Inkpot Picks
2006 |
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Matthew
Lyon's Picks
1. I'm
Just a Piano Teacher by The
Finger Players
An outstanding ensemble animates Oliver Chong's taut and visually poetic
script, supported by striking design across the board.
Writer / director / designer Oliver Chong says:
This is indeed a wonderful Christmas present for The Finger Players
and all the people involved in Piano Teacher. First of all,
a big thank you to all the folks at The Flying Inkpot, especially
Matthew Lyon, and our media friends for the write-ups and reviews.
I would like to thank all the cast and crew in the production for
their hard work, sweat, tears (literally) and faith. Piano Teacher
has made me confront my relationship with my parents, although I couldn't
bring myself to invite them to the show. Nevertheless I hope the play
resonated with audiences in some way or another!
2. Fundamentally
Happy by The
Necessary Stage
A tight and surprisingly deep psychological thriller that holds its
own against the classics of the genre and fears no controversy.
3. Not I
from The Beckett Project by TTRP
Patricia Boyette delivers an unflinching, terrifyingly bleak interpretation
of Beckett's experimental theatre classic.
4. Queen
Ping by Cake
Theatre
Home to the most mind-blowing moments of theatre I experienced this
year, as well as to standout performances from Noorlinah Mohamed and
Michael Corbidge.
5. The Dresser
by The Singapore Repertory Company
Adrian Pang's near-perfect performance carries a slick, ingeniously
designed production with a spotty supporting cast.
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Kenneth
Kwok's Picks
1. Bagaimana
Kucing Jadi Gemuk? from Mentah 3: Barisan Puteri Puteri
by Teater Ekamatra
Teater Ekamatra's Playwright Mentorship Programme shows that the future
of Singapore playwriting remains bright!
Writer / lighting designer Zizi Azah Abdul Majid
says:
Thanks, Flying Inkpot, for choosing How Did the Cat Get
So Fat? as a pick of 2006. The play started off as a
monologue written in the form of a children's fable, very much inspired
structurally by Le Petit Prince. The platform that Teater
Ekamatra has provided for me has allowed and challenged me to push
my thinking about theatre-making. I feel very much in awe of the many
talents that I have met in the company such as Fendy Ibrahim, Alfian
Sa'at and Alin Mosbit, all of whom have been very encouraging and
have greatly affected and influenced my way of thinking about theatre.
Having Siti Khalijah to perform the script was a delightful joy because
she added another layer of interpretation to the script. Zulkifle
Mahmod, who created the soundscape for the performance, created aural
textures, which further expanded the narratives onstage.
2. The
Dresser by The Singapore Repertory Theatre
Two central performances that both deserve two thumbs up!
3. The
Magic Fundoshi by W!ld Rice
W!ld Rice doing what it does best! A raucous and raunchy romp! Rrrrrr!
4. The
Candlestickmaker by Indian Ink Theatre Company
Beautiful on so many levels! One of the few shows I've seen that I can
honestly say appeals to both adults and children.
5. Cabaret
by Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble
Not without its critics but I was blown away! Though not a fan of musicals,
I was impressed by the show's high production quality and solid performances
and moved by the story it told! |
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Deanne
Tan's Picks
1. Cursive
by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan
An inventive concept translated brilliantly into action. Inspired by
Chinese calligraphy, the production used movement, white space, bodies
and screens in a multitude of original ways. A visual feast that brought
the 2006 Huayi Festival to a new level of aesthetic and artistic experimentation.
2. A Bedfull
of Foreigners
by British Theatre Playhouse
This professionally executed farce tickled the funny bone with both
classy and corny British humour. If Singapore had a Broadway or West
End equivalent, this would surely be the number one show.
3. Pulau
produced by Adrian Tan
An engaged examination of all the pretty, ugly and horrible things that
inhabit our tiny island. Don't be put off by the weird references (like
the cannibalistic cows). This was a highly entertaining and overwhelmingly
real production.
Director Adrian Tan says:
Pulau has been a very personal experience for all of us - our
relationship with How Wee's play and with each other has lasted almost
two years now, and is still going strong as we endeavour to bring
the show on the road to other parts of the world. Our sincere thanks
to The Flying Inkpot Theatre Reviews for acknowledging our
work, and to the many others who have given us very generous encouragement.
