Singapore Arts Festival 2010
It's been a great ride this season.
For some strange reason I decided to empty my wallet to get a number of shows.
Most of the, if not all of them were well performed, both by local and foreign artistes.
So who says that Singapore does not have talent?
The list of shows are as follows:
-) The Manganiyar Seduction - Indian Music
-) I, Malvolio and I, Peaseblossom - Shakespeare (sort of...)
-) Wind Shadow by Cloud Gate Theatre - Contemporary Dance
-) Cargo: Kuala Lumpur - Singapore - Docu-Theatre
-) Emily of Emerald Hill - Monodrama
-) Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Joshua Bell - Orchestral Music
Technology really takes the centrestage this round.
Some shows did well with technology aiding at the sides. In Cargo, a container truck redesigned into a moving theatre space, making full use of the vehicle's mobility and and the real-time camera live-feed, a seamless performance between video and live-action is created. In Emily, subtle nuances suggested by video projection giving more realism to the suggestions made by an actress on stage enhances the performance.
Technology does not however, guarantee a good performance. Strobe lighting, cumbersome projector cables and quirky sound sample choices failed to helped the audience connect to a seemingly inaccessible choreography in Wind Shadow.
Another issue that really struck me during the performance of Emily, was the discussion on "Authenticity".
With the society moving so fast, what is real to you? A building here today and gone tomorrow. How many of you have already experienced your alma mater closing/merging, buildings within you own familiar environment changed/torn down? With changes happening so fast, we are like bumboats floating along the Singapore River, but without any moorings. I don't know about you, but each day I wake up feeling a sense of displacement and alienation. Maybe it comes with age too.
The Victoria Memorial Hall (Victoria Theatre, Victoria Concert Hall plus the clock tower) will be undergoing major renovations after Emily of Emerald Hill lowers its curtains for the last time tomorrow. With it goes all the 100 over years of history, the people, the many stories and the energy of this building. Of course the building has been wanting of renovation for the longest time, but you can't help feeling much will be inadvertently lost. Here's to VT and VCH...
Of course now the rising star, Esplanade, will have to take up most of the responsibilities for most of the performing arts groups in Singapore now that both Kallang Theatre and Victoria Memorial are both absent from duties.But i am sure she'll do a good job. Amidst the overpowering glare of the IR, i am sure the twin-jewels of Espanade can still hold her own.
The scenery of our river really has changed quite drastically over the years. So tonight, after my last Arts Fest show, i thought it fitting to take a few photos. Now she looks different from 5 years ago. Maybe in another 5 years, she will look different from tonight again.
