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Straits Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Theatre review: In Geoff Sobelle's Food, restaurants devolve into magical chaos
Food Geoff Sobelle Singtel Waterfront Theatre Aug 6, 8pm For those eschewing spoilers, look away now. American theatremaker Geoff Sobelle's magic theatre Food runs on surprise and chaos – glassware smashed to smithereens on the ground, and moulded earth models of bison seemingly materialising out of thin air. Sobelle transforms from penguin-suited waiter to competitive eater that would put even the best mukbang (South Korean live-streamed eating) hosts to shame. It is a devastating and bodily experience of how far humans have strayed from their evolutionary roots, the cost of endless building, and the unseen exploitation involved in the mundane ritual of dining in a restaurant. Part of The Esplanade Theatre's The Studios season centred on the theme of sustenance, Food forgoes conventional narrative. Its target is always maximum visual impact – and even a tinge of fear in the audience, who can never be certain how violent Sobelle's next act will be. There is absolute commitment, and then some, by Sobelle and his team, whether serving up raw ingredients or fast-forwarding through human civilisation, from agrarian to industrial. Perhaps this devotion is best exemplified by an intricate and very large chandelier made of plastic debris that is a constant reminder of the current plastic era – a Damocles sword always waiting to fall, ultimately never used. The apposite reaction is equal parts nervous laughter and horror. Yet, the constant sleight of hand by Sobelle, which would confound even professional magicians, also leaves room for a sliver of wonderment: 'Surely he isn't doing that. He is doing that, but is he really? And if yes, how?' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore Wastewater overflow in Bedok and Chai Chee due to choked sewer at BTO worksite: PUB Singapore Teen's love of dance powers her through cancer to perform at NDP2025 Singapore Jail for driver who drove over leg of special needs woman in accident on church driveway Asia Kpods, zombie oil or etomidate? A new name may help Hong Kong curb its youth drug crisis Singapore Man handed three vaping-related charges including importing more than 3,000 pods Singapore Man charged over 5 e-vaporiser pods containing etomidate, including 3 for sale World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations Beyond Food's timely message of gluttony and waste, it is likely these thoughts will occupy the audience long after they have taken photos of the final desolate set and dispersed, their appetites either whetted or temporarily sickened. Singtel Waterfront Theatre has been transformed beyond recognition, with a massive table seating 10 audience members on each side the centrepiece. These are people who have paid extra for their tickets and one is wont not to envy them. They are the ones who have to order from Sobelle's deranged menu, and who are enlisted to read from extensive prompts. There is many a reason for their wine spillage, which will not be revealed here. But Sobelle's inventory is endless, pulling out bowl after bowl of uncooked food that will transform how one sees a simple order of a baked potato. A trip to the ice floes of the Arctic to secure fish is particularly transportive – though there is also laksa, the first of a series of localising touches that make this work feel properly regional. Until the light goes down and the next few perfectly choreographed, disturbing acts begin. You almost expect Sobelle to shout, a la Russell Crowe in the 2000 epic Gladiator: 'Are you not entertained?' The sound design for Food is phenomenally good, roving and immersive and almost forcing the audience to echo-locate their source. Sobelle never drops his mask, and effortlessly takes the audience along on his maximalist vision. The work may not say anything new, but it is an angry cry for more conscientious consumption, which must begin with a re-engagement of the senses. It is these that once brought people's ancestors out of the ocean and up the trees: a time more in tune with nature. Book It/Food
Independent Singapore
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
2025 World Aquatics Championships opening ceremony in Singapore marked by inspiring cultural performances
Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics Website / The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, taking place in Singapore, recently kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. The event showcased a series of captivating and inspiring performances. Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the official opening, together with government ministers and members of the World Aquatics community. A variety of cultural performances highlighting Singapore's strong bond with water were presented in the ceremony. A Parade of Flags representing the 206 countries with registered athletes was presented through a video display. About 2,500 athletes will participate in the competition set to run from July 11 to Aug 3. Highlights of the event The evening started with a remarkable performance of the Rainwoven dance by the School of the Arts, Singapore, to celebrate diversity and the strength found in unity. The national anthem of Singapore was then sung by the Victoria Junior College Choir, a group recognised internationally for its numerous awards. World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam extended a warm welcome to all the participants. ' On behalf of World Aquatics, I would like to thank Singapore, the Government, the Organising Committee, the Sports Ministry and Singapore Aquatics for coming up so quickly and hosting the 22nd edition of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore,' he said. He added: 'It's a record for our World Aquatics Championships – 206 countries registered to participate here in Singapore and nearly 2,500 athletes.' President Tharman Shanmugaratnam also welcomed the worldwide aquatics community to the country, noting, 'Over the next three weeks, we will witness about 2,500 athletes from around the world compete over 77 medal events. Singapore is also happy to welcome