Latest news with #LittleSifa
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sifa 2025 Week Two: What audiences say
Audiences at Sifa shows such as The Sea And Its Neighbourhood share their thoughts. ST PHOTOS: GABRIELLE MARIE SUNDERAJ, DORCAS LIM SINGAPORE – The Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) 2025 kicked off on May 16 and runs till June 1. With the theme of More Than Ever, the tentpole performing arts festival organised by Arts House Limited has lined up varied shows, from crowd-pleasing comedy headlined by ever-popular actor Hossan Leong and family-friendly fare at Little Sifa to Drama Box's participatory theatre piece Hello Is This Working? and the more intimate Japanese Occupation-era tale A Thousand Stitches. The Straits Times speaks to some attendees to get their impressions of the shows. Lear, SOTA Studio Theatre, May 23, 8pm Pammela Ng, 29, software engineer: 'This is the first Sifa Performance I have watched, and it is definitely a very new experience for me. The acting really stood out to me , it was very emotional. Even though there were no words, every single movement made by each of the actors was so well calculated and well timed with the music. I now have a new plan to attend more Sifa performances.' Ms Pammela Ng and Mr Joseph Ong after watching Lear at Sota Studio Theatre. ST PHOTO: GABRIELLE MARIE SUNDERAJ Arthi Nachammai, 18, student: 'I didn't expect that there would be no lines in the performance. So, when I first watched it, that first scene was very powerful. It was so full of energy, with the lights and sound, and even the vibration in the seats. It was a very audience-engaging experience. The coordination between the three supporting actors was incredible, and their eyes spoke volumes. Being a theatre kid who has directed a school show before, I could learn so much from what was going on.' Arti Nachammai after watching Lear at Sota Studio Theatre. ST PHOTO: GABRIELLE MARIE SUNDERAJ Miriam Cheong, 30, theatre practitioner: 'Ramesh Meyyappan's performance was beautiful from the moment he stepped onstage. I was invested. I didn't quite know exactly what would happen, but I was ready for the next hour. When I watched it, I instantly thought it was different. It is not often you get to watch such purely non-verbal theatre in Singapore. Yes, we have a lot of physical theatre here , but it was physical in a way that was different, it embodied emotion.' Miriam Cheong after watching Lear at Sota Studio Theatre. ST PHOTO: GABRIELLE MARIE SUNDERAJ A Thousand Stitches, Drama Centre Black Box, May 23, 8pm Evi Marmar, 48, museum guide: 'I thought it was very well done. I liked the combination of the different media, so I found it quite impressive. I also enjoyed the story because it's a part of the history of Singapore that I find very interesting. It's nice to see it in a different way and presented more from like a human point of view – not just finding the enemy and the friend, because nothing is so clear.' Evi Marmar watched A Thousand Stitches at Drama Centre Black Box. ST PHOTO: DORCAS LIM Joel Gn, 43, lecturer: 'It presented a side of the Japanese Occupation that is not often discussed or raised in history books, like how the Japanese felt about it and what the Japanese living in Singapore were going through at that time. I would definitely recommend this show to others, it is really good.' Joel Gn watched A Thousand Stitches at Drama Centre Black Box. ST PHOTO: DORCAS LIM Zhanhui Wong, 38, events coordinator: 'I enjoyed the little parts – there were a lot of fun effects. It tackles a lot of aspects of history that we are not normally used to, but they do it in a pretty fun way.' Zhanhui Wong watched A Thousand Stitches at Drama Centre Black Box. ST PHOTO: DORCAS LIM Simran Kotak, 39, entrepreneur: 'It was like just two people and very few props. Minimal stuff but maximum impact. It's a very impactful and powerful production. I've also seen Animal Farm, and am going to watch Hossan-ah In The High Arts on May 31. I am enjoying Sifa very much.' Mrs Simran Kotak (left) and Mr Vir Kotak (right) watched A Thousand Stitches at Drama Centre Black Box. ST PHOTO: DORCAS LIM Little SIFA, Empress Lawn, May 24, 11am to 10pm Law Ding Ying, 41, clinical research professional: ' It was very nice. The event was very family-friendly. I appreciate all the effort and all the volunteers. I was really looking forward to The Purple Symphony showcase as I've known of them, but have never had the chance