Old Highlights

"THE BEST OF BEIJING OPERA" If you want to brush-up on your Chinese Opera or want to learn about it you will have your chance at the start of the Year of the Rat when the internationally-acclaimed China Beijing Opera Theatre will arrive in Singapore this February, to offer audiences here the best of China's national cultural treasure with six exquisite excerpts from famous Chinese legends. The renowned China Beijing Opera Theatre will stage four performances featuring memorable pieces from 'Legend of Madam White Snake' and 'Legend of the Monkey King', just to name a few. These performances at the Victoria Theatre will come complete with full subtitles in English and Chinese. You can expect spellbinding performances as this top-of-its-league troupe brings the 200-year-old art of Beijing opera to life by combining lavish costumes with gravity-defying martial arts and powerful theatrics. Their enthralling performances have dazzled audiences around the world and have received rave reviews from critics in more than 20 major cities. The New York Times called it a "Refreshing and distinctive approach to this theater of mixed forms … illuminating and entertaining." Details: DATE: 21 - 24 February 2008 PRICES: S$128 S$98, S$68, S$48 and S$38 VENUE: Victoria Theatre TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg Presented by : VizPro Entertainment, MediaCorp TV12 and Centrestage Consultants

"Scrooge - The Musical" (children) Scrooge - The Musical is based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, one of the most well loved and enduring Christmas stories of all time. Filled with songs and good humour, this classic holiday tale about love, charity and redemption is one to be shared by the entire family. Synopsis Ebenezer Scrooge is a bitter and poor-spirited old miser who holds no love for anyone or anything but an obsession with accumulating wealth. One night on Christmas Eve, Scrooge's life changes forever when he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas… Details: DATE: From 7 Nov 2007; Tue - Fri 10am, Sat 11am, Sun 11am and 3pm From 1 Dec 2007; Tue - Fri 10am, Sat and Sun 11am, 3pm and 7pm PRICES: Weekdays $22 per child or adult, Weekends $28 per child or adult (excluding $2 SISTIC fee) VENUE: DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg

"the pillowman" The fairytales of our childhood are pretty unforgettable. Still, have you ever questioned their inherent savagery? Wondered, perhaps, about the wise grandmother devoured by the blood-lusting wolf? Or about the lame boy limping futilely behind the town's children, as they followed the tune of the Pied Piper? The Pillowman, by acclaimed Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, offers startling answers to - some - of these enigmas, while raising many more of its own. The Pillowman won UK's Olivier Award for Best Play in 2004 and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play in 2005 in New York, where it also played to rave reviews. SRT is proud to present the Asian premiere of The Pillowman, featuring the top talents of the Singapore stage: " Adrian Pang (first theatre role after winning the ST Life! Best Actor Award 2007) " Michael Corbidge (Best Actor Nominee ST Life! Theatre Awards 2007) " Daniel Jenkins (Best supporting Actor Winner ST Life! Theatre Awards 2007) " Shane Mardjuki (Best Ensemble nominee - ST Life! Theatre Awards 2007). " Directed by Tracie Pang (Best Director nominee ST Life! Theatre Awards 2007). With the twists of a thriller, and the twisted logic of a horror film, The Pillowman is darkly funny and surprisingly poignant. Katurian, a writer of 400 terrifying short stories, has been newly imprisoned in a nameless totalitarian country. Katurian is questioned by Tupolski and Ariel, who scale new heights of brutality - and black humour - with their version of the good cop/bad cop mind game. Along the way, the reasons for the storyteller's capture are revealed in a viciously entertaining cat-and-mouse game that has you at the edge of your seat. A creative work that is quite unalike anything that you have ever seen before on a stage, The Pillowman will inhabit your dreams long after you have experienced it. Director Tracie Pang says: "The Pillowman took me on a rollercoaster ride of horror, pathos and comedy. It is a wonderfully written piece where words count, and every moment grabs your innermost self, then tightens like a vice around it." "I would rate The Pillowman as one of the top five plays I've ever seen," says SRT's Artistic Director Gaurav Kripalani adding "I chose to stage this play because it will be a long time before another play as good as this is written. A not-to-be-missed creative work that defies all attempts at categorisation, and which is quite unalike anything that you have ever seen before on a stage". The Pillowman is part of SRT's continuing mission to bring the best theatre celebrating the importance of the text to the Singaporean stage. Details: DATE: 9 - 25 November 2007, 8pm Tuesday - Sunday and 4pm Saturday matinee PRICES: From $35 to $50 Student concessions available VENUE: DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg

Cameratino For one night only, Camerata presents an evening of grandeur and elegance with the debut of an antique cello made by world-renowned luthier, David Tecchler. Well-sought after by famous soloists in history for its dynamic sound range, the rare piece of circa 1735 Tecchler cello was played in a string quartet by renowned violinist, Joseph Joachim; and was owned by the late Wolfgang Krueger, famous cellist from early 20th century. The Tecchler cello will be played for the first time in Singapore by Ms Karen Yap, owner of the cello, protégé of Professors Susan Blake, Barbara Woolley and Georg Pederson, and a multi-award winning cellist. Performing familiar chamber music pieces by Beethoven, Schubert and Handel, Karen will play alongside Ivan Peev, Violin Professor of the Bulgarian Conservatorium of Music since 1983 and Concert Master of the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra; Eric Lee, Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music of London; Stefan Popov, performer with a Master degree in piano performance from Sofia Academy of Music, Bulgaria; and many other brilliant string performers

"King Lear" and "The Seagull" Two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen leads an ensemble of 23 actors including Frances Barber, William Gaunt, Romola Garai and Jonathan Hyde in two productions directed by one of the world's most eminent theatre directors, Trevor Nunn. "It is a major coup for Singapore to be the first stop (and only Asian destination) on this international tour of what is a once-in-a-lifetime double-bill", says SRT's Artistic Director Gaurav Kripalani. The productions of King Lear and The Seagull reunite two of the towering figures of British theatre, Ian McKellen and Trevor Nunn, with the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time in 17 years. Their work together at the celebrated company during the 70s and 80s was considered a golden period for theatre. "To play King Lear is the greatest of acting challenges. I am fortunate to be with such talented old and new colleagues who relish the play as much as I do. Bringing our production, along with The Seagull, on tour will only add to the excitement of being back with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the job of a lifetime," says McKellen. Described by the Mail on Sunday (UK) as "one of the leading creative artists of our time," McKellen has had a stellar career on stage and, more recently, screen. Most widely known as Gandalf in the blockbuster trilogy Lord of the Rings, McKellen's other film credits include the X-Men trilogy, The Da Vinci Code, Gods and Monsters and Richard III. Trevor Nunn was one of the RSC's most visionary and creative artistic directors during his period at the company from 1968 to 1987. Apart from the landmark seasons of Shakespeare, Nunn was also responsible for the brilliant production of Charles Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby, which he co-directed with John Caird. He went on to be a director at the National Theatre in London, and has had an extremely successful transition to the commercial sector with Cats (1981) and the first English production of Les Misérables (1985). His recent credits include Tom Stoppard's new play Rock 'n' Roll, currently playing in London's West End, and Porgy and Bess which opened at the Savoy in London in November 2006. This much anticipated season of King Lear and The Seagull premieres at the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon in March. The production comes to Singapore direct from the UK before it continues to Australia and New Zealand prior to a debut season in New York. First performed 400 years ago, the tragedy of King Lear remains one of the greatest plays in world drama, as Shakespeare investigates old age, mortality, family and man's need for religious belief and the capacity to endure. Anton Chekhov's masterpiece The Seagull threads comic and tragic situations in the lives of a famous actress, her son and their lovers. As the young strive for fulfilment, their older counterparts look back to youthful dreams that remain unfulfilled. RSC producer Jeremy Adams said, "I saw a run of King Lear in the rehearsal room on Saturday. It is going to be magnificent. Ian McKellen is giving a performance like I have never seen before and the rest of the company have risen to the challenge. It is a very clear and very moving production. Trevor has done some extraordinary detailed work, and I felt like I was seeing the play for the first time." King Lear and The Seagull will be presented in Singapore by the Singapore Repertory Theatre in collaboration with Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. Details: DATE: 19th to 22nd July 2007 PRICES: From $30 to $300 VENUE: Esplanade Theatre Detailed Schedule: Thursday July 19th 8pm evening King Lear (with Ian McKellen) Friday July 20th 8pm evening King Lear (with Ian McKellen) Saturday July 21st 8pm evening King Lear (with Ian McKellen) Sunday July 22nd 2pm matinee The Seagull (with William Gaunt) Sunday July 22nd 8pm evening The Seagull (with Ian McKellen)