We are deeply honoured.
Writer Ng How Wee says:
Wah?! Kena arrow by Inkpot, ah? Kum sia! Happy leh.
4. Second
Link
by W!ld Rice (review of 2005 run)
A rich spread of "performed literature" from Singapore and
Malaysia to satisfy even the most kiasu theatregoer. Second Link
not only proved that the arts scenes of the two countries are capable
of producing a wide range of quality works, it also hinted at their
potential to produce more literary treasures.
5. I'm Just a Piano
Teacher by
The Finger Players
My favourite anti-hero of 2006, the 40-year-old piano teacher, demonstrated
how to turn a life of unremarkable mediocrity into a very memorable
bloodbath. |
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Ng
Yi-Sheng's Picks
1. Death
and the Ploughman by SITI Company
SITI Company blew my mind with this fantastically experimental revival
of a medieval classic, both profoundly intellectual and heart-stirring.
Director Anne Bogart says:
We had a delightful time performing Death and the Ploughman
in Singapore and are very happy that it was received with such warmth
and enthusiasm. The play, written in 1401 by Johannes von Saaz, feels
as though it were ripped off the contemporary landscape. Due to the
present global struggles, we are facing essential matters that transcend
our previous preoccupations of career advancement, material hoarding
and desire-fulfillment. The lens of our times is one where the issues
are suddenly elemental and rooted in big personal questions about
how to live and contribute to the fragile crucible of our time. Life
does not exist without death. How do we face this fact? What do our
lives "mean"? How can we live fully in the presence of immense
catastrophe and loss?
2. Fundamentally
Happy by The
Necessary Stage
One of the most finely crafted works from TNS I've ever seen. A wonderful
marriage of issue-driven and character-driven theatre, with excellent
performances from the cast.
3. A
Language of Their Own
by Checkpoint Theatre (Fridae review)
An extremely moving, intimate love story, textually rich and resonant,
with superb acting from the leads.
4. Mobile
by The Necessary Stage
Not without its slip-ups, but stunning in both its scope and its success
in conveying the situation of migrant workers today. Essential viewing.
5. The Dresser
by The Singapore Repertory Theatre
Incredible acting from the leads, bringing to life a rich and complex
relationship; one of the best nights of theatre I've witnessed. Shame
about the supporting cast.
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Amos
Toh's Picks
1. Fundamentally
Happy by The
Necessary Stage
Tender, trenchant and fraught with emotion at every turn. Under
the virtuosic direction of Alvin Tan, Chua Enlai and Aidli 'Alin' Mosbit
deliver pulsing performances that easily qualify Fundamentally Happy
as the best play I saw this year.
Playwright Haresh Sharma says:
Fundamentally Happy is a play I wrote with Alvin, Alin and
Enlai. We started by sharing our thoughts. And when I mentioned my
idea of doing something about paedophilia, they didn't flinch. Far
from that, Alvin actually emailed me tonnes of research materials
on the issue. So thank you Inkpot for noticing this wee play.
And hugs to Aidli, Del, Joyah, and Mac. And my best pal Vince. And.
[Bill Conti starts playing music]. Matt & Kenneth. Our beautiful
& fierce admin grrls. and of course Alvin, without whom the play
would be like General Hospital.
2. A
Language of Their Own
by Checkpoint Theatre (Fridae review)
The ending may be overwrought, and the intrusive appearance
of two characters late in the play may have diluted its intensity, but
little could mar A Language of Their Own's deeply affecting
meditation on the slow yet searing ache of love, loneliness and desire.
3. Second
Link
by W!ld Rice (review of 2005 run)
There may have been a clear division in quality between the two halves
of the play, but at its best, Second Link is a romp through
the enticing playground of the imagination, where words fly from their
pages and adopt fascinating forms onstage.
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| Ratings out
of 5, based on Practitioner's Vision / Reviewer's Response: ***** =
Transcendent / Rapturous;
**** = Crystal / Appreciative; *** = Transmitted / Thoughtful; ** = Vague
/ Unsatisfied; * = Uncommunicated / Mystified. |
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