologetically say
that we rival the scene in London,
New York and anywhere in the
world. Other than telling the story
of Singapore
theatre, I
want TSF to
help people
realise we have
a treasure
trove of good
works right
here at home,
ranging from
experimental
to mainstream
— all thoughtprovoking,
vibrant and
challenging.” A
The Studios: fifty
is on till 10 May at
the Esplanade. See
Listings pg 22 for
details.
PHOTOS Courtesy of The Esplanade Co Ltd
8
local works to choose from at the
very least. We shortlisted just
under 100, and took months to
narrow down to 50. All our choices
have quality as well as historical
significance, or were artistic
breakthroughs, or inspired entire
shifts in theatrical practices.”
Profile
RANDY CHAN
RANDY
CHAN
doubleimpact
“ARCHITECTURE AND ART
ARE PART OF THE SAME
IMPULSE FOR ME. I’m not
preoccupied with differentiating
what I am when I create. I am
both,” asserts Randy Chan,
principal architect at Zarch
Collaboratives and creative
director of Singapore: Inside
Out, a travelling
showcase of our nation’s
contemporary creative
talents, led by the
Singapore Tourism
Board.
In 2006, he picked
up Gold at the 3rd
Singapore Institute
of Architects Façade
Design Excellence
Awards for his work on
the Singapore Pavilion
at the World Exposition
2005 in Aichi, Japan.
In 2012, he clinched
the President’s Design
Award, Singapore’s most
coveted design accolade,
for ‘Building as a Body’,
a façade-covering sitespecific installation at
The Substation, which
he worked on with artist
Grace Tan.
“The Substation has,
in recent years, been a
victim of gentrification.
By putting a veil over
the building, we made
people do a double take:
it could either be a
newly married bride or
a dead body. It’s up to us to revive
it,” he explains.
The diversity of Chan’s works,
and how he skilfully blurs the lines
between art and architecture, is
remarkable. Apart from designing
the Singapore Pavilion for Venice
Biennale 2008, Chan was the
Award-winning
architect and visual
artist Randy Chan
is as comfortable
designing cluster
housing as he is the
set and stage for a
National Day Parade.
BY PAMELA HO
principal set-and-stage designer for
National Day Parade 2005, 2008,
2009 and 2011, as well as the 2010
Youth Olympic Games.
At the creative helm of
Singapore: Inside Out, his interdisciplinary approach is evident. “I
see it as one show: all the creative
talents collectively embody and tell
the story of our vibrant creative
landscape. I liken it to rojak,
where every ingredient is distinct
and contributes to the dish.”
Aside from high-profile
events, Chan also devotes time
to his private artworks, which
include ‘Dark Nights & White
Days’, ‘Bodies’ and
‘Moves’ commissioned
by the French Embassy.
‘File Not Found’ is a
collaborative work that
was part of the Nouvelle
Vagues exhibition held at
the prestigious Palais de
Tokyo, Paris.
Because of ‘artchitects’ like Chan,
design and architecture
are crossing traditional
lines into mainstream
arts. Many art exhibitions
and festivals now include
a design component. “The
creative field is no longer
as compartmentalised
as before because
technology is enabling
more interaction between
the fields,” he reflects.
“Design and arts are
definitely converging.”
A peek at Chan’s
calendar shows
another year filled
with diverse projects:
redeveloping an old
warehouse at Havelock
Road into a boutique
hotel, revamping Jacob
Ballas Children’s Garden and
orchestrating, as creative director,
i Light Marina Bay 2016. “My
approach to these various projects
isn’t too different,” he discloses.
“I find a narrative and work on
that. On some level, we’re all
storytellers.” A
9
L
Feature
ike a storm in a teacup, café culture has
really taken off in Singapore. And now,
it appears a new trend is brewing. Not
content with just fortifying your being with
delectable pastries and strong cuppas,
these popular hangouts double-up as art galleries. Yup,
you can now have your cake/eggs benedict/Waldorf
salad with a side serve of art.
10
ART TO GO If it’s on
the wall, it’s for sale.
Customers are flanked
by Artistry’s latest
exhibition featuring
the works of four
ceramicists.
ARTISTRY
17 JALAN PINANG
TEL: 6298-2420
WWW.ARTISTRYSPACE.COM
OPEN DAILY EXCEPT MONDAY
T
ucked away in a
corner shophouse
in the heritage
district of Kampong
Glam, Artistry started
out in 2012 as a gallery
and performance space,
morphing into a café later.
“We incorporated F&B
[food and beverage] into the
premise because we wanted
it to be more of a living
space,” explains co-founder
Prashant Somosundram,
35. Apart from visual arts,
Artistry also prides itself
as a platform for all artistic
expression, including music and
poetry. Their current exhibition,
Occasians (on from now till 5
Apr), features four ceramicists’
unique take on tableware. “The
more established galleries require
artists of certain repute, but we
At Artistry, friends and strangers
alike sit around a long communal
table in the middle of the café
surrounded by art. This, says
Somosundram, is a deliberate
design feature that allows
customers to walk around the
exhibits without intruding on other
customers’ space. We’re curious.
Just who pops in for a cuppa and
leaves with a piece of art? After
all, some of these pieces cost
upwards of $1,000.
“Some customers
come in for the food,
happen to see a
piece of art they
like and end
up purchasing
it. Others come
in specifically for
the art and end
up hanging out
and having a cup
of coffee. We’ve
even had tourists
passing through
pick up something
as a souvenir,” says
Somosundram.
With art cafés
sprouting up all over
the island, you can
now enjoy servings of
culture with your latte.
