This is a script with a long lineage of accolades but just as the Eunuch Admiral Zheng He never bore any descendants, so was this production somewhat barren in that it brought forth no new insights or emotions in my response. There were many issues with this production, among which were a criminally slow pacing (warning: no interval), a lack of emotional depth from a relatively youthful cast, and clumsy symbolic devices that neither challenged nor illuminated. Director Kuo Jing Hong's choice to stage the wo

Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral (2010), Review

Reviewer

First off, this is a musical, so expect the characters to do things like fall in love in the span of two songs, conceive a love-child against the will of their parents in the next song, and separate after another ... all while a people's revolution erupts in the background and rioting students are killed by the police. Second, expect the music to take centre-stage. With the characters and plot presented in broad strokes, the music is the key to conveying the emotions and cadences of this rousing and sweet t

December Rains (2010), Review

Eyes Wide Shut


The overall effect is mystifying, alienating and, ultimately, tedious.


Cake Theatrical Production's&nbsp;Invisibility / Breathing&nbsp;is a disorienting, Beckettian experience. Eschewing a linear narrative, the progression of time takes the form of a winding circle instead. Scattered dialogue, symbols and gestures take the place of a plot and events are plucked free of context, leaving the audience to make their own sense of what is being presented to them. There is little backgroun

Invisibility / Breathing (2010), Review

Causing A Commotion


The music is stirring, the choreography impactful, and the cast dynamics a joy to watch.


Jiwo Jiro, translating to "zero soul", seeks to explore a whole range of issues such as the plight of the disabled, the laws of human relationships and the line between machine and soul. In this energetic exploration, various visual and aural stimuli are applied: a gamelan-inspired live band, a large and vocal chorus, dance and physical movement, flashing lights, smoke effects and drag and 

Jiwo Jiro (2010), Review

The Upper Crustaceans


Gorgeous costumes and set; elegant, controlled physical movement; and lyrical poetic sentiment.


In&nbsp;The Crab Flower Club's second run, the modern is interlaced with the ancient, the lyrical is interwoven with the foreignness of a translated text, the personal dances with the political, and it all comes together in a tight, succulent production.&nbsp;

Toy Factory Productions' Arts Festival commission has lost its puppy fat since its&nbsp;June 2009&nbsp;staging. The scri

The Crab Flower Club (2009), Review

Pretty Flowers


Chekov's work was competently delivered, and the visuals will linger long in one's memory, but there was little else to take away from this performance.


This Beijing-based production of Chekov's famous last play may have its draggy moments, but it is a competent production, with unique touches that deserve mention.&nbsp;

Chekov's messages about the Russian aristocracy in the midst of social change in the late 19th century are delivered clearly and competently by Director Lin Zhao

The Cherry Orchard (2009), Review

When The Lioness Roars


The various elements of the play, which are executed with great skill and conviction, coalesce around Suzuki's vision to create an impactful, memorable production.


In Euripedes' dark tragedy, Electra is a woman with a savage need for vengeance against her mother Clytemnestra, who together with her lover, has murdered Electra's father. In Tadashi Suzuki's version of&nbsp;Electra, the darkness is a carefully thought out thesis. Every movement, placement, set and sound is consi

Electra (2009), Review

Invincible Summer


Music director Lim Shieh Yih deserves praise for coaxing such gorgeous harmonies and melodious choruses from the ensemble cast.


Although as a piece of musical theatre&nbsp;If There're Seasons&nbsp;has its weak points, it pains me to belabour them, simply because they do not seem to be overly consequential to the loving audience that has lapped up two runs of the production.&nbsp;Seasons&nbsp;has achieved undeniable success as a showcase for over 30 beloved xinyao classics by Lian

If There're Seasons... (2009), Review

Ghost in the Machine


Political satire can find itself trapped very much within its particular context and the script shows its age despite additions by director Lim.


I recall vaguely a time when it was extremely rare to see a play poking fun at the government. Political satire was practically unheard of on the local stage. Presentations of sexuality were prim and proper. Hip-grinding and groin-thrusting were the prerogative of international pop stars like Michael Jackson, and not something for loc

The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate 'S' Machine (2009), Review

Guns and Roses


Within this unrelentingly dark landscape, the symbolism of death and destiny has rich resonance.


As befits the theme of "re-imagine" in the Esplanade Theatre Studios 2009 season, Natalie Hennedige's reinvention of Robin Loon's original text actually adds a whole new script to the mix. Hennedige's contribution as a playwright,&nbsp;The Landlord, is entwined with Loon's monologue&nbsp;Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror&nbsp;such that the production switches back and forth between the 

Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror (2009), Review

Lost World


Sadly, Offenbach's score seemed to be the main highlight of the SLO's production.