to watch them live. I really want my two sons to be exposed to them as well. This place is marvellous – it's immersive and interactive.' Tabitha Anaia, nine, student: 'I like the show. The musicians played so well. I enjoyed doing cartwheels around the lawn and listening to the music. I had a lot of fun today despite the heat.' Tabitha Anaia (third from right) and Alula Agnimaya (fourth from right) with their friends and family during Little Sifa at Empress Lawn. ST PHOTO: GABRIELLE MARIE SUNDERAJ Alula Agnimaya, 9, student: 'The pianist in the showcase was really good. I had fun at the bracelet making booth too.' Lau Su Anne, 38, finance and operations manager: 'The children singing onstage were very talented. I hope one day my daughter will also like music. She was clapping her hands and cheering throughout the performance. This is my first time watching a show like this with my daughter, who is 15 months old. She's just started to walk and respond to things, so I can tell she loved it. She is too young to try the activities, but we enjoyed the music and the orchestra nonetheless.' Lau Su Anne with her husband and 15-month-old daughter during Little Sifa at Empress Lawn. ST PHOTO: GABRIELLE MARIE SUNDERAJ Dhiraj Nanda, 38, finance professional: 'The House Between The Winds (installation work) was very raw and organic, and it's something special for children to understand and experience. This was definitely a nice family event to attend, and it is our first time watching a performance together.' Hossan-AH! In The High Arts, Bedok Town Square, May 24, 8pm Dutta Aania, 15, student: 'It was like a concert in public and it was really nice. He sang songs that we all know and it's really funny. I love that I can just pop by any time next time if it's happening again and just watch.' Yamin Thant, 15, student: 'I liked the show very much because he was really entertaining. He sang a lot of songs that are very popular and I especially like La Vie En Rose , the French song . I think the fact that the performances are free is really good, because it increases the outreach and public exposure to the arts. Most of the arts performances are ticketed, but now you don't have to pay. You can just sit down and watch with your family and friends. I will definitely be down for more Sifa shows because they are very entertaining.' Yamin Thant after watching Hossan-Ah! In The High Arts at Bedok Town Square. ST PHOTO: DORCAS LIM Suani Azlan, 57, housewife: 'The show was really good. If I had to rate the show out of 10, I will give it a 10. It was excellent. I will go for more shows in the future, especially if they're free. I knew that these shows were happening because there are posters around. I'm also aware that there are shows tomorrow, and I will be coming down again. ' Suani Azlan after watching Hossan-Ah! In The High Arts at Bedok Town Square. ST PHOTO: DORCAS LIM Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Things to do with kids: Monstrous Fun! at The Arts House, Little Sifa, Tales Of The Playground picture books
Join free and ticketed activities at the Monstrous Fun! literary arts programme from May 30 to June 1. PHOTOS: ARTS HOUSE LIMITED Fun With Kids: Monstrous Fun! at The Arts House, Little Sifa, Tales Of The Playground picture books SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities. Monstrous Fun! at The Arts House Calling little monsters – no, not fans of American pop star Lady Gaga, but children who are game to dress up in beastly costumes and join the inaugural Monster Parade. The procession sees participants walk from The Arts House to the Empress Lawn while making music with upcycled instruments. It is part of Arts House Limited's Monstrous Fun! literary arts programme, which is back for its fourth edition from May 30 to June 1 at The Arts House. There are free and ticketed activities, some of which require advance registration. These include Bimbang And The Curios Trunk, a free 30-minute storytelling session involving music and puppetry. Also, sign up for the Drum-A-Story workshop led by local jazz pioneer and 2018 Cultural Medallion recipient Louis Soliano. Discover how percussion and rhythmic expression can bring a story to life in this 40-minute workshop. It costs $10 a person. Go to for the full list of programmes. Little Sifa at Empress Lawn The House Between The Winds, a soundscape installation and a drama performance featuring a 6m-tall sailboat, is by Singaporean artist Yang Jie. PHOTO: ARTS HOUSE