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AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
From Udon to Rudon: Sharon Au on her cat's name change and his very own French passport, Entertainment News
SINGAPORE - It was love at first sight when Sharon Au set eyes on a sickly male white kitten, one who looked "terrible". "He was born with an eye virus infection and had tear stains around his eyes," says the home-grown personality who is based in Paris. She adds that the kitten's unique appearance - it has black patches on its face, and a black tail with a white tip - "wasn't considered cute or adorable". "Nobody wanted to pick him, but he reminded me of myself when I was young - I was never a cute kid, I'm more the 'weird' one," says the actress-host, 49, who adopted him from a Paris animal shelter in 2000. She named the two-month-old kitten Udon, like the Japanese noodle, but the French authorities rejected that name. "He has to be called Rudon, because in France, there is a naming convention for pets. All names need to start with a designed alphabet to specify which year it was born," Au says. The letter R was the alphabet for the year 2020. So Udon became Rudon, and as part of his registration process, he had to undergo check-ups, vaccinations and micro-chipping. "Rudon is very classy, very French; he has his own French passport, which allows him to travel anywhere within the European Union," says Au with a laugh. Rudon, five, has travelled with her to several European cities. Au, who has been living in the French capital for eight years, says Rudon is a very quiet and docile travel companion. "I have seen many cats meowing throughout the entire train ride; maybe they are very anxious," she adds. "When I unzip the bag, he pops out only to stretch. He's very calm." Au is starring in bilingual theatre play The River Remembers by Ding Yi Music Company, as part of Singapore's SG60 celebrations. She plays Mother River, a symbol of heritage, resilience and renewal that helped shape a nation, carrying dreams to the future. The River Remembers will be staged at the Drama Centre on Aug 16. She will also be a co-host of Find Me A Singaporean: The World's My Stage, a docuseries celebrating Singaporeans who have made their mark beyond the little red dot. The eight-episode show is available on demand on mewatch and airs every Thursday at 8pm on Channel 8. Au cannot bring Rudon to Singapore when she returns home to visit her mother or for work. "Rudon is an indoor cat and has been acclimatised to Paris' cool weather," says Au, adding that he is comfortable in his familiar home environment and that she does not want to stress him out. He has two cat-sitters on standby for times when she is away. "He has undergone a traumatic experience and it took us both more than three months to get over it," she says, referring to the time her apartment was broken into in 2022. She was out but Rudon was at home at the time. Au felt deeply traumatised, depressed and helpless after the break-in. Her home was supposed to be in the safest neighbourhood in Paris, yet the burglary took place. The burglars took almost everything from her apartment, except for her violin, keyboard, guitar and books. They were never caught. She shares that she was in a "very deep depressive state and emotionally gone". The experience left her feeling wrecked and unable to function normally for some time, and she had to rely on her friends for support. Similarly, Rudon developed post-traumatic stress disorder. "He became very jumpy and hid under the bed at every small sound," Au says. He was especially afraid of the main door, which had been broken down during the incident. "Every time he hid under the bed, I had to crawl in to comfort and reassure him, repeatedly telling him that he was safe and that there were no more horrible men," says Au. Helping Rudon recover from the trauma was also a way of healing for Au, as they clung on to each other for support during those trying months. She describes the cat as being "very human" and credits him with saving her and helping her through one of the most difficult times in her life. She jokes that his personality is more like a dog's than a typical cat's. He is affectionate and intelligent, and can play football, ring the bell when he wants snacks, do tricks like give high-fives and understand commands in several languages - English, French, Japanese and Mandarin. "I used to FaceTime him when I was in Singapore, thinking he would miss my presence," says Au. But she soon found out from her