Jacques Offenbach is most famous for his light operettas and the "can-can" melody of the Moulin Rouge. So, with Offenbach, one tends not to expect any heavy, Puccini-esque drama that plumbs the depths of the human soul. In&nbsp;The Tales of Hoffmann, Offenbach's most popular full-length opera, the plot is a fantabulous, frivolous one, covering a poet's love affairs with a wind-up doll, a young girl who sin

The Tales of Hoffmann (2009), Review

Born to Be Tame


Buds' interpretation of this Wilde classic committed the very crime the play warns against, of being overly earnest.


Oscar Wilde's sparkling wit, with its incisive pokes at the vanity of mankind, was the star of this comedy of errors. Self-aware, irreverent and frivolous, Wilde's scripts seldom fail to beguile the theatre-goer who appreciates the finer points of humour and irony. However, in this production by Buds Theatre Company, the witty script seemed to be the only point of in

The Importance of Being Earnest (2009), Review

Suap&nbsp;was starkly different from the childlike narrative of playwright Zizi Azah's earlier work&nbsp;Why Did The Cat Get So Fat, although it incorporated elements of a children's tale in its dark allegorical structure. An elaborate set resembling a playground was painted entirely scarlet, which set the tone for the blazes of brutality that punctured the production with unfailing regularity.&nbsp;Suap, which had three people living in a Garden and competing with one another to win daily competitions, was

Suap (2009), Review

To Womb It May Concern...


For the most part, the production sought to lay it on thick rather than to let the audience make our own references.


We Live in a Box, thankfully, turned out to be much more tolerable than its programme notes, which promised a "disassembly of a vague construction", with "intentions and obligations [...] placed on an imaginary pedestal".

We Live in a Box&nbsp;eschewed your run-of-the-mill linear narrative for a more unconventional style. It explored simultaneously the i

We Live in a Box (2009), Review

Everything's Q-OK


Although the script was strongly American in context, the knowing, cheeky tone translated well to our local audience.


In the opening lines of&nbsp;Avenue Q, young graduate Princeton wonders: "What do I do with a BA in English ... I can't pay the bills yet, cos I have no skills yet". The disjoint between a liberal arts education and the job market has been discussed ad nauseum by educators and administrators, but became disarmingly clear when voiced by a furry muppet who is seekin

Avenue Q (2008), Review

C*nt St*nt


While the effect was less intimate than Ensler's original staging, the characters were easier to relate to, and their stories less abstract.


New theatre company Zebra Crossing, helmed by Artistic Director Loretta Chen, reconceptualised Eve Ensler's famous monologues about the taboo topic of the vagina with a staging that hit close to home.&nbsp;The Vagina Monologues&nbsp;is well-loved for being frank, hard-hitting and shocking, and Chen's "take no prisoners" approach was true to this sp

The Vagina Monologues (2008), Review

Within the Limit of Becoming Mirth


An enjoyable production which did justice to the comedic elements of Shakespeare's script.


This energetic production of Shakespeare's comedy about forbidden love came off relatively well despite some opening night stumbles and the occasional jittery line.

The cast of the SRT's Young Co. produced a vigorous energy that was well-suited to the mischievous, playful tone of the work, in which the King of Navarre and his three courtiers break their oath of abstinenc

Love's Labour's Lost (2008), Review

Cast Behind


Nothing if not imaginative.


The twisting, dream-like narrative of&nbsp;Like Shadowswas the first point of interest for the audience. Derived from playwright/director Stan Lai's creative workshop at Stanford University, the plot of&nbsp;Like Shadows&nbsp;unfolded like a thriller. Suspenseful and mysterious,&nbsp;Like Shadows&nbsp;had been described by Lai as a mixture of&nbsp;The Sixth Sense&nbsp;and&nbsp;Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Indeed, the narrative was littered with idiosync

Like Shadows (2008), Review

Sing Something Simple


A black comedy which teetered constantly on the edge of something raw and subtle.


The producers of the British Theatre Playhouse are the first to admit that they had been producing plays mainly concerned with middle and upper class England, and they sought to break out of this pattern with&nbsp;The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Set in Northern England and populated by coarse characters living in distinctly slovenly conditions,&nbsp;Little Voice&nbsp;was indeed "far from the 

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (2008), Review

Past Forward


It was all very&nbsp;The Matrix&nbsp;meets&nbsp;Star Trek.


