My Perfect Weekend with SRT's artistic director Gaurav Kripalani
Gaurav Kripalani is the artistic director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GAURAV KRIPALANI
Who: Gaurav Kripalani, 53, is the artistic director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT). Over his 23 years with the company, he has produced more than 100 plays.
The company is now staging Macbeth as part of its Shakespeare In The Park series. Running at Fort Canning Park till June 1, the outdoor production reimagines the Bard's classic tale of ambition, betrayal and the devastating cost of power. Previous runs of SRT's Shakespeare In The Park include Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
'My perfect weekend would entail watching a good play, enjoying a plate of my favourite chicken rice, spending time with friends and family, and catching up on sleep.
Every May, my friends and family organise a picnic for me in the park for my birthday weekend, as my birthday falls on May 8.
In true Singaporean fashion, what is on the menu is a major part of the planning.
There is usually an impressive spread and, over time, the whole thing has grown into something of a production. Each year, they choose a theme and go all out with decorations and props. It is equal parts over-the-top and incredibly thoughtful.
Being able to lie on a picnic mat under the stars with those near and dear to you, enjoying a drink and a sumptuous meal, is a kind of magic you do not find often.
For me, food, laughter and being surrounded by people who matter most – that is what makes a weekend perfect. And the cherry on top? Being able to sleep in late the next morning.
When I do eventually surface, Sunday tends to be fairly relaxed and s tarts with coffee. I love the aroma as much as the taste – there is something comforting and almost ritualistic about it. I am quite addicted, to be honest.
Gaurav Kripalani celebrating his 53rd birthday at a picnic.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GAURAV KRIPALANI
I am also a bit of a news junkie, so I usually spend a couple of hours reading a mix of newspapers – local and international. It is my version of a slow Sunday.
In the evening, I will often head out to catch a play and a meal with friends. Then it is back home, just in time to catch an Arsenal match or a Formula One race – sometimes both, if I am lucky.
I feel very blessed to have a wonderful family and a few special friends who always go out of their way to make my birthday weekends memorable. They are the heart of it all – and the reason these weekends mean so much. '
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Paper
an hour ago
- New Paper
Thosai-eating Machine: 36 thosais and more in 68 minutes
On a humid Friday afternoon, under the warm lights of the iconic MTR restaurant in Little India, Singapore's most famous food gladiator, Zermatt Neo, did something utterly jaw-dropping. He polished off a staggering 36 thosais in 68 minutes, along with an avalanche of other South Indian dishes. And I was there to witness it, surrounded by the clatter of cameras, the gasps of onlookers and the hum of disbelief. Zermatt, the 37-year-old Singaporean competitive eater and social media sensation, is no stranger to viral food challenges. But even by his sky-high standards, this was something special. Wearing his trademark quiet focus and a hungry grin, Zermatt attacked the feast with surgical precision: 10 podi masala thosais 10 masala thosais 5 set thosais 1 godhi thosai 2 plates of podi idli 3 plates of chilli bhaji 2 bowls of bisibele bath 1 curd rice And a selection of chutneys, sagoos, raitas, lassis and lemonades. That's more than 7kg of food, drenched in 1.6kg of ghee, consumed in just over an hour. "I chose MTR because so many of my Indian followers kept recommending it," Zermatt told me post-feast, still glowing - not from sweat, but what can only be described as thosai bliss. "They said this was the place to try real South Indian food. I went for it on my own free will, and they were right." Indeed, MTR, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary globally and 12th in Singapore, is no average restaurant. Known for its no-shortcut approach - no preservatives, no chemicals just good-old freshly ground masalas and batters - it draws loyalists from across cultures. "About 30 per cent of our podi thosais are eaten by Chinese customers," said MTR manager Srinivasa Satish Rao. "But this is the first time I've seen anyone eat 36 thosais in one go. Zermatt was smiling throughout. Incredible." It wasn't just thosais. Zermatt had never tried some of these varieties before. "I've had thosai before," he said, "but not like this. The spices, the ghee, the textures - buttery, crispy, hot. It's an experience. You can tell there's love in every fold of the thosai." And yet, watching him eat was hypnotic. Calm, composed, surgical. I couldn't help but ask: How does one even do this? Zermatt laughed and told me: "It's years of training. I started off with a 2kg capacity. I've worked up to 9kg now. Before and after each challenge, I fast for 24 hours to reset my body." What about health? "I go for full health checks every six months. My biomarkers are top 2 to 5 per cent. My doctor says I'm healthier than 90 per cent of Singaporeans." If it all sounds impossible, you should know this: Zermatt is not your average mukbanger (someone who consumes copious amounts of food on camera). With a ripped physique, a Tesla parked outside, and more than 2.2 million YouTube subscribers and a total of 4.5 million TikTok, Instagram and Facebook followers, he's a brand. He juggles nutrition knowledge, gym routines and travel schedules to pursue what he calls "performative gastronomy". At MTR, the audience of about 15 - including three camera operators, restaurant staff and curious patrons like me, drawn to the spectacle by the manager's invitation - watched with rapt attention as he gulped down thosai after thosai, mixing technique with pure willpower. What happens when you hit your limit? "You feel the flavours start to repeat, so