almost 6,000 masters-aged athletes who are here for the World Aquatics Masters Championships. What we celebrate, too, is the quiet but profound way in which sport can bring us together, even when we are rooting for different teams. In a world increasingly divided, sport reminds us that we can strive together, even as we compete; that we can demonstrate our common humanity.' The president added, ' It's a real honour for Singapore to host the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, and the first time too, that a Southeast Asian nation is hosting the event. And as Captain Husain observed, it's a special moment for Singapore, because it's also the year in which we celebrate our 60th anniversary since independence.' The ceremony concluded with a tribute video followed by a performance of 'Singa Roar' by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). This percussion piece highlighted the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Latino drums, celebrating Singapore's rich cultural diversity and the harmonious collaboration with people from all over the world. The complete schedule for the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 is available here. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Pesta Raya 2025: Teater Kami's Salina travels back to 1950s kampung
Ariati Tyeb Papar plays the titular character in Teater Kami's staging of Salina in 2025. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ESPLANADE -- THEATRES ON THE BAY SINGAPORE – Director and playwright Atin Amat has hung on to the set of the 1950s kampung drama Salina for more than 30 years. The set will be reused in the restaging of her adaptation of the Malay-language novel as part of Pesta Raya 2025 – Malay Festival of Arts from May 2 to 4 . Theatregoers who caught Teater Kami's stagings of Salina in 1993 and 1997 will thus recognise bits of Kampung Kambing (or Goat Village in Malay) at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. The props will include trinkets the Cultural Medallion recipient salvaged from the bygone Sungei Road Thieves Market and a tempayan (stoneware jar) from her old kampung home. In Salina, the story's titular protagonist fights to survive in the aftermath of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore. Forced to become a sex worker while supporting her unemployed lover, Salina lives in a squatter village converted from a goat pen where 'the walls are thin and the roofs are leaky', a setting Atin has tried to recreate faithfully. 'I cannot make any mistakes because I think the majority who come for the show would have read the novel,' says the 68-year-old veteran theatremaker. She admits to feeling some pressure in staging an adaptation of the well-known 1961 novel by Malaysian novelist A. Samad Said. The classic work was a GCE A-level text for Malay literature in the 1990s. 'This play is not just play-play,' she says in an interview with The Straits Times at Teater Kami's space at Cairnhill Arts Centre. Teater Kami, one of the pioneering Malay theatre companies, most recently staged Kemas at the Esplanade Theatre Studio in 2023. The company's first outing with Salina taught Atin the lesson of taking the text seriously. Director and playwright Atin Amat with her copy of the 1961 novel Salina written by Malaysian novelist A. Samad Said. PHOTO: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY In 1993, four years after Atin established Teater Kami, she had wanted to stage a work that would establish the theatre company's reputation. But the script by Malaysian playwright Johan Jaaffar drew mixed reactions. 'After the performance, the feedback from the students watching the show was that it was confusing, even though the show was good. It was confusing because the show doesn't follow the novel,' she says. Atin h ad not read the novel before staging Salina, but immediately fell in love with the book when she picked it up after the first staging. She subsequently decided to adapt the scrip t, touring it around 12 junior colleges and education institutions in 1994, and staging it at the Victoria Theatre in 1997. One of the challenges of staging it in 2025, Atin says, is that she has to shoulder the responsibility of sharing the historical context of the 1950s to her cast – including the different ways Malay language and slang were used. 'Nowadays, they don't know as much about Singapore's past and stories, so my work has doubled.' The 2025 cast includes younger actors Fir Rahman, Rizal Aiman, Amirah Yahya, Suhaila M Sanif and Rusydina Afiqah. Actors Ariati Tyeb Papar and Rafaat Haji Hamzah starred in the 1997 production. Ariati Tyeb Papar and Fir Rahman star in Teater Kami's staging of Salina. PHOTO: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY To make sure the cast can reliably deliver the dialogue-heavy play, Atin has also taken on the role of literature teacher – requiring her cast members to read the approximately 500-page novel. Her hardcover copy of Salina is well-thumbed and annotated, and she has lost count of how many times she has read her favourite novel. 'From this novel, you learn about how Singapore Malays develop themselves – economically and in terms of their social life. I tell them that if you read this book, there's something you can learn about Singapore society after the Japanese Occupation,' she says. In rehearsal, she adds with a laugh, she would test her cast members on the plot and relationships in the novel. Asked whether modern audiences who are unfamiliar with the drama will still relate to this story set in a bygone era, Atin says they can see for themselves how different the present is from the past. The challenges that Salina faces still resonate today. 'Even now, we can't expect life to be smooth-sailing – there will be challenges thrown at us.' Book It/Salina Where: Singtel Waterfront Theatre at Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Drive When: May 2, 8pm; May 3, 3 and 8pm ; May 4, 3pm Admission: From $45 Info: Shawn Hoo is a journalist on the arts beat at The Straits Times. He covers books, theatre and the visual arts. More on this Topic Pesta Raya 2025: Hafidz Rahman goes beyond comedy with one-man show about Bollywood obsession Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