120, a new work created for the National Museum of Singapore, was a museum tour, birthday party, short film event, artefact display and futuristic spectacle all rolled into one. Given that it was conceived in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the National Museum,&nbsp;120's eagerness to please was understandable. The National Museum, aiming to distinguish itself from its more staid brethren, has been positioning itself a

120 (2007), Review

Rainbow Nation


This ambitious conclusion to the&nbsp;Asian Boys&nbsp;trilogy was overall a lovely piece of work, at once fairytale and true to life.


Happy Endings&nbsp;was many things, each with varying degrees of success.

On one level,&nbsp;Happy Endings&nbsp;was a heartfelt exploration of friendship, love and self-awakening, drawing from Johann S Lee's Peculiar Chris (Singapore's first gay novel). An author, Joe (Ben Xiao), struggles to write a story about a desirable school swimmer, Chris, d

Happy Endings: Asian Boys Vol. 3 (2007), Review

The History Girls


Comediennes and actresses the Dim Sum Dollies are; dancers they are not.


The Dim Sum Dollies score again with their latest production,&nbsp;The History of Singapore. In the hands of the "naughty, saucy, almost tacky" Dim Sum Dollies, the days of Temasek, Sir Stamford Raffles and separation from Malaya are rich material for hilarious songs and skits. Who would have imagined that the Integrated Resorts were first conceived by an entrepreneurial bunch of opium den, brothel and gambl

Dim Sum Dollies: History of Singapore (2007), Review

Forever People


An intense experience that is not far removed from well executed melodrama.


Beijing Ren, reputedly playwright Cao Yu's personal favourite, has only recently found popular acceptance through the Bejing People's Art Theatre Director and Playwright Li Liuyi. But it would be a mistake to assume that Li's take on Cao Yu's classic is an easy ride for audiences. For one, it is 185 minutes long.&nbsp;Beijing Ren&nbsp;is also unrelentingly bleak. Throughout the play, an oppressive atmosphere

Beijing Ren (2007), Review

Time and Time Again


While the play was thin on themes and message, it demonstrated a canny ability to convey abstractions through physical speech and movement, and to do so in an authentic way.&nbsp;Memory - Human Remains&nbsp;has much potential to be built into something fuller and more powerful.


It is a rare treat to encounter a truly aesthetically beautiful work so Collective Mayhem - a "collective" group of theatre practitioners working together - deserve credit for achieving a marvellously co

Memory - Human Remains (2007), Review

The Gods Must Be Crazy


While the younger audience was tickled pink by the surfeit of jokes and shenanigans, the mature crowd seemed less taken. For the feat of attracting and enthralling an eager youth audience, I take my hat off to The Theatre Practice. But for whatever else&nbsp;Immortalx&nbsp;set out to do artistically, the play did not live up to its premise.


&nbsp;

A group of immortals and their teenage offspring combat identity issues and physical weakness to overpower demons who are tryi

Immortalx (2007), Review

The Science of Love


I greatly enjoyed the fine actors and the robust script, and how the light-hearted whimsies and grim realities in the play ultimately came together in an absorbing tale of love, sacrifice and loss.


Everything But The Brain&nbsp;rewards an attentive audience – the more you pay attention, the more you get out of it. Its basic premise is that of a 36-year old physics teacher, Elaine Tan, dealing with her elderly father’s physical deterioration and death. It starts off as a whimsic

Everything But The Brain (2007), Review

Islands in the Stream


Ng How Wee's script opened the seams of our society to explore its hidden depths with the empathy of an engaged member of the community.


Pulau&nbsp;could well have been another self-absorbed postmodernist project, like those plays whose main concern is to make a statement using methods so clever that the message itself becomes secondary. The warning signs were there: minimalist staging, witty social commentary, and mystifying references which seemed vaguely symbolic - such as

Pulau (2006), Review

What Lies Beneath


Dave Freeman's depiction of the hysteria experienced by those who incur the wrath of their jealous spouses was hugely engaging, even to someone who is neither British, married nor cheating on someone.


I would like to start with a couple of warnings to "serious" theatregoers and critics. First:&nbsp;A Bedfull of Foreigners&nbsp;does not do much by way of edification. Its primary objective is to entertain, and it is not above pulling a few cheap tricks to achieve this. Second: this

A Bedfull of Foreigners (2006), Review

Grave Justice


The dark, claustrophobic set, which comprised the living and dining rooms of the Escobar beach house, destabilised the security of the domestic setting from the start.