BY
KI’ERN TAN
aren’t solely interested in works
with commercial value,” says
Somosundram. “We wanted to
create a space for emerging artists
to showcase their works without
huge overheads.”
SPRMRKT
PHOTOS Ki’ern Tan
2 MCCALLUM STREET
TEL: 6221-2105
WWW.SPRMRKT.COM.SG
OPEN DAILY
STRANGERS’
REUNION
33 KAMPONG BAHRU ROAD
TEL: 6222-4869
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/
STRANGERSREUNION
OPEN DAILY EXCEPT TUE
A
t this cosy eatery along
Kampong Bahru, you
can order spam fries and
buttermilk waffles with Mum’s
oil on canvas. Accenting the
industrial-chic design aesthetic
of the Euro-Aussie diner are
paintings by Leslie Goh, mother
of the café’s 29-year-old co-owner,
Ryan Tan. An interior stylist with
her own interior business, Goh
trained under renowned master
artist Lim Kay Hiong and uses
“Chinese brush painting influences
in modern paintings”.
For now, Strangers’ Reunion only
exhibits Goh’s works, although Tan
has plans to include other artists
in future. “We’ve been approached
by artists, but my mum has
hundreds of art pieces. I have to
finish showing all of them first!”
says Tan dutifully.
Tan also intends to incorporate
a similar food-and-art concept to
his next café venture. “Paintings
complement the decor and add
character, besides, it’s good for
artists as it exposes their works
to hundreds of people daily and
helps get their name out there.”
The proof is in the pudding. His
mum has already sold five of her
paintings at the café.
FAMILY
REUNION
Oil paintings
by the cafe coowner’s mum
adorn the walls
at Strangers’
Reunion.
ART IN BLOOM
As a reminder
of the fragility
of nature, Mad
Nest’s recent
exhibition
featured framed
fresh bouquets
left to wilt.
MAD NEST
S
hop for groceries in an art
gallery? Do exactly that at
this concept store melding
food, retail and art under one roof.
“The idea is nothing new,” says
SPRMRKT director and co-founder
Sue-Shan Quek, 29. “Showcasing
art in non-traditional spaces
such as cafés and bars has always
existed in other major cities like
London and New York. During a
visit to Hong Kong’s Art Basel a
couple of years ago, I experienced
an interactive art installation that
involved a pop-up speakeasy bar
where drinking and eating were
part of the performance.”
SPRMRKT’s latest exhibition,
Tokyo Cinderella Dolls, documents
the fantasy of two dolls wishing
to be real. Curated by Galerie
Steph, the photography exhibition
was the Southeast Asian debut by
Japanese photographer and artist
Karin Shikata. Next on the menu
for SPRMRKT is a series of three
exhibitions (from now to 18 Aug)
by children’s book illustrators CK
Koh, Malavika PC and Khairul
Azmir Shoib. A
378/380 EAST COAST RD
TEL: 6348-6861
MADNEST.SG
OPEN DAILY
T
his multi-cuisine restaurant
boasts a diverse menu that
includes Japanese, North
Indian and Italian-Asian grub.
And if that’s not already a lot on
their plate, Mad Nest also offers
a platform for young, emerging
artists to showcase their talents.
To keep things fresh, the outfit has
a constantly rotating line-up of
artists producing works based on a
given theme.
A
11
Profile
A SINGA
br PORE
oa AN
d
JENNIFER LIM
JENNIFER
LIM
ACTS
of
VALOUR
Actress/activist/film-maker
Jennifer Lim boldly instigates
change and resists being
pigeonholed. BY JO TAN
12
JENNIFER LIM HAS FANS
WORLDWIDE, although many
remember her as having only
one eyeball.
“I suppose I’m grateful for the
‘big break’ in 2005 film Hostel,
produced by Quentin Tarantino,
where I played the Japanese tourist
who had her eyeball cut out,”
sighs the Singapore-born Lim who
relocated to London after her ‘A’
Levels to study and pursue acting.
“I’m not a huge horror fan, but
it opened many doors, including
my lead role in When Evil Calls,
the world’s first made-for-mobile
series. Since then, I’ve been
actively diversifying.”
Lim avoids being pigeonholed,
choosing to control her own
destiny. “I’m a founding member of
British East Asian Artists (BEAA),
which stands up for artists of my
ethnicity. Otherwise, we keep getting
cast as immigrants who can’t really
speak English,” she explains.
BEAA led a media uproar in
2012 when the Royal Shakespeare
Company’s The Orphan of Zhao
didn’t cast East Asians in Chinese
roles — all leading and supporting
parts went to white and black actors.
“Actors can be afraid to offend
employers, but for change to happen,
we have to say something, get people
used to the idea that we, too, belong.”
Today, Lim’s CV includes
performances in major UK plays
like Wild Swans and roles in
international films like sci-fi outings
Clone and Piercing Brightness.
She has wrapped Hollywood film, A
Monster Calls, starring Sigourney
Weaver and Liam Neeson, due in
cinemas next year.
Lim has also added film-making
to her résumé, collaborating
with networks like the British
Broadcasting Corporation. Her
latest short-film project, Dream
of Emerald Hill, of which she
is producer, writer and star, is
based on Rosie Seow (also known
as Kheng Lim), a local pioneer
thespian who became one of the
first Singaporeans to be accepted
into London’s prestigious Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art. Seow’s
artistry inspired daughter, Stella
Kon, to write landmark local play
Emily of Emerald Hill.
Dream of Emerald Hill will
be screened this month as part of
the interactive Theatre Memories
exhibition, which Lim is curating.
