Latest news with #TheSeaAndItsNeighbourhood
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
Sifa 2025 Week One: What audiences say
The Sea And Its Neighbourhood, Bedok Town Square, May 16, 7.30pm Deborah Gan, 44, teacher: 'What I really enjoyed was the collaboration between the different artists. Between the musicians of different backgrounds, there were jazz singers, classical singers and traditional folk instrumentalists, coupled with an orchestra. This performance was very special as we seldom see so many people collaborating within one performance.' Jacqueline Sassoon, 47, translator: 'I enjoyed the different aspects of the show coming together with the intermittent smells of chicken satay and Hokkien mee wafting over from the hawker centre. It was very refreshing to watch.' Tan Hui Xin, 22, student: 'I've watched performances before, but this is the first time I saw something as grand as this in the heartland. I would think that something like this would be in the Esplanade or a more grand venue. Seeing this performance right here, where we live, is hear tening.' More on this Topic Dance review: Singapore Ballet's athletic Pact Of Water brings dancers close to heartland audience Animal Farm, The Finger Players, May 16, 4pm Chloe Lamasan, 15, student: 'The sounds caught me by surprise. They were perfect. It felt like actual animals, despite being made by the human actors.' More on this Topic Theatre review: Astonishing puppets, flat storytelling in The Finger Players' take on Animal Farm Told By My Mother, Victoria Theatre, May 17, 4pm Siying Lee, 25, tourist: 'I cried a lot during the show. I didn't understand 100 per cent of it , and I also didn't do background research. But I think just being open-minded for the show allowed it to communicate with me in a really abstract way. I related to the performance. It is told from a mother's perspective about the unfairness happening, and it is really to what is happening in reality.' Jessica Lim, 17, student: 'I really liked the intense eye contact the dancers had with one another and with the audience, and also the fact that all the sounds were made live. It felt very powerful. I will recommend this show to others, and I feel like the main point was to spread awareness about the mother looking for her missing son.' Voon Keyang, 38, architect: 'I enjoyed the simplicity of the show, that everything is through very close relationships . It started off with silence, then suddenly, the music comes up, where that one particular performer started to tell the whole story. From there, it laid the whole pace. Although I have never been to Lebanon, I think it is very touching. I can feel the sadness and some point of relief when they dance and sing.' Irfan Kasban, 37, performing arts professional: 'I liked how the show is economical yet very effective and impactful. It was a very simple story, yet it didn't need bells and whistles to be effective in garnering a response from me .' More on this Topic Dance review: Ali Chahrour's Told By My Mother a compelling tale of family loss and grief Umbilical, Sota Studio Theatre, May 17, 8pm Phan Yi En, 15, student: 'The whole experience was very immersive because, at certain points, performers would walk into the crowd. I didn't expect that. When they came to stand at the same level as us, we were better able to judge what they were doing , and the intentions behind that.' Francesca Lim Meng Feng, 15, student: 'The first Sifa performance I attended was Animal Farm, and this is my second. In Umbilical, the sound effects were very mesmerising as they mirrored the changes that were seen throughout the performance, and what the performers were doing onstage.' Ryan Lee, 28, designer: 'I really liked the set design and thought it contributed greatly to the atmosphere onstage. Rizman Putra, Zul Mahmod and thesupersystem are living legends, and that's why I came to watch this performance. It was very interesting to try and unpack the piece and what was going on, and it was something deeply cynical for sure.' More on this Topic Theatre review: Pain is what binds all species in dark, butoh-inspired Umbilical Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
