SIFA 2018 wraps up on 12 May… Still haven’t had your fix? Here’s all the music, dance, theatre and visual treats you can still enjoy until 12 May 2018
We saw the highly anticipated Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) return on 26 April for three weeks of stunning performance arts, ranging from theatre and film to music and dance. Whether you’ve sat through the theatrical adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 and Singapore’s very own A Dream Under the Southern Bough — The Beginning, or missed the last few productions and are now facing major FOMO, here are some highlights you can still catch before it all wraps up on 12 May!
The Blues Project
8 & 9 May
Tap dance your way to Victoria Theatre for The Blues Project, a stunning creation by Michelle Dorrance, Derick K. Grant, Toshi Reagon and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards. The innovative performance features some of the world’s best tap dancers, musicians and choreographers to bring an explosion of energy and raw emotion onto the stage. If that isn’t convincing enough, the performance won a Bessie Award in 2015 for outstanding production.
The Blues Project, 8 & 9 May 2018, Victoria Theatre, 9 Empress Pl, Singapore 179556
24 Frames
11 May
Before bidding goodbye, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami will be blessing our screens with his final film: 24 Frames. The Singapore premiere unravels twenty-four still images that are digitally animated into four-minute vignettes that incorporate movement, perception and time. We reckon this elegant yet melancholic screening will be the beautiful farewell we need from one of world cinema’s greats.
24 Frames, 11 May 2018, Screening Room, Festival House
An Enemy of the People
11, 12 May
Based on Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, internationally renowned theatre director Thomas Ostermeier is giving the 19th century play an innovative spin. A Southeast Asia premiere, the Schaubühne Berlin production tells the gritty tale of a man’s pursuit of truth against the state. Throw in hipster uniforms and David Bowie guitar riffs, and you’ll get an electrifying performance where even you – the audience – get a chance to participate in a heated debate as part of the production!
An Enemy of the People, 11 and 12 May 2018, Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
Nico Muhly Speaks Volumes
12 May
Treat yourself to a virtuosic evening of classical music influenced by everything from American minimalism to the Anglican choral tradition. Known for his versatile collabs with Bjork and the Paris Opera Ballet amongst others, New York-based composer Nico Muhly will be joined by Lisa Liu, Matt Albert and Paul Wiancko, as well as Singapore’s Lim Yan and Ramu Thiruyanam, to headline a show you won’t want to miss.
Nico Muhly Speaks Volume, 12 May 2018, SOTA Drama Theatre, 1 Zubir Said Drive, Singapore 227968
0600
Until 12 May
Commissioned by SIFA, 0600 is a mixed-media presentation brought together by collective Ground Z-0, founded by local artist Zelda Tatiana Ng. If you’re down for an interactive tour, go on a theatrical journey through the National Gallery Singapore – which was the former Supreme Court and the City Hall in its past life – and retrace the steps of some of the country’s most notorious criminals.
0600, from now until 12 May 2018, National Gallery Singapore (meeting point: beside the holding cells, Supreme Court Wing Level 1), 1 St. Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957
Four Decades Exhibition
Until 12 May
An exhibition that documents all things SIFA since its debut in 1977. It’s always interesting to see how the festival that celebrates the performing arts has evolved throughout the years. The exhibition will include past paraphernalia, as well as the festival ephemera which were meant to be discarded after use but have been retained as a collectable instead.
Four Decades Exhibition, from now until 12 May 2018, Second Floor Corridor, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Ln, Singapore 179429
Singapore International Festival of Arts, 26 April-12 May 2018, various locations. Tickets are available via SIFA
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