Different areas in The Arts House
are transformed into theatrecentric venues, like dressing room
and rehearsal space, each featuring
screenings of interview excerpts
from 50 movers and shakers in the
local theatre industry.
“It’s nice I’ve established
myself in London, but it’s not
where my roots are. I come back
to Singapore every year to watch
plays and am amazed by how the
local theatre scene has grown,
with standards comparable to
London or anywhere. I wanted
to serve the Singapore theatre
community in my own small way,
and if not during SG50, when?” A
Theatre Memories: 50 Years of Singapore
Theatre runs till 12 April at The Arts House.
See Listings pg 20 for details.
T
he renowned Japanese
writer is beloved (or reviled)
for his novels, short stories
and non-fiction written in a style
that combines wry observations of
city living, sexuality and human
relationships with elements of the
magical, surreal and uncanny.
Distinctive among other
modern Japanese writers,
his work displays the heavy
influence of American literary
greats such as Kurt Vonnegut
and Jack Kerouac. This
influence emerges clearly in
Murakami’s quirky stories
of melancholy city dwellers.
He is most well known
for his novels
such as Norwegian Wood, Sputnik
Sweetheart and The Wind-Up Bird
Chronicle, all written in Japanese
and translated into English. A
multi-media stage adaptation of The
Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was one of
the highlights of the 2012 Singapore
Arts Festival.
MOHAMED LATIFF
BIN MOHAMED
M
ohamed Latiff
bin Mohamed
is one of
Singapore’s foremost poets
and novelists, writing
Batas Langit, set in a 1960s
Malay kampung in a period
marked by Singapore’s merger with
the Federation of Malaya. His work
has been translated into English,
Chinese, Korean and German.
The 65-year-old has been on the
executive committee
of historic
Malay literary
association,
Angkatan
Sasterawan ’50,
for the past 30
years, overseeing
the mentorship of
young writers. A
13
ILLUSTRATION Jimmy Lee
HARUKI MURAKAMI
primarily in
Malay. A Cultural
Medallion recipient
for his contributions
to literature in 2013,
he is the author of
several collections of
poetry, short stories
and novels. He emerged
as a literary voice in the
1970s while training to
be a teacher (he taught
for several years until turning
to writing full-time in 1999),
and established himself with
his critique of the political
elite and explorations of the
life and struggles of Singapore’s
Malay community. Known
as the “poet of protest”, his
award-winning novels tread
similar ground, exploring the
human stories behind political
events. Notable gems
include 1999’s
cil
Council. In 2002, he was awarded
the Cultural Medallion for music. Ar ts Coun
J
azz pianist, composer,
singer and teacher,
Jeremy Monteiro is one of
Singapore’s most celebrated jazz
musicians. He began his music
career at 16, gigging throughout
clubs in
Singapore
before making
his way to
international
jazz circuits.
As part of the
trio, Monteiro,
Young and Holt, he performed
at the Montreux Jazz Festival in
Switzerland and was hailed by
the country’s Swing Magazine as
“one of the best exponents of jazz
piano”. Over the years, Monteiro
would win several international
awards, making a name for himself
as a live performer and recording
artist. Building a discography over
20 titles long, he has performed
locally and abroad with a range
of jazz celebrities, including
saxophonist James Moody
and harmonica-player Toots
Thielemans.
A prolific composer,
Monteiro, dubbed ‘King of Swing’,
was awarded a Silver Medal at the
1991 International Radio Festival
of New York. He was also a finalist
at the 1990 and 1991 London
International Advertising Awards
for best original music score
(radio, TV and cinema). One of
his most famous and well-loved
compositions is ‘One People,
One Nation, One Singapore’, a
National Day favourite.
In other résumé highlights,
Monteiro was artistic director of
the Singapore International Jazz
Festival (2001) and a former Board
Member of the National Arts
BY JOEL TAN
National
JEREMY MONTEIRO
Your Dictionary To The Arts
PH OTO
M
ABC
LISTINGS
YOUR 14-DAY GUIDE TO WHAT’S AHEAD
03 APR TO 16 APR 2015
15
1
Theatre Bonanza
Choose from Esplanade Studios’ fifty iconic local plays, or catch Checkpoint Theatre’s
much-awaited staging of Normal and Wild Rice’s Public Enemy (p21 & p22)
2
3
Music Mania
Touchy Feely
Relive xin yao as pioneer Liang Wenfu finally
fronts his own concert (p19), get spirited away
by the Tapestry of Sacred Music (p20) and be
wowed by YouTube faves The Piano Guys (p19)
Experience 50 Years of Singapore Theatre
at The Arts House’s immersive exhibition
(p20) and check out handmade works at
The Substation’s Theatre Market (p22)
+
DANCE
Bunny: A Work In
Progress Presentation
THE SUBSTATION
Local artist Daniel Kok performs with
and choreographs Australian dancer
Luke George in a literal power play
involving bondage ropes.
VENUE The Substation Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE By donation
DATE 4 Apr
TIME 8pm
PHOTO Priscilla Siew
WEBSITE www.substation.org
Traces IV: Motifs
DANCE ENSEMBLE SINGAPORE
Choreographers from Korea and
Singapore consolidate their creativity
in this double-bill of dance pieces that
evoke the Chinese tradition of firing
ceramic works in local dragon kilns.
VENUE Victoria Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $30, $40
16
DATE 3 & 4 Apr
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Triple Bill by Sun
Shang-Chi, Xing
Liang & Jeffrey Tan
T.H.E DANCE COMPANY
Three award-winning male
choreographers from Taiwan, Hong
Kong and Singapore show off different
styles of choreography with the help
of contemporary dancers from T.H.E
Dance Company.