A Midsummer Night's Dream Love, laughter, magic and mayhem. Don't miss what promises to be a landmark production in Singapore's theatre history. A Midsummer Night's Dream is arguably William Shakespeare's most accessible comedy. It is for this reason that SRT has chosen to stage it as the first production in what will hopefully become a biennial tradition of 'Shakespeare in the Park' - similar to that found in arts capitals around the world. There has not been a professional production of a Shakespeare play done in Singapore since SRT staged Hamlet at Fort Canning Park in 1997. This production sold out within days, proving there was interest for good quality Shakespeare even then. Barry Kyle, former Associate Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, will direct a mainly Singaporean cast in this sumptuous production, and will bring with him some of the best set, light, sound and costume designers from the UK - ensuring that the production will be magical. About A Midsummer Night's Dream SRT's contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's best loved comedy promises to delight and keep audiences spellbound from the moment you arrive at Fort Canning Green, which will be transformed into a magical wonderland. It all happens the midsummer's night before the grand wedding of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and his fair bride Hippolyta. The comedy portrays the adventures of four young Athenian lovers, a group of amateur actors in a moonlit forest, and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit in it. Witness the comedy of errors which befalls the world of man and fairies when the four lovers escape into the enchanted fairyland woods where chaos rules. DATE: From 4 May 2007 (Only Thursday to Sunday)

Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress It has all the right ingredients of a true epic tale. A young concubine in love, a dying Emperor, a heartless traitor, an idealistic artist and an empire that stands to fall. Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress truly sets a new standard for Singaporean musical theatre, with highly stylized sets and stunning costume design. Told through the eyes of Kate Carl who is commissioned to paint the empress' portrait, the musical recounts CiXi's trails and tribulations from ingenious concubine to ruthless ruler to unmask the woman behind the painted face. The story of the infamous Empress Dowager is helmed by a cast of international and local stars. Home-grown singing sensation Kit Chan stars as the heroic Empress and is supported by a stellar cast of local names such as Hossan Leong, Sebastian Tan and Cynthia Lee. XpatXperience viewed earlier the performance of this musical in 2003 and gives it a big thumbs-up. DATE : from 6 September 2006

The Dresser It is 1942. World War II.... Bombs are raining down from the sky, and the lights are going out all over the city. But for Sir, the ageing actor-manager of a struggling Shakespearean theater group, the show must go on. Despite suffering from burn out and sheer exhaustion, he is adamant on staging the 227th performance of King Lear. As Sir's rollercoaster emotions reduce him from a haughty thespian to a quivering wreck, it is up to loyal dresser Norman to hold it all together. Devoted for the past 16 years to the brilliant but tyrannical head of the company whom he both worships and loathes, Norman must help with Sir's make up, massage his ego, remind him of his lines and even provide the sound effects for storm scenes. The Dresser is loosely based on the life of one of England's greatest Shakespearean actors, Sir Donald Wolfit, for whom Harwood was a dresser for five years. Since its premiere in 1980, this perceptive and heartwarming portrait of backstage life has become one of the most acclaimed dramas of modern theatre. To date, it has spun off a 1983 movie version (which received 5 Academy Award and 5 Golden Globe nominations) and several stage adaptations, each of them celebrating the universal themes of true friendship and unwavering loyalty. The Dresser is directed by Tracie Pang, who was nominated for best director for her work on The Little Company's The Snow Queen. Michael Corbidge is cast as Sir, a patriot determined to bolster his countrymen's morale by bringing Shakespeare to the world. Michael is a freelance lecturer, director, producer and playwright, who teaches all aspects of theatre making in tertiary colleges and schools across Singapore. The Artistic Director for The Young Co. at Singapore Repertory Theatre, Michael has clocked up over 27 years in the industry. In Singapore his theatre credits include Bent, Animal Farm and The Physicists for which he was nominated Best Actor in the Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards in 2004. Adrian Pang, one of Singapore's most versatile stage and TV actors, plays the pampering, long suffering valet, Norman. Since re-locating to Singapore with his family in 2001, Adrian has found a whole new audience with his work on Singapore TV, winning several nominations for Best Actor and Best Presenter along the way. He has appeared in many SRT productions, including Barefoot in the Park, Forbidden City, The Odd Couple and most recently, Twist of Fate. The Dresser also stars Pamela Oei and Gerald Chew, both of whom have won Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor respectively. DATE : 29 June to 16 July 2006

Selfish Giant The Selfish Giant is a beautiful adaptation of the much-loved story by Oscar Wilde. Famous for his adult plays (The Importance of Being Ernest, An Ideal Husband) Oscar Wilde was also a poet, dreamer and above all, a storyteller. Initially written by Wilde for his own children, this enchanting story with songs promises both adult and children a delightful time at the theatre. All the children enjoy playing in the Giant's beautiful garden after school, but when the Giant returns from his holiday, he decides to keep the children out by building a high wall around it. Along with the children, his actions also keep the beautiful flowers, the chirping birds and warm sunshine out. Only the snow, the rain and the cold manage to get it. Love finally conquers all and melts the cold heart of this unjust giant, who finally repents after discovering the joy of loving others. Date: 5 - 30 July 2006

Do you need more info? Leave a message on our expat message board!