LIMITED The Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) is in full swing and the little ones have not been forgotten. Check out child-friendly programmes under Little Sifa, which returns for its second year at the Empress Lawn near Victoria Theatre. The House Between The Winds is an interactive soundscape installation that will be unveiled on May 1 9. Singaporean artist Yang Jie's installation, which pays homage to the plantations that gave Orchard Road its name, reacts to visitors with lights and sounds. Complementing the installation is a dialogue-free drama performance every Friday to Sunday evening until June 1. Audience members are invited to follow a seafarer on a pilgrimage to visit a mythical tree and can take photos aboard a 6m-tall sailboat featured in the show afterwards. And catch performances by The Purple Symphony, an inclusive Singaporean orchestra made up of musicians with and without special needs, from May 23 to 25 at 7pm. Admission to programmes under Little Sifa is free. Go to for details. Chinese picture book series Tales Of The Playground Chinese picture book series Tales Of The Playground is written by Ang Aik Heng and illustrated by Joshua Chiang. PHOTO: Singapore boasts many interesting playgrounds, such as the iconic one in Kim Keat which has a pair of dinosaur sculptures. The towering 3m mummy dinosaur and her baby bring much excitement to kids. But what might be on their minds as they stand there all day and night? What if they could talk? Ang Aik Heng's debut Chinese picture book series Tales Of The Playground reimagines four well-known play spaces as characters. Besides the Dinosaur playground, he was also inspired to create stories based on the Dragon playground in Toa Payoh, Watermelon and Mangosteen playground in Tampines, and Sunken Ship playground in Sengkang. 'Playgrounds are very much just infrastructure in the eyes of most Singaporeans. And I thought that's quite a pity because so much effort was put in to design some of them , and not to mention the nostalgia that surrounds our heritage playgrounds ,' says Ang, who used to spend time with his two sons, now 11 and 14, at these play spaces when they were younger. He is a veteran TV executive producer and co-founder of Chinese online education platform Vitamin M . Each whimsical story explores themes such as family love and friendship. The books, illustrated by Joshua Chiang, are recommended for kids aged three to eight. Get them at $12.90 each or a set of four titles at $34.40 on publisher WS Education's website ( and bookstores including Maha Yu Yi. Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Celebrate home-grown talent at Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025
Over three weeks till June 1, there will be varied shows on offer. PHOTOS: DAHLIA KATZ, MARC GABRIEL LOH, LIM YAOHUI, GIN TAY SINGAPORE – Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) 2025 is director Natalie Hennedige's final year at the helm. She has commissioned a record-breaking number of home-grown works – 15 – for her last hurrah. With the theme of More Than Ever, the tentpole performing arts festival organised by Arts House Limited will kick off in classic Hennedige multidisciplinary style at Bedok Town Square on May 16. For the first time in Sifa's history, the opening act is a free event at a neighbourhood site compared with the usual glitzy affair at an indoor arts venue. Over three weekends till June 1, there will be varied shows on offer, from crowd-pleasing comedy headlined by ever-popular actor Hossan Leong and family-friendly fare at Little Sifa to Drama Box's participatory theatre piece Hello Is This Working? and the more intimate Japanese Occupation-era tale A Thousand Stitches. The Straits Times takes a closer look at some of the must-see shows. Ramesh Meyyappan reimagines King Lear as war veteran and without Shakespeare's language Glasgow-based theatremaker Ramesh Meyyappan returns to Singapore with an adaptation of Shakespeare's Lear. PHOTO: DAHLIA KATZ At the end of a lively interview with Ramesh Meyyappan, the local theatremaker makes a request. Signing via an interpreter over the Zoom call, he says to refer to him as a deaf man rather than hearing impaired, a term not widely used in the deaf community as impaired suggests there is something wrong with the person. 