VENUE SOTA Drama Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $28, $38
DATE Till 4 Apr
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
FAMILY
The Three Billy Goats
Gruff
SINGAPORE REPERTORY THEATRE LITTLE COMPANY
It’s supposed to be their year, but goat
trio Baby, Middle and Big face food
fears when a drought hits their side of
the valley. They could cross the bridge
to the green grass on the other side,
but a goat-eating troll waits under the
bridge. Find out what the gruff, tough
trio gets up to in this musical version
of the fairy-tale by West End musical
theatre songwriting duo George Stiles
and Anthony Drewe.
VENUE DBS Arts Centre
ADMISSION PRICE $22, $25
DATE Till 10 May
TIME Mon-Fri 10am, Sat & Sun 11am, 2pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Imaginarium:
A Voyage of Big
Ideas
SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM
This annual contemporary
art exhibition for children
returns, this time, themed
‘A Voyage of Big Ideas’ in
tribute to our little nation’s
ability to dream and think large. In
this spirit of imagination, emerging
and established artists from Singapore
and the region present seven new
large-scale artworks, ranging
from installations requiring viewer
contribution, to entire worlds in which
to dream and discover.
VENUE Singapore Art Museum, SAM@8Q
(8 Queen Street Singapore)
ADMISSION PRICE Usual museum admission
charges of $5, $10. Free admission for
Singaporeans, Permanent Residents
and all children under the age of six.
Conditions apply.
DATE Till 19 Jul
TIME Sat-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-9pm
WEBSITE www.singaporeartmuseum.sg
+
Creative Selling
Some homegrown artists saw their works snapped up at
international art fair Art Stage Singapore. Here are the figures.
many things. Internationally acclaimed
author Githa Hariharan leads this
workshop on how to write about your
home, showing how different people
can have diverse stories, cultures
and languages, yet share a sense of
belonging.
VENUE Living Room, The Arts House
PHOTO Chan Hampe Galleries
DATE 4 Apr
TIME 10am
WEBSITE bytes.sg
Characters Through
Action
NATIONAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SINGAPORE
WHO Sarah Choo, fine art photographer,
WHO Ruben Pang, painter, Chan
Sundaram Tagore Gallery
KERCHING! Five of her photographs sold
for $32,500 at Art Stage 2014.
KERCHING! Last year, nine of his
Hampe Galleries.
paintings sold for about $50,000.
Less talk, more action is not just a good
guide to life, but also literature. Writers
can learn to create characters that are
more rich, believable and well-rounded
not through what they say, but what
they do, in this workshop by writer/
director Verena Tay.
VENUE Seminar Room, Heritage Place,
#02-08, 21 Tan Quee Lan Street.
ADMISSION PRICE $70
DATE 11 Apr
TIME 9.30am-4.30pm
WEBSITE alap.bookcouncil.sg
PHOTO Today
17
WHO Jane Lee, painter, Sundaram Tagore Gallery.
KERCHING! At Art Stage 2015, Lee’s work sold for $49,000.
Counting Sheep,
Dreaming Goats
LITERARY Bartok
Tonight!
SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM
’Tis the season for sheep and goats,
so get your children into the spirit of
things with this exhibition that focuses
on famous hooved heroes from stories
and cultures.
Visitors
can also
examine
gorgeous
goatthemed
stamps from
around the
world.
VENUE Singapore Philatelic Museum
ADMISSION PRICE Usual museum admission
charges of $4, $6. Free admission for
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.
DATE Till 27 Sep
TIME Mon 1pm-7pm, Tue-Sun 9.30am-7pm
WEBSITE www.spm.org.sg
MUSIC
THE PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA SOCIETY
World Lit: Writing
Home With Githa
Hariharan
THE ARTS HOUSE
Budding scribes are always told to
“write what you know”. But it’s not
always easy to write about home
when the word itself can mean so
Experience
Hungarian
nationalism
as expressed
through
the rousing
strains of Bartok’s ‘Concerto for
Orchestra and Romanian Folk Dances’.
Actor/presenter William Ledbetter
will tell the tales behind the great
composer’s music as it is played by
the Philharmonic Orchestra, under the
baton of conductor Lim Yau.
VENUE Victoria Concert Hall
ADMISSION PRICE $25
DATE 3 Apr
TIME 5pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
PHOTO Andrew Bi Photography
TEXT Joel Tan
PHOTO Today
ADMISSION PRICE $30, $50
Gala: Midori
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Violin virtuoso Midori joins famous
Finnish orchestral conductor and violinist,
Okko Kamu, as well as the Singapore
Symphony Orchestra, to perform pieces
by Schumann and Shostakovich.
Copland, whose compositions were
inspired by cultural pride and even
the fight against political oppression.
Includes a question-and-answer session
by Lai after the performance.
James Bond series and Pirates of the
Caribbean.
VENUE Victoria Concert Hall
TIME 7.30pm
ADMISSION PRICE $15, $22
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
VENUE Esplanade Concert Hall
DATE 5 Apr
ADMISSION PRICE $25, $40, $68, $88, $112,
TIME 4pm
$138, $188
DATE 4 Apr
TIME 7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Discovering Music!
— My Home, My
Country
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor Jason Lai leads the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
in a performance of classics by
leading composers of the Nationalist
Movement. Listen to diverse pieces
from the likes of Sibelius, Debussy and
Limelight 2015 by
Crescent Girls’ School
Symphonic Band
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD, LIMELIGHT
This school ensemble began as a
military band in 1967 under the
baton of pioneer music director Lee
Seck Chiang. Today, the Crescent
Girls’ School Symphonic Band has
won numerous awards, visited various
countries and is ready for its big gig
at the Esplanade. Listen out for stirring
tunes from various films including the
DATE 8 Apr
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY, UK
Scottish pianist Kenneth Hamilton
returns for his annual visit to the
Esplanade, this time presenting a
programme of Romantic fantasies:
from Beethoven’s capricious ‘Fantasy
op.77’ to Liszt’s dazzling version of
Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’, with masterpieces by
Chopin and Schumann along the way.