I use tricks - mango lassi to cleanse the palate, honey lemon to lighten things. That helps reset the taste buds," he said. MTR's famed masala podi thosai was his favourite. "Perfect balance. The crispy exterior, the fluffy interior, the spicy potatoes - chef's kiss," he said. Zermatt's eating prowess is no fluke. He holds world records for devouring 92 chicken wings in eight minutes, 7kg of beef noodles in 15 minutes and 9.5kg of laksa. His recent stint with butter chicken - 4kg chicken, 3kg rice, 1kg naan - went viral. Indian food, he says, is the heaviest among cuisines. "The ghee, the spices - it hits different. But it's also the most delicious." So, is this the most thosais anyone has ever eaten in a single sitting? "I don't know," he said with a chuckle. "But if it is, I'd be happy to break my own record next time." Spectator and MTR regular Raj Nainani, who claims to have eaten there daily for years, was in awe: "Zermatt did something extraordinary. I Googled it - I think it is a world record." Behind the gluttony lies a mind of discipline. Zermatt adheres to intermittent fasting, stacks his post-challenge meals with fibre and probiotics and works out six times a week, focusing on cardio and compound lifts. "I don't binge every day. It's planned. It's science," he said. There's also deep respect for culture. "My Indian viewers love when I eat with my hands," he said. "It makes them feel connected. That connection means everything to me." Zermatt might be a global Internet phenomenon, but on May 23 at MTR Singapore, he was simply a man who loved eating thosais. The watchers clapped. The chefs peeked from the kitchen, stunned. He stood, wiped his hands, and flashed a grin. "I'm full," he said. Full of food, yes. But also full of joy. And for those of us lucky enough to watch, full of wonder.
Vogue Singapore
3 hours ago
- Vogue Singapore
Jemimah Wei on building a writing life
Does the great Singapore novel exist? If you ask Jemimah Wei, the answer is that it doesn't matter. 'I don't believe that there has to be one defining Singaporean novel,' she says. 'That type of thinking is competitive and not generative. It leaves no space for anyone else. It also reflects a Western obsession with hierarchy and power that I don't believe we need to subscribe to. I think we can afford to not only open the door, but to hold it open.' Wei has been careful to reiterate that her debut novel is a Singaporean story—not the Singaporean story. An intertwining tale of two sisters and their unconventional bond , The Original Daughter traverses time and space. Yet, it remains viscerally rooted to its core material: the poignant, everyday textures of life in working-class Singapore. Its characters are palpably real—as easy to root for as they are to rail against. A decade in the making, it's a novel cut straight from Wei's soul. A breathtaking literary debut, the release has already racked up a string of accolades, from being named a National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 honoree to a Good Morning America Book Club pick. Chanel jacket, necklace and shoes; top and skirt, stylist's own. Lenne Chai At the time of our conversation, it is barely a week from the book's official launch on 6 May. How does this moment feel for Wei? 'The most accurate way I can describe it is the feeling is too big to step into. It might be a feeling that I haven't had yet. There isn't one word to describe it.' On launch day, Wei go on to do a reading at Yu & Me Books, the first fully Asian American-owned bookstore in New York City, followed by a fireside chat where she shared more about her journey as a first-time author. The latter was hosted by none other than acclaimed writer (and one of Wei's literary heroes) Roxane Gay, who also wrote the blurb for Wei's novel. 'A lot of my friends from Singapore flew in for this. They've been hearing about this book for such a long time and they're all excited to celebrate,' Wei says gratefully. 'It almost feels like a wedding.' Wei may have put the polish on The Original Daughter in the US, but the novel first took root in the depths of her mind as a young adult living in Singapore—sprouting from her concerns about the future. This is plain to see in Wei's prose—from her portrayal of the mind-numbing pressures of Singapore's education system to her reflections on the premature class-consciousness we develop under the looming idea of meritocracy. Even when sweetened with a welcome dose of nostalgia, her writing feels unmistakably live. 'I knew that I had to try and become the writer that the book needed me to be.' 'I wanted the book to be true to a specific experience in Singapore. One of the big concerns throughout my adolescence was witnessing boundaries of class and how they could solidify or become porous,' Wei muses. 'As a society, how do we account for people who fall between the cracks?' 'A big part of the book deals with the stress of being in the Singaporean education system, which is quite difficult to write because studying is boring to read about. If you think about the external visual of studying—you're struggling at your desk, then going to sleep, waking up, maybe crying, then going to school—it's not very interesting, yet it's important to represent accurately on the page. So a lot of the challenge, craft-wise, was to motivate those scenes in a way that would keep the reader interested.' The reason why the novel took nearly 10 years to complete, then, was Wei's innate desire to push her writing to a higher level. 'I started writing the book in my early 20s, when I wasn't in control of my craft the way I am now. So even though the skeleton of the book did not change—the big things that happen in it were always going to happen—I knew that I had to try and become the writer that the book needed me to be.' Chanel jacket; top and pants, stylist's own. Lenne Chai Wei's obsession with the art form of writing has long been on simmer. Millennials in Singapore might recognise her from her past life as a host on digital platforms like Clicknetwork and E!. As one of the country's earliest online breakout stars, it might have been news to her audience that, alongside her glamorous media job, she spent every spare hour writing. 