cat-sitters that Rudon never responded to the screen. She admits she is often more anxious about missing Rudon than he is about missing her, but she knows she is being missed. "He'd get extremely clingy and needy when I'm back," says Au, adding that her fur kid always follows her around and sleeps with her. "I did think about returning to Singapore for good after the burglary, but I know Rudon will not take to Singapore well," she says. She adds that she will "stay in Paris for Rudon" and has structured her life around ensuring his comfort and well-being. [[nid:715755]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Arts Picks: Ding Yi's The River Remembers, Hotel by Wild Rice, gamelan music at Kampong Gelam
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (From left) Director Goh Boon Teck, composer Law Wai Lun, choreographer Cai Shiji and conductor Dedric Wong De Li are collaborating on The River Remembers. The River Remembers This ambitious multidisciplinary production by Ding Yi Music Company brings together well-known names in Singapore's performing arts scene in an SG60 celebration. This is a fuller restaging of 2019's River Of Life, a chamber symphony composed by Cultural Medallion recipient Law Wai Lun and inspired by journalist Han Shan Yuan's 2006 book, Endless Stories Of Singapore River. The work will have a new arrangement and there will be choreography by Dance Ensemble Singapore's creative director Cai Shiji. Toy Factory's Goh Boon Teck directs the show and actress Sharon Au will narrate the stories in the role of Mother River. Where: Drama Centre Theatre, 03-01 National Library, 100 Victoria Street MRT: Bugis When: Aug 16, 3.30 and 7.30pm Admission: $38 to $68 from Sistic (go to or call 6348-5555) Info: Hotel Hotel by Wild Rice explores the notions of empire, nationhood, migration and identity. PHOTO: WILD RICE Public service announcement for those new to Wild Rice's classic production Hotel. This show is spread over two evenings if you are watching on weekdays and comprises both a matinee and an evening show when you watch on the weekend. This five-hour marathon, however, is well worth your investment of time. The fact that this has been restaged twice since its premiere at the 2015 Singapore Arts Festival – this is the third rerun – is proof positive of its evergreen appeal. The script by Alfian Sa'at and Marcia Vanderstraaten is built on a clever conceit: a hotel room that sees various stories unfolding over 100 years. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore PUB investigating wastewater discharge in Eunos: Pritam Singapore Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations Singapore Afraid of small talk? Scared to make a phone call? How social skills workshops are helping young people Singapore ST and Uniqlo launch design contest for Singapore stories T-shirt collection Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income The audience revisits the room every 10 years, beginning with its opening during the colonial period. An ensemble of 13 actors will bring to life a cavalcade of 66 characters speaking nine languages. More than mere numbers and blockbuster staging, Hotel captures the Singapore story in all its multicultural, multilingual glory. Each vignette functions as a standalone story, ranging in genre from serious drama to comic relief, yet they also fit into a larger whole that reflects Singapore's varied historical tapestry. If you want to celebrate SG60, there is no better experience than this epic production. Where: Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Wild Rice @ Funan, Level 4, 107 North Bridge Road MRT: City Hall When: Aug 14 to Sept 21, 7.30pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), 2.30 and 7.30pm (Saturdays and Sundays) Admission: $60 to $160 Info: Beats On Baghdad Street: SG60 With Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts will perform National Day songs in Baghdad Street. PHOTO: MALAY HERITAGE CENTRE Join home-grown gamelan ensemble Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts for a celebratory sing-along session at Kampong Gelam on Aug 9. It will be playing all the familiar National Day favourites such as Count On Me Singapore and We Are Singapore. Adding to the vibes will be the live telecast of the National Day Parade. You can also try your hand at playing gamelan instruments. This outdoor performance is the latest of the Beats On Baghdad Street programme organised by the Malay Heritage Centre. The series celebrates Malay arts and culture by showcasing various performing groups.
Straits Times
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Concert review: Ding Yi's artful Disappearing Series timely reminder to celebrate traditional practices
Ding Yi Music Company presented the last of its Disappearing Series of concerts on June 6, PHOTO: SINGAPORE CHINESE CULTURAL CENTRE
Independent Singapore
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
The Disappearing Series' final edition is unveiled by Ding Yi Music Company
Courtesy of press release SINGAPORE: Audiences are taken on a moving journey into Singapore's cultural legacy in the concluding chapter of Ding Yi Music Company's celebrated Disappearing… series, where the expressive language of Chinese chamber music revives the dwindling sounds of ancient trades. Courtesy of press release This immersive performance, titled Disappearing…Series: The Last Episode, commemorates the heritage of three rapidly disappearing crafts from Singapore's different cultures: Malay songkok craftsmanship, rattan weaving, and lion dance head-making. A concert experience that blends live music, narrative, and visual artwork breathes new life into these age-old customs that have been passed down through the years and are rich in cultural memory. Bridges music and tradition Creative director and conductor Wong De Li, Dedric heads the show with a vision that bridges music and tradition. Jeremiah Choy, theatre practitioner, directs this multimedia concert while Dr Jesvin Yeo serves as the research advisor, shaping the deep cultural insights. Composers Cultural Medallion recipient Eric James Watson, Tan Yu Ting and De Silva Alicia Joyce craft the musical landscape with entirely new compositions. Video director Sandra Sek leads the visual storytelling. Screened only during the concert, her exclusive documentary film offers an intimate, cinematic window into the lives of the artisans. Each disappearing craft is exquisitely and poignantly captured through her lens, enabling viewers to observe both the finished product and the arduous process that went into it. Memory of tradition The artisans themselves—Hjh Abdul Wahab Bin Abdullah (Malay songkok creating), Chen Foon Kee (rattan weaving), and Henry Ng (lion dance head-making)—are at the centre of this show. Many people consider them to be the last practitioners of their trades. Audiences will witness the sacred symbolism behind lion head-making, the meditative precision of rattan weaving and the pride imbued in the making of a songkok through intricate compositions and live multimedia. There are personal legacies, more than just trades. The artisan soul and community identity are reflected in every thread and stroke. 'The Disappearing… series has been Ding Yi's heartfelt response to the quiet fading of Singapore's intangible heritage,' said Wong De Li, Dedric, creative director and conductor. 'From dialect nursery rhymes to traditional handicrafts of Teochew embroidery and giant joss stick-making, this flagship series has evolved to honour what's slipping away. Working with these artisans and hearing their stories has been incredibly inspiring — their creativity and resilience shaped the way we approached the music. 'This final chapter marks both a celebration and a farewell—where Chinese chamber music meets cultural memory, and hopefully, inspires audiences to keep these fading legacies alive.' Singapore's cultural legacy The concert serves as both a climax and a call to recollection as Ding Yi Music Company wraps up this poignant series. It is an artistic homage to the unsung heroes who bear the burden of Singapore's cultural legacy. Disappearing…The Last Episode underscores the urgency of cultural preservation in a rapidly modernising society. It plays a powerful role that music and storytelling play in keeping these fading trades—and the legacies they embody—alive for future generations. This show is a part of 'The Disappearing…' series and also a highlight of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre's big Cultural Extravaganza in 2025. The Ding Yi Music Company and the SCCC are teaming up, using beautiful Chinese chamber music to put together events that really champion Chinese arts and culture in this part of the world. The Disappearing… series highlights and honours the disappearing customs and traditions of our local Chinese community. Please visit for more information. Disappearing…Series: The Last Episode will be held on June 6, 2025 (Friday), 7.30 pm, and June 7, 2025 (Saturday), 3 pm, at SCCC Auditorium, Level 9. Tickets are available for public sales at $35 (excluding booking fees) on SISTIC here. SAFRA, HomeTeamNS and merewards members enjoy a 20% discount. Terms and conditions apply. Wong De Li, Dedric, Creative Director/Conductor Wong De Li, Dedric is the resident conductor of Ding Yi Music Company and music director of the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra and Nanyang Collective. Jeremiah Choy, Director Jeremiah Choy is a creative director, producer, and curator. Dr. Jesvin Yeo, Research Advisor Dr. Jesvin Yeo is a distinguished Professor of Visual Communication Design at the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Eric James Watson, Composer Tan Yu Ting, Composer De Silva Alicia Joyce, Composer Sandra Sek, Video Director / Set Designer Sandra Sek is a Singapore-based filmmaker and visual storyteller who graduated in 2023 from Nanyang Technological University's School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), where she majored in film. Henry Ng Artisan (Lion Dance Head-Making) Hjh Abdul Wahab bin Haji Abdullah Artisan (Malay Songkok Crafting) Chen Foo Kee Artisan (Rattan Weaving)