VENUE Esplanade Recital Studio
ADMISSION PRICE $32
DATE 5 Apr
TIME 7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
So Happy: 50 Years
of Singapore Rock
Local bands display their shining moments in the exhibition So Happy:
50 Years of Singapore Rock. Here’s what to expect ...
FFURIOUS
PHOTO Jensen Ching
PHOTO Courtesy of Zainal Abidin
ADMISSION PRICE $13
Piano Fantasies by
Kenneth Hamilton
Rawk Steady
18
VENUE Esplanade Concert Hall
This special two-night gig kicks off
the retrospective music exhibition. The
Oddfellows, Riot !n Magenta, and The
Pinholes play 8 Apr, while Plainsunset,
Rudra and LC93 take to the stage on
9 Apr. Exhibition runs till 17 Apr.
VENUE The Substation Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE 8-9 Apr
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.facebook.com/groups/
TEXT Jo Tan
• PHOTOS OF LOCAL BANDS DATING
FROM INDEPENDENCE What did a rock
band in the ’70s look like? Was there an
’80s indie rock style? This collection of
retro images should give you an idea.
• HEAD-BANGING ARTEFACTS Pore over
old cassette tapes and gig posters of
local musician/DJ Chris Ho’s very first
band, Transformer.
• GUITAR HEROES Before or after gawking
at their band paraphernalia, watch
PHOTO Yee Chang Kang
PHOTO OM Phua
sohappysg/
landmark local groups like The Oddfellows,
The Pinholes and Plainsunset in the flesh
on the first two nights of the exhibition.
So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore Rock
is on 8-17 April, The Substation Theatre.
Conceived and organised by creative
agency, fFurious, and supported by the
Singapore Memory Project’s irememberSG
Fund and The Substation, as part of the
SG50 Celebrations.
Benjamin
Grosvenor
Plays Liszt
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Young piano sensation
Benjamin Grosvenor
takes on diverse difficult
but beautiful works in
this concert, joined by
the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
and conducted by Okko Kamu.
VENUE Victoria Concert Hall
ADMISSION PRCE $20, $32, $55, $72
DATE 10 & 11 Apr
TIME 7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
live today, with local singer Tandy Lim
performing the old favourites, including
‘Not Going Home Today’.
VENUE Esplanade Recital Studio
ADMISSION PRICE $12
DATE 13 Apr
TIME 10.30am, 3pm & 7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Limelight 2015 by
CHIJ Katong Convent
Concert Band
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD, LIMELIGHT
Rodrigo y Gabriela
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD, MOSAIC MUSIC SERIES
With their unique instrumental blend of
rumba flamenca, rock, metal, jazz and
world music, it’s no wonder Mexican
acoustic rock guitar duo Rodrigo y
Gabriela are worldwide sensations,
selling over 1.5 million albums. Don’t
For Music, for Life...
Liang Wenfu Concert
2015 OCEAN BUTTERFLIES MUSIC PTE LTD
Songwriter Liang Wenfu, known as
the pioneer of the xin yao (Singapore
songs) movement, is holding his first
concert since his involvement with
music began 35 years ago. Hear his
repertoire of compositions from songs
for TV and film, to hit radio tunes
that helped many Mandopop stars
shoot to fame. Also included: Liang’s
melodies for musicals that were staged
as late as last year, all sung by several
generations of singers.
VENUE The Star Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $68, $78, $98, $108, $118,
$138, $158
DATE 10 & 11 Apr
TIME Fri 8pm, Sat 7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Wang Jing —
Rendition of Teresa
Teng Songs in
Concert miss this musical phenomenon when
they come to Singapore.
VENUE Esplanade Concert Hall
ADMISSION PRICE $48, $68, $88
DATE 11 Apr
TIME 7.30pm
VENUE Esplanade Concert Hall
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
ADMISSION PRICE $13
DATE 13 Apr
TIME 7.30pm
VENUE Resorts World™ Theatre, Resorts
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
World Sentosa
ADMISSION PRICE $38, $48, $68, $88, $108,
$128
DATE 11 Apr
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
19
Conservatory New
Music Ensemble:
Tree Line
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD, SPECTRUM
While other concerts try to shake and
stir you, this one only wants to calm
and charm you. Relax your mind with
the soothing rhythms and instrumental
colours of Toru Takemitsu’s ‘Tree
Line’ and delight in the delicacy of
Narong Prangcharoen’s ‘Echoes of
Silence’. Also featured are Singapore
composer Chen Zhangyi’s ‘Walks
on Water’.
VENUE Esplanade Recital Studio
ADMISSION PRICE $20
DATE 12 Apr
TIME 5pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
BIZ TRENDS MEDIA PTE LTD
This repeat winner of several Teresa
Teng singing contests is so good, she’s
been endorsed by the late singing
legend’s own brother. Relive Teng’s
gorgeous melodies with Wang Jing at
this one-night-only concert.
This award-winning school band
aims to demonstrate its versatility
with a range of tunes, from pop hits
by One Direction to musical-theatre
favourites from Les Miserables, to
the ‘Singapura Suite’ by Jan Van
der Roost.