'There's no other way to say it, those days I used to feel demented,' she laughs. 'I would wake up at 5.30am to go into the co-working space where I was renting a desk, and write for three hours before starting my freelance media work.' A turning point came during a 10-week creative writing masterclass taught by Malaysian writer Tash Aw, which Wei describes as a light bulb moment. 'It was the first time I had seen someone from our region successfully be a working writer. Tash had been on the Man Booker Prize long list twice. It made me realise—maybe this was actually possible.' This sparked a deep contemplation on what it would mean to build a life devoted to writing. 'When you're spending time in a room with writers, writing becomes a muscle. My growth during those 10 weeks felt exponentially greater than anything I had experienced before,' she says. Two years later, Wei pulled the trigger on her commitment to the writing life by moving to New York City to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing at Columbia University. At the end of her MFA came another life-changing moment: she received the Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University—one of the most prestigious writing residency positions in the US. The most magical thing about this, in Wei's eyes, was that they were essentially hiring her to write full time for two years. 'That's the beautiful thing about writing—you write to understand.' 'When I was living in Singapore as a freelancer, planning my schedule around my writing was difficult because I never had foresight into what the next month would look like. My time was dictated by the opportunities that came my way but also the things I say yes to. So even if I wanted to set aside time to write, would I be able to say no to a job, which would pay the bills, to stare at my manuscript instead?' The Stegner, Wei reveals, was the first time in her career she knew that she had a reliable source of income for two years to come. 'It created this psychological safety for me that made it possible to take The Original Daughter past the finish line.' I ask what it was like writing something so intimately tied to her hometown while being so far from home. Did her imagined audience for the book change? It was quite the opposite, Wei attests. 'Going farther from Singapore solidified my vision that this novel had to be read by a Singaporean audience. I remember thinking to myself that even if the whole world loved it, I would still be heartbroken if people at home were like, 'This sounds like she's writing to an American audience, right?'' This manifested in Wei's writing through a deliberate pull back on explaining her local references. 'During my MFA, I read so many books written by American authors filled with references that I didn't know prior. It didn't reduce my enjoyment of those books. I felt the need to do the same for The Original Daughter ,' she says. 'Of course, it is helpful for the reader if you scaffold their understanding a little bit because, at the end of the day, your job is to keep the reader engaged. So I would meet the reader at a certain point, and if they don't go beyond that to make a leap of understanding, I'm not going to spoon-feed. I don't think it's that difficult to guess what a void deck is—it's literally in the name,' she adds with a chuckle. So, I ask half-jokingly, when can we expect her next book and what will it look like? 'I don't think that I have it in me to write a book that's not about Singapore in some way,' she says. 'Even if I set a book in a galaxy far, far away, Singaporean sensibilities and considerations will still bleed into it in some form. 'One of the things I've been thinking about recently is what it means to live in community with each other and go through a big crisis. I've also always been concerned with the idea of freedom and agency. I don't mean it in the sense of 'Yes, freedom is great and we should all move towards it'. What does individual freedom mean? What agency do we have over our personhoods while living in society? 'That's the beautiful thing about writing—you write to understand. Writing serves a testing realm for certain questions, which then becomes a controlled environment where these questions can be explored.' She breaks herself out of reverie with a wave of her arm and a chuckle. 'But hopefully, the next book will not take nine years. I think the first one has taught me a thing or two.' Welcome to Vogue Dialogues, a new series by Vogue Singapore in which we spotlight key writers, poets and literary voices driving change for good through groundbreaking work. Vogue Dialogues is presented with the support of Chanel. A long-standing patron of arts and culture around the globe, Chanel has deep roots in the literary world, led by key initiatives like The Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon which brings together writers to discuss important themes like female empowerment. With their support of Vogue Dialogues, Chanel joins Vogue Singapore in celebrating our local and regional literary scene, as well as amplifying the voices of Asian and female writers all around the world. Associate lifestyle editor Chandreyee Ray Director of photography Lenne Chai Gaffer Timothy Lim Sound Jenn Hui Chia Camera assistant Kinleung Lau Post-production AMOK Production Producer David Bay Styling Nicholas See Hair Winnie Wong Make-up Victoria Hwang The June issue of Vogue Singapore is available online and on newsstands now.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Concert review: Young musicians from Ventus, Band Academy and OMM flex in weekend concerts
Wind orchestra Ventus and Band Academy Singapore played a tribute to all things Singaporean. PHOTO: BENJAMIN CHIAU Tutti – An SG60 Symphonic Celebration Ventus & Band Academy Singapore School of the Arts Concert Hall May 30, 7.30pm Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