Escape Theatre's production of&nbsp;Death and the Maiden&nbsp;packed a punch with its dark atmosphere of suspense tinged with a heavy undercurrent of violence. The gloomy set, surrealistic lighting and bass-heavy music provided the perfect backdrop for Ariel Dorfman's psychological thriller about a woman, Paulina Escob

Death and the Maiden (2006), Review

Chick Lit


Guided by Joucla's deft direction, Frisch and Atkinson share a chemistry that lights up the stage, while maintaining enough separateness in their individual characters to illuminate the complexity of human connection.


In this entertaining tale of class difference and self-discovery, two polar opposites develop a friendship as a result of their common love for literature and learning. Shelley Atkinson plays Rita, a zesty young hairdresser from Liverpool who signs up for an Open University

Educating Rita (2006), Review

A Classic and More


More than anything, Lao Jiu is a young man growing up who wants to discover who he is.


Lao Jiu, The Musical&nbsp;was many wonderful things - original, fun, artistically exciting and authentic - but I would describe it primarily as a modern Singaporean folktale. It is by this description that the broad, colourful brushstrokes of&nbsp;Lao Jiu's characters, and the play's leanings towards the extremes of good versus evil, come alive without veering into the realm of cliché. It is a

Lao Jiu (2005), Review

Save the Last Dance


Perhaps Modern Dance's lack of brilliance is due to the fact that it arrived a little too long after it had become&nbsp;à la mode&nbsp;to think about men and women having sex without relationships.


As a chronicle of contemporary heterosexual culture, one can easily draw parallels between&nbsp;Modern Dance for Beginners&nbsp;and television productions like&nbsp;Coupling&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sex and the City. Youthful and slick, it unapologetically serves up eight characters in a round-

Modern Dance for Beginners (2005), Review

Plucking Music Out of Air


Theremin&nbsp;tells a fascinating story with beauty and originality. Now, if only it did not try to attribute too grandiose a significance to an object that does not deserve it.


Theremin&nbsp;is a kind of objet d'art, a curio of the stage that you imagine belongs in the dusty but well-loved collection of a purple-haired professor.&nbsp;Theremin&nbsp;recounts the life and times of Russian physicist and inventor Leon Theremin (1896-1993), who invented the first prototype fo

Theremin - Ether Music and World History (2005), Review

Mediocrity - What's Not To Like?


The shallow characters, the dialogue that flits from theme to theme, and the self-conscious dramatic gestures that don't carry substantive meaning all form the crux of the very offence that&nbsp;Amber&nbsp;spends much of its running time trying to condemn: mediocrity.


Playwright Liao Yimei's programme notes present&nbsp;Amber&nbsp;as an enticing meditation on love and desire. She writes, "In&nbsp;Amber&nbsp;I wanted to portray the complexity of human feelings. Pure

Amber (2005), Review

Plane Funny


You must be prepared for gratuitous elements, such as groan-worthy innuendoes and some unapologetically tacky moments, but once the lights are up and the actors are rolling, you will be too busy laughing to bother with such trifles.


Audiences should take note of the following safety tips before watching&nbsp;Boeing Boeing. First, seat belts should be securely unfastened so as not to cause stomach ruptures during moments of laughter. Second, audiences should not take the play too seriou

Boeing Boeing (2005), Review

Be Scared or Be Square


Chermaine Ang delivers a squirmingly good performance as the bewildered, affection-starved Girl whose trusting obedience to her Uncle raises uncomfortable parallels with Huang Na's story.


In this expressionistic evocation of the culture of fear that has enwrapped society since September 11th, Haresh Sharma retells the story of Little Riding Hood in a cauldron of latent terror and violence. Echoes of the recent Huang Na tragedy and a madcap sideplay about a terrorist plot on 

What Big Bombs You Have!!! (2005), Review

Attack of the Killer Chestnuts


Flippant jokes about&nbsp;W!ld Rice's cross-dressing artistic director struck a chord with those in the audience who had unsuspectingly bought theatre tickets to a drag show once too often.


House of Flying Chestnuts&nbsp;lived up to its legacy and delivered a massive truckload of funny. A spirit of madcap irreverence permeated the over two-hour long show, with the frenetic pace onstage showcasing the newly-built chemistry between jokers Jonathan Lim and Hossan Leong;

Private Partly: House of Flying Chestnuts (2004), Review

From Lips That Rarely Speak


After the guffaws had died down, there was still the sense of something missing in the general scheme of the production.


The Singaporean production of&nbsp;The Vagina Monologues, directed by The Arts House Programmes Manager Jonas Abueva and starring Nora Samosir, Cynthia McQuarrie Lee and Anita Kapoor, could not have arrived any sooner. This provocative, intensely relevant social dialogue is particularly arresting in its Singaporean context. What other country can boas

Deanne Tan

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