BY SCHAUBÃœHNE BERLIN
(GERMANY)
11 & 12 May
FRI & SAT, 8PM
Esplanade Theatre PHOTO BY ARNO DECLAIR
2h 30m, no intermission
MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR I grew up looking forward to the Singapore Arts Festival every year. Watching shows across different genres from around the world played a big part in shaping my artistic sensibilities. Shows such as Ninagawa’s Macbeth (1992), for example, entirely changed my perception of how Shakespeare could be performed. In 1996, I acted in Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Sing To The Dawn; it was the first time a Singaporean musical opened the Singapore Arts Festival. Given this history, I was delighted and honoured to be asked to helm the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) for the next three years. What is SIFA’s role? Where does it fit in the cultural landscape, both at home and internationally? Who does it serve? Where would I like it to be in three years? As I was thinking of how to shape the festival, what I did know was that I wanted to programme a festival that would inspire young people in the same way that I was impacted 25 years ago. With the support of the phenomenal team at SIFA, I aspired to curate a season that would showcase different art forms and perspectives from Singapore and around the world. We also strove to programme a spectrum of shows that would appeal to a variety of audiences, from the first-time festival-goer to the seasoned art lover. We believe we have programmed artists who are game-changers in their fields. In parallel, discussions commenced with several of the game-changers in the Singapore arts scene. One of SIFA’s roles is to commission and facilitate the creation of new Singaporean work – giving artists the time and resources to develop shows over a two- or three-year horizon. We look forward to presenting the culmination of this process in SIFA 2019 and 2020. 1
Two memorable experiences from arts festivals I have attended around the world have been the free outdoor performances, and a festival ‘village’ — a place where artists and audiences can meet after a show and discuss what they’ve just seen. Both these elements can be found in SIFA 2018. The free outdoor programmes on the opening and closing weekends have some sensational performances to be enjoyed with family and friends. Over these three weeks, The Arts House will become Festival House. It will be the heartbeat of SIFA with performances, lectures, readings, music salons and, of course, a place to just hang out and chat. Artists will give talks, conduct masterclasses or host Q&As, and hopefully we will build relationships with them that last beyond the festival. A key initiative that I introduced this year is the $10 front-row student ticket. I want the next generation of Singaporeans to know that they matter to SIFA. My hope is that they will fall in love with the arts in the same way I did at their age. I would like to thank Sarah Martin and the incredible team of people I work with at SIFA and at Arts House Limited. Despite the tight six-month runway to programme this festival, they have been nothing short of amazing and have worked tirelessly to produce a festival that we hope resonates with you as much as it does with us. Most of all, thank you for your support. The scope, breadth and reach of shows in SIFA will continue to grow over the next three years. We look forward to taking you on this exciting journey with us. Gaurav Kripalani Festival Director
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Festivals bring people together to celebrate causes or to mark momentous occasions. Arts festivals allow us to not only appreciate the arts, they allow us to experience and form lasting and transformative memories. It is through shared experiences that we come to form communities. The inaugural Singapore Festival of Arts began in 1977 as a national showcase of the vibrant art forms found within Singapore’s diverse communities. In its many evolutions over the last four decades, the Festival has touched countless hearts, created invaluable experiences for many, and inspired even more to embrace the arts. From a time when Singapore was widely perceived as a cultural desert, the Festival has played an instrumental role in developing Singapore’s arts landscape and shaped the city-state into one of Asia’s leading cultural capitals. This year, SIFA 2018 marks the 41st year and kicks off a new era with Gaurav Kripalani at the helm as Festival Director for 2018 – 2020. Condensed into 17 days of artistic adventures, it is our hope that
this exhilarating three-week format will create robust artistic engagement for a spectrum of diverse audiences. The Arts House will be transformed into the Festival House, and within its intimate spaces, there will be meaningful discourses on the various themes presented in the festival. Built upon the foundation and achievements of those who came before, SIFA is the sum of many parts made possible by a team of many talents who has worked tirelessly and passionately to deliver the Festival Director’s vision. I thank everyone who has had a hand in shaping the Singapore International Festival of Arts into a tradition for both new and existing audiences and making it the stalwart of Singapore’s dedication to artistic excellence. Gaurav and the team have put together a festival of multiple layers allowing you to make up your own artistic adventures. It is my hope that you will walk away with unique memories of the Festival. Sarah Martin CEO, Arts House Limited
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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR When we started to work on Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, we took the challenge to use this text written in 1882 to deal with very contemporary questions: Is our concept of representative democracy still working? How can the majority be a powerful category when media influences and misleads people so easily? How can we defend ourselves when economic pressures constantly undermine public interests? It is indeed astonishing how clearly this 19th Century play about a provincial environmental scandal can direct us to crucial political and social issues of today’s life. We just sharpened Ibsen’s text in one single passage: In Dr. Stockmann’s passionate public speech, when he reveals the poisoning of a well we inserted a passage taken from the manifesto, The Coming Insurrection, a French radical leftist, anarchist tract published in 2007. So Stockmann, as the sincere fighter for the truth, obsesses more and more about anarchist, post democratic ideas and at the end, he maybe loses our undivided sympathy? A play can shake our convictions, irritate our beliefs… In one part of the show, the actors encourage a direct participation. This often triggered an open-hearted, vivid debate tearing down the boundaries between stage and audience. Our personal attitude towards democracy, truth, courage, civil disobedience is publicly questioned. Playing the show all over the world, it was intriguing to experience how different the reactions are depending on the specific discussions and issues of the respective place. “If you take the life lie from an average man, you take away his happiness as well”, says Ibsen. We used to cling to the delusions about ourselves and it can be quite frightening to face the truth. Theatre is one of the last social spaces where we may playfully reflect the essence of our humanity. In a collective experience beyond any constrained efficiency, we share our fears and hopes. I am not naïve enough to believe that theatre can change the world. Nevertheless, theatre can encourage us to change our perspective, strengthen our empathy and help us to overcome the simplifying distinction between “them” and “us”. Thomas Ostermeier Director
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SYNOPSIS Dr. Stockmann discovers that the source of drinking and spa water is riddled with pathogenic microorganisms caused by industrial effluence. Stockmann