'I've never considered myself hearing. I was born deaf. I don't consider that there is anything wrong with me,' he says. The 51-year-old has turned what some consider a disability into a strength, having built a thriving career as a physical theatre performer, writer and director. Nominated for five Straits Times Life Theatre Awards for Best Actor, he has won twice, for Gin & Tonic (2008) and Snails & Ketchup (2012). READ MORE HERE Musician weish conjures 'ancient Hakka-Greek' world in live concept album Performers in Stray Gods include (from left) Ian Lee, weish, Hee Suhui (Anise), Rosemainy Buang, Joanna Dong and Sushma Soma. PHOTO: MARC GABRIEL LOH Forgotten Hakka mountain songs and an ancient Greek tragedy about mania are the two unlikely ingredients Singaporean indie musician weish will blend to create her live concept album concert, Stray Gods, at the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa). It all started when she was invited by a Melbourne-based artist to record a song in her mother tongue for an exhibition, which collected songs from across the world. 'I realised quite embarrassingly that I had no connection to my Hakka heritage – and it felt wrong to look for a Mandarin song.' Then, she struck melodic gold and unearthed over 50 fragments of Hakka ditties and melodies in a university archive in Hong Kong. One song, Bright Moon – about a nomadic girl asking her mother where home is – stayed with her so deeply that she began singing the melody in her sleep. READ MORE HERE The Sea And The Neighbourhood transforms Bedok Town Square with music, dance and art Christina Chan is the choreographer for Pact Of Water. The performance will be part of The Sea And The Neighbourhood, the opening show for Singapore International Festival of Arts. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI A bustling neighbourhood square surrounded by a train station, a bus interchange and a busy food centre is not the first venue one associates with the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa). But come May 16, Bedok Town Square will host Sifa 2025's opening performance, The Sea And The Neighbourhood, an ambitious festival commission which brings together kinetic sculpture, dance and music. The bustle of everyday life will be the dynamic backdrop, even a part of, the work. As choreographer Christina Chan, 37, observes: 'It's a visually chaotic space.' After her first site visit, she recalls saying to composer Philip Tan, 52: 'But this is already a show.' READ MORE HERE The Finger Players' gruesome Animal Farm features 13 life-size puppet beasts Animal Farm's set designer and puppet-maker Loo An Ni (left) and director-playwright Oliver Chong. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY 'All animals are equal' – so goes one of the famed seven commandments in English novelist George Orwell's classic Animal Farm, after a group of animals rebel against their human farmer to create a free and equal society. But speak to puppet designer and lead puppet-maker Loo An Ni and she will tell you that is not true. While making the 13 puppets – from pigs to hens to donkeys – one puppet made her job especially difficult. She is creating the creatures for The Finger Players' (TFP) production of Animal Farm, which opens at the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) on May 16. Loo and her team of six had already been given a challenging brief by director Oliver Chong – to have one puppeteer steer one life-size puppet. READ MORE HERE Book it/Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025 Where: Various venues When: May 16 to June 1, various timings Admission: Free and ticketed Info: Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Celebrate home-grown talents at Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025
Over three weeks till June 1, there will be varied shows on offer. PHOTOS: DAHLIA KATZ, MARC GABRIEL LOH, LIM YAOHUI, GIN TAY SINGAPORE – Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) 2025 is director Natalie Hennedige's final year at the helm. She has commissioned a record-breaking number of home-grown works – 15 – for her last hurrah. With the theme of More Than Ever, the tentpole performing arts festival organised by Arts House Limited will kick off in classic Hennedige multidisciplinary style at Bedok Town Square on May 16. For the first time in Sifa's history, the opening act is a free event at a neighbourhood site compared with the usual glitzy affair at an indoor arts venue. Over three weeks till June 1, there will be varied shows on offer, from crowd-pleasing comedy headlined by ever-popular actor Hossan Leong and family-friendly fare at Little Sifa to Drama Box's participatory theatre piece Hello Is This Working? and the more intimate Japanese occupation era tale A Thousand Stitches. The Straits Times takes a closer look at some of the must-see shows. Ramesh Meyyappan reimagines King Lear as war veteran and without Shakespeare's language Glasgow-based theatremaker Ramesh Meyyappan returns to Singapore with an adaptation of Shakespeare's Lear. PHOTO: DAHLIA KATZ At the end of a lively interview with Ramesh Meyyappan, the local theatremaker makes a request. Signing via an interpreter over the Zoom call, he says to refer to him as a deaf man rather than hearing impaired, a term not widely used in the deaf community as impaired suggests there is something wrong with the person. 'I've never considered myself hearing. I was born deaf. I don't consider that there is anything wrong with me,' he says. The 51-year-old has turned what some consider a disability into a strength, having built a thriving career as a physical theatre performer, writer and director. Nominated for five Straits Times Life Theatre Awards for Best Actor, he has won twice, for Gin & Tonic (2008) and Snails & Ketchup (2012). READ MORE HERE Musician weish conjures 'ancient Hakka-Greek' world in live concept album Performers in Stray Gods include (from left) Ian Lee, weish, Hee Suhui (Anise), Rosemainy Buang, Joanna Dong and Sushma Soma. PHOTO: MARC GABRIEL LOH Forgotten Hakka mountain songs and an ancient Greek tragedy about mania are the two unlikely ingredients Singaporean indie musician weish will blend to create her live concept album concert, Stray Gods, at the Singapore International Festival of Arts. It all started when she was invited by a Melbourne-based artist to record a song in her mother tongue for an exhibition, which collected songs from across the world. 'I realised quite embarrassingly that I had no connection to my Hakka heritage – and it felt wrong to look for a Mandarin song.' Then, she struck melodic gold and unearthed over 50 fragments of Hakka ditties and melodies in a university archive in Hong Kong. One song, Bright Moon – about a nomadic girl asking her mother where home is – stayed with her so deeply that she began singing the melody in her sleep. READ MORE HERE The Sea And The Neighbourhood transforms Bedok Town Square with music, dance and art Christina Chan is the choreographer for Pact Of Water. The performance will be part of The Sea And The Neighbourhood, the opening show for Singapore International Festival of Arts. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI A bustling neighbourhood square surrounded by a train station, a bus interchange and a busy food centre is not the first venue one associates with the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa). But come May 16, Bedok Town Square will host Sifa 2025's opening performance, The Sea And The Neighbourhood, an ambitious festival commission which brings together kinetic sculpture, dance and music. The bustle of everyday life will be the dynamic backdrop, even a part of, the work. As choreographer Christina Chan, 37, observes: 'It's a visually chaotic space.' After her first site visit, she recalls saying to composer Philip Tan, 52: 'But this is already a show.' READ MORE HERE The Finger Players' gruesome Animal Farm features 13 life-size puppet beasts Animal Farm's set designer and puppet-maker Loo An Ni (left) and director-playwright Oliver Chong. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY 'All animals are equal' – so goes one of the famed seven commandments in English novelist George Orwell's classic Animal Farm, after a group of farm animals rebel against their human farmer to create a free and equal society. But speak to puppet designer and lead puppet-maker Loo An Ni and she will tell you that is not true. While making the 13 puppets – from pigs to hens to donkeys – one puppet made her job especially difficult. She is creating the creatures for The Finger Players' (TFP) production of Animal Farm, which opens at the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) on May 16. Loo and her team of six had already been given a challenging brief by director Oliver Chong – to have one puppeteer steer one life-size puppet. READ MORE HERE Book it/Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025 Where: Various venues When: May 16 to June 1, various timings Admission: Free and ticketed Info: Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
