Upcoming theatre and dance performances in Singapore

The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) returns from May 17 to June 2, 2024, following the theme They Declare. Don’t miss out on The Prose And The Passion, a collaboration between Singapore theatre-makers Haresh Sharma and Chong Tze Chien where characters created by English novelist E. M. Forster come alive to interact with characters from Sharma’s imagination. Other highlights include Singapore visual artist Genevieve Chua’s Wilful Machine; and a 90-minute live adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick by Norwegian theatre troupe Plexus Polaire, a  performance that employs filmic techniques, captivating puppetry, and clever stagecraft to manipulate the audience’s perspective.

The timeless tale of Swan Lake graces the stage at The Theatre at Mediacorp this May, performed by the St. Petersburg National Ballet Theatre. For those unfamiliar with the famous ballet, Swan Lake follows the story of Princess Odette, cursed to transform into a swan by day, and Prince Siegfried, who falls in love with her. The highlight of the ballet is the black swan pas de deux, a dance filled with seduction, confidence, and of course, the 32 fouettés, a turn requiring the dancer to use her leg to whip herself around. This production of Swan Lake will also feature former soloists from the famous Mariinsky Theatre, so do not miss out on this spectacular performance.

The last time Miss Saigon graced Singapore’s stage was 23 years ago at the Kallang Theatre. The beloved tragedy will be making its return this August for a limited period of time. Miss Saigon first premiered in 1989, and tells the story of a Vietnamese bargirl, Kim, and her romance with an American Marine sergeant named Chris. The two eventually get married, with Chris promising to take Kim back to America with him, only for the two to be separated after the fall of Saigon. Don’t miss this spectacular musical – after this run, it might not be back for another 23 years.

Embrace absurdity and uniqueness at Esplanade’s Flipside, a 10-day programme filled with circus acts, puppetry, physical theatre, and comedy. Look for humour and meaning in the every day as these acts take ordinary objects like household items and give them unexpected meaning and form. Look forward to a mix of local and international acts, be it a hilarious 30-minute comedy sketch by Improvper Conduct or a whimsical acrobatics performance by Spanish performance troupe Mumusic Circus.

Families should not miss the Emmy award-winning theatre sensation Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show. The popular show first premiered in Bluey’s hometown, Brisbane, and has seen sell-out shows across Australia, the UK, Ireland, and North America. Now, it makes its Asia debut at Singapore’s Sands Theatre from 13 June 2024. At Bluey’s Big Play, catch Bluey, Bingo, Mum, and Dad live in action against impressively designed sets. This theatre show will be based on a fresh original story written by creator Joe Brumm, with accompanying new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush.

Local dance company The Human Expression’s contemporary dance festival is back again for its 14th edition, with this year’s theme spotlighting human connection and how movement helps us to understand each other and ourselves better. This year’s festival brings together six performances and 30 classes and workshops from local and international dancers. Highlights include the free 40-minute performance Dance the Dusk showcasing the explosiveness of dance; and Elusive – a double bill, a collaborative performance with acclaimed choreographers Kim Jae Duk and Ginevra Panzetti. The performance is also paired with an excerpt of the upcoming work Hawla by Klievert Jon Mendoza, set to premiere in 2025. Look forward to workshops by international dancers like Taiwan’s Chang Chien-Hao, South Korea’s Kim Jae Duk, and Australia’s Billy Keohavong. These workshops range from beginner to advanced, so anyone interested in dance can sign up.

Embark on an emotional journey with visual artist Sim Chi Yin as she delves into her family history and their struggles during the Malayan Emergency. This multimedia performance showcases Sim’s photographic and filmic work in the form of a documentary combined with archival footage, and an emotive live score by percussionist Cheryl Ong. Uncover the history of Sim’s grandfather, whose memory was erased and hidden by her family, and gain insights into Chinese diasporic experiences and the long legacy of colonialism.

Get transported to this tiny kitchen space in Bangkok, where a brother and sister of Thai-Chinese descent gather every year to commemorate their deceased father. Set across three years, This Song Father Used to Sing explores the ever-changing political landscape of the Thai metropolis, and how this pair of siblings navigate through life despite its ups and downs. This play first premiered in 2015, and has gone on to win Best Play by the International Theatre Critics Association in 2016. The production has also toured major European festivals including Zurich’s Theater Spektakel and Vinna’s Wiener Festwochen.

Hailing all the way from China, the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts has created an original dance drama based on one of the Chinese Four Great Classics, The Dream Of Red Mansions. The production focuses on the romantic rivalry and friendship between Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai. This modern reimagination of the 18th century classic tells the love story through graceful and elegant dance scenes drawn from ancient paintings’ aesthetics and Chinese antiquity. The Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts is known for marrying tradition and the modern, incorporating contemporary techniques into traditional classical works. The company was established in 2001 and has won 18 Plum Blossom Prizes and 21 Wen Hua Awards.

One of Singapore’s theatrical powerhouses, Teater Ekamatra, is back with a reimagination of the Nusantara folktale Bawang Putih Bawang Merah. The story follows an unjust stepmother and her two daughters with completely different personalities – one who is good and kind, and the other cruel and vindictive. Directed by Mohd Fared Jainal, this darkly humorous production revamps the well-known folktale into a journey of self-discovery and liberation with unexpected twists of fate. While the play will be performed in Malay, English subtitles will be available.

In a time where most content and entertainment are found online, a break away from screens is very much needed. The Umbilical Brothers provide us with that rest, by incorporating an enormous screen to their stage performance. The Distraction is a 75-minute physical theatre performance that incorporates multimedia, with two green screens placed on opposite ends of the stage. The production has gone on to win Best Comedy at the 2021 Adelaide Fringe Festival with its use of physical comedy and cinematic special effects while critiquing our reliance on screens as technology progresses.

Embrace the power of silliness and imagination in the upcoming double bill Stars in Our Eyes by Compagnie Bakélite, a theatre company that specialises in object theatre – a type of theatre that uses found objects to create a narrative. These objects include tin cans, candles, and broomsticks. Through object theatre, Stars in Our Eyes follows the stories of an astronaut venturing into space and the various trials he faces in Star Show, while Love of Risk explores what our world would look like if restaurant waiters were one day replaced with artificial intelligence. Join in on the chaos for a night filled with laughter and triumphs, and take part in the post-dialogue to learn more about the process of creating these performances.

Compagnie Bakélite will also be hosting a workshop where you can learn more about object theatre and its history. You can find out more about Stars in Our Eyes and the workshop here.

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