Yao Su Rong
Recollections
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD, COFFEE MORNING AFTERNOON TEA
Taiwanese ‘Diva of Tears’ Yao Su Rong
may have had her heyday in the ’60s
and ‘70s, but you can still hear her hits
The Piano Guys Live
in Singapore
LAMC PRODUCTIONS PTE LTD
Who says classical musical is ho-hum?
The Piano Guys are a YouTube wonder
who take well-known pop songs and
turn them into gorgeous classical-pop
piano works. To date, they have
amassed over 570 million YouTube
views and over 3.5 million subscribers,
many of whom swear the quartet’s
classical versions are better than the
originals. Catch them at their one-nightonly gig.
VENUE The Star Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $68, $78, $88, $98, $118,
$128, $148, $158
DATE 13-14 Apr
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
+
Tchaikovsky’s Violin
Concerto
Theatre Memories:
50 Years of Singapore
Theatre SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece may be
the title of this orchestral concert, but
there’s a lot more going on in this
performance. Other highlights include
a specially commissioned work from
local composer Terence Wong, and
promising young violinist Loh Jun Hong
tackling the solo in Tchaikovsky’s
concerto.
PHOTO Valerie Pinard
JENNIFER LIM & ANNIE JAEL KWAN
VENUE Victoria Concert Hall
ADMISSION PRICE $20, $32, $55, $72
DATE 16 & 17 Apr
TIME 7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Tapestry of Sacred
Music
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD
Hear music that’s literally fit for the
gods in this annual festival that takes
soaring melodies originally created
for sacred or religious purposes and
puts it in secular, public spaces for
us mere mortals to enjoy. This year,
expect such transcendent ticketed acts
Wander through sites dressed to look
like a production office and rehearsal
space while sharing in the experiences
of stage pros like Adrian Pang and Siti
Khalijah Zainal. See, in this immersive
exhibition, how the local theatre industry
has grown from a labour of love with
no professional infrastructure, to a
slew of companies with internationally
acclaimed productions.
VENUE Play Den, The Arts House
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE Till 12 Apr
as South Africa’s powerhouse Soweto
Gospel Choir and Noureddine
Khourchid with the Whirling Dervishes
of Damascus, in addition to over 40
free performances.
TIME Mon-Fri 12pm-8pm, Sat & Sun
11am-8pm
WEBSITE www.theartshouse.sg
VENUE Various venues in the Esplanade
MAD MUSEUM OF ART & DESIGN
ADMISSION PRICE Various prices, includes
free programmes
DATE 16-19 Apr
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.tapestryofsacredmusic.com
20
VISUAL
Mad Love
Artists from Europe and Asia plumb the
dark, dizzy depths of love, sex and desire
in this exciting exhibition featuring works by
legendary Japanese photographer Daido
Moriyama; Hong Kong photographer
Wing Shya (known for his works with
film-maker Wong Kar Wai) and Japanese
street artist Madsaki, dubbed Japan’s
Banksy, just to name a fabulous few.
VENUE MAD Museum of Art & Design,
10 Tanglin Road, #01-01/#02-01
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE Till 26 Apr
TIME 11am-8pm
WEBSITE www.madmuseumsingapore.com
Chinese Ink Works
From Lee Kong Chian
Collection of Chinese
Art
NUS CENTRE FOR THE ARTS
Artists Imagine a
Nation: SG50
LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS INSTITUTE OF
CONTEMPORARY ARTS SINGAPORE
Thirty-six acclaimed artists
present their views of people
and places in Singapore, from
the 1930s to the present. Expect
a marvellous mix of media
ranging from gouache to batik.
The National University of Singapore
(NUS) Museum holds its share of 2D
treasures, including ink works from the Qing
Dynasty and handscrolls from the Ming
Dynasty. See paintings and calligraphy
from the museum’s Chinese collection at
their new permanent home in the freshly
renovated Lee Kong Chian Gallery.
VENUE Institute of Contemporary Arts
Singapore, Gallery 1, 2 & TriSpace,
Basement 1
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE Till 19 Apr
TIME Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm
WEBSITE www.lasalle.edu.sg
VENUE Lee Kong Chian Gallery, Lobby Level,
NUS Museum
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE Till 2016
TIME Tue-Fri 10am-7.30pm, Sat & Sun
10am-6pm
WEBSITE www.nus.edu.sg/cfa/museum
eye-popping fight choreography and
effects.
THEATRE
VENUE Drama Centre Theatre, National
Library Building
ADMISSION PRICE $33, $45, $55
DATE Till 12 Apr
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm, Sun 3pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Discord of Discourse
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
Written and directed by Khairul
Kamsani, this original play explores the
limits of language as two people try
to negotiate between the desire and
difficulty of communication. Stars Pavan
Singh and Kristina Pakhomova.
Normal
CHECKPOINT THEATRE LIMITED
VENUE Multi-Purpose Hall, Aliwal Arts Centre
ADMISSION PRICE $18, $22
DATE Till 5 Apr
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE discord.peatix.com
The Ultimate Tribute
to Elvis Legends in
Concert
MARINA BAY SANDS
This year
would have
marked the
80th birthday
of legendary
singer and
actor Elvis
Presley. The
numerous
tributes to the King continue with
this multi-media and musical journey
through his life, starring international
champions and finalists from
worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist
Contests.
VENUE Sands Theatre, MasterCard
Theatres, Marina Bay Sands
ADMISSION PRICE $60, $80, $120, $130
DATE Till 5 Apr
TIME Thu & Fri 7.30pm, Sat & Sun 3pm &
7.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Faulty Towers the
Dining Experience
IMAGINATION WORKSHOP PTY LTD
Only a third of this dinner theatre
performance, inspired by John Cleese’s
Fawlty Towers, is scripted, meaning its
worldwide acclaim is largely due to its
fabulous actors playing three infamous
hoteliers that can literally, make anything
happen, as they serve you the most
hilarious three-course meal you’re likely
to experience.
VENUE Casuarina Suite A, Raffles Hotel
Singapore
ADMISSION PRICE $169, $219
DATE 9-12 Apr
TIME Thu & Fri 7.30pm, Sat 1pm &
7.30pm, Sun 1pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
In this stark and affecting stage drama,
playwright Faith Ng takes us on an
exploration of an educational system
where being ‘normal’ is less than ideal.
Enter a world where students who
have fallen through the cracks, as well
as their teachers, must learn to cope.
Directed by Claire Wong.
VENUE Drama Centre Black Box
ADMISSION PRICE $38
DATE 9-19 Apr
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm, Sun 3pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Beauty and the Beast
BASE ENTERTAINMENT ASIA
The fairy tale about the cold, cursed
prince who must learn to love and
be loved before regaining his human
form got the glorious Disney treatment
in 1991, complete with adorable
animated furniture and gorgeous songs.
Now, watch Disney’s Beauty and the
Beast live in its celebrated musical
incarnation that has played to 35 million
people worldwide in 13 countries.
VENUE Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres,
Marina Bay Sands
ADMISSION PRICE $65, $85, $115, $145,
$170, $190, $460 (box seats for 4), $760
(VIP box for 4 seats)
DATE Till 3 May
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun
1pm & 6pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Legends of the
Southern Arch
THE THEATRE PRACTICE
Mandarin theatre company The
Theatre Practice, as old as Singapore,
commemorates its fabulous 50th this
year with our city’s first-ever wuxia
(martial-arts epic period) play. Boasting
a bevy of bigwigs from the Mandarin
theatre scene such as Li Xie and Johnny
Ng, audiences can also expect some
21
Public Enemy
W!LD RICE
Based on Henrik Ibsen’s sizzling 1882
satire that’s still relevant today, director
Glen Goei resets the story in a town
where Dr Thomas Chee tries to warn
people about a massive health hazard
should the government’s plans to turn
the town into a resort spa continue. But
when he goes against authority, he
finds himself first vetoed, then vilified.
Starring Ivan Heng alongside a host
of A-listers including Lim Kay Siu and
Brendon Fernandez.
VENUE Victoria Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $45, $50, $55, $60, $65,
$70, $75, $80
DATE 9-25 Apr
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm, Sun 3pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
+
PHOTO Courtesy of The Esplanade Co Ltd
OTHERS
The Studios: fifty
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD
This series of intimate blackbox productions is supersized in
celebration of SG50, presenting no
fewer than 50 plays from the canon of
local theatrical works as reinterpreted
by numerous local directors and
actors. Some performances will take
the form of dramatised readings while
others, like classics Off Centre or
Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral,
get full stagings.
22
VENUE Various venues in the Esplanade
ADMISSION PRICE $5, $12, $20, $30
DATE Till 10 May
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Singapore Stripped!
A Comedy Roast of
the Lion City (R18)
TCSS
This wacky performance stars a robot
chicken and his attractive human
sidekick as they present inter-species
banter, parody songs and a slideshow
to reveal our island’s hidden history.
VENUE Paulaner Clarke Quay
Evolve Asia Festival
3RDOP PTE LTD
Why just buy a work of art when you
can be one? Check out this first-ever
festival uniting the tattoo community
with the holistic-alternative community
(think hipsters, goths, anybody nonmainstream). Highlights include The
Naked Ball, which features acroyoga
dance, a runway show of tattoo and
body art and a performance by The
Baron of Sideshow — famed for his
piercings and weight-lifting prowess.
VENUE F1 Pit Building ADMISSION PRICE Free, except for entry to
Naked Ball ($75)
DATE 3-5 April
TIME 9am-9pm (Naked Ball on Sat, 7pm-late)
TIME 8.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM
Come pay tribute at this shrine of Elvis
Presley, Rock & Roll God and movie
leading man. See commemorative
stamps from various countries
honouring the superstar, a US$1,000
banknote sporting his signature, his
movie posters, albums and even his
letter to a former US president.
VENUE Singapore Philatelic Museum
ADMISSION PRICE Usual museum admission
charges of $4, $6. Free admission for
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.
DATE Till 1 Jul
TIME Mon 1pm-7pm, Tue-Sun 9.30am-7pm
WEBSITE www.spm.org.sg
WEBSITE www.evolveasiafestival.sg
SIFAS Festival of
Indian Classical
Music & Dance 2015
SINGAPORE INDIAN FINE
ARTS SOCIETY (SIFAS)
This annual
cultural
celebration
returns once
more, featuring
megastars
performing
carnatic voice, Odissi dance
and epic dramas, just to name a few.
VENUE Various venues including The
Esplanade
ADMISSION PRICE Various prices
DATE Till 12 Apr
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.sifas.org
ADMISSION PRICE $28
DATE Various dates till 20 Jun
Return to Sender —
An Exhibition
A Monument to Our
History
NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD
Be awed by the tales of Victoria
Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall,
now classed among our
national monuments,
in this exhibition that
takes you through its
architecture, as well as
historic events (speeches,
performances and more)
that took place within its
walls, as documented by
programme booklets and
archival video clips.
VENUE Level 3, Victoria Theatre and Victoria
Concert Hall
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE Till further notice
TIME 10am-9pm
WEBSITE www.nhb.gov.sg
Theatre Market
FLEAWHERE
Independent craftsmen are in the
spotlight at this specially curated market
that showcases handmade works that
will beautify your home.
VENUE The Substation
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE 11 & 12 Apr
TIME 1pm-7pm
WEBSITE substation.org.sg
HAVE AN ART AFFAIR YOU’D LIKE
TO INCLUDE IN OUR LISTINGS?
Simply send us details of the event at
least 6 weeks before it takes place, at
a-list.sg/submit-an-event. (Listings
are free but not guaranteed.) We’ll
help you get this arty started.
*All information is correct at press time
but may be subject to change.
Coming up!
Kumar Stands
Up for Singapore
(R18)
DATE 17 Apr-19 Jul
TIME Mon-Fri 11am-8.30pm,
Sat & Sun 10am-8.30pm
WEBSITE www.
esplanadesingapore.com
DREAM ACADEMY
While Singapore is a democracy, it
acknowledges its queen in Kumar,
the reigning empress of the local
stand-up scene. Get ready for the
comedian’s annual address where
he educates his subjects on the
state of our nation.
VENUE Esplanade Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $46, $66, $86,
$106, $116
DATE 22-26 Apr
TIME Wed-Fri 8pm, Sat-Sun
4pm & 8pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Hawa
HATCH THEATRICS
1947, when neoclassical ballet
legend George Balanchine paid
tribute to the French Tradition with
Le Palais de Cristal, an architectural
dance wonder set to Bizet and
costumed by Christian Lacroix. The
second is Benjamin Millepied’s
collaboration with conceptual artist
Daniel Buren, Daphnis and Chloé,
set to Ravel.
Siti, a recent convert to Islam, is
suddenly tasked with overseeing
the funeral arrangements of her
close companion, but finds that
dealing with her beloved’s afterlife
is nothing compared to overcoming
judgment in the world of the living.
VENUE Esplanade Theatre Studio
Ragnarok
(R18)
SKINNED KNEE PRODUCTIONS
This original play is a parable
that uses Norse mythology to
explore darker human behaviour
within the gay culture. The tale
revolves around a few beautiful
inhabitants of Asgard — an
alternative nightclub.
ADMISSION PRICE $22
VENUE The Substation Theatre
DATE 17 & 18 Apr
ADMISSION PRCIE $35
TIME 8pm
DATE 15-18 Apr
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.
The Script
Live in Singapore
MIDAS PROMOTIONS
Singapore
HeritageFest 2015
NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD
In the largest edition of this
festival to date, expect to be
surprised by familiar Singapore
spots, from riverbanks to
community neighbourhoods, as
you rediscover their secret stories
and forgotten pasts.
VENUE Various venues
ADMISSION PRICE Free
WEBSITE www.heritagefest.sg
Balanchine |
Millepied (NC16)
by Paris Opera
Ballet
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD
Time travel back to two great
moments in dance history
with these recordings of live
performances by the Paris Opera
Ballet. The first takes place in
DATE 24 & 25 Apr
TIME Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm
VENUE Singapore Indoor Stadium
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ADMISSION PRICE $98, $118, $128,
$148
DATE 21 Apr
TIME 8pm
VENUE www.sportshubtix.sg
Art Places
THE ESPLANADE CO LTD
Think Singapore is arid of
art? Koh Nguang How has
photographic proof otherwise.
See this arts researcher and
photographer’s beautiful
images of diverse art events in
Singapore’s past.
skinnedkneeproductions.com
ADMISSION PRICE $18, $24
This Irish pop-rock trio have sold
20 million records worldwide and
performed in four continents.
Now, for one night only, they’re
set to fire up our island with their
greatest hits like ‘Hall of Fame’ and
‘Superheroes’.
DATE 17 Apr-18 May
TIME Various times
VENUE The Substation Theatre
WEBSITE To book tickets,
email [email protected]
SSO Pops
Concert: John
Williams
Extravaganza
Among the greatest film composers
of all time, John Williams has
inspired not one, but two tribute
concerts from the Singapore
Symphony Orchestra, under the
baton of multi-award-winning
conductor Jason Lai, no less. Head
to this sonic extravaganza and
be transported into movieland
by tunes from films such as Star
Wars, Jurassic Park and Catch Me
If You Can.
VENUE Esplanade Concert Hall
Motherlanz —
ANZAC Day Music
Festival
SAN MIGUEL, AIR NEW ZEALAND
On ANZAC Day, a day of
commemoration for all Australians
and New Zealanders, get in the
spirit of the continent down
under, with Aussie and Kiwi music
sensations such as Ian Moss, Ash
Grunwald and the Jordan Luck
Band rocking it out at the suitably
surfer location of Wavehouse
Sentosa.
VENUE Wavehouse, 36 Siloso
ADMISSION PRICE $20, $38, $58,
Beach Walk, Sentosa
$78
ADMISSION PRICE $115
VENUE Jendela Visual Art Space,
DATE 24 Apr
DATE 25 Apr
The Esplanade
ADMISSION PRICE Free
TIME 7.30pm
TIME 3pm-11.30pm
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
WEBSITE www.motherlanz.com
23
EPILOGUE
BECAUSE ART IS LONG & LIFE IS SHORT
BY PAMELA
HO
Solace & Solitude
24
Monday, 23 March 2015. 3.18am. While Singapore was sleeping, he slipped away quietly. But memories
of him linger in our collective conscience. This work, by visual artist Ong Hui Har, is part of her series of
paintings of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. “I wanted to feature the iconic man from another perspective —
away from his famous politician persona. I find his quiet and subtle quality of accessibility fascinating.”
To find out more about Ong’s work, visit onghuihar.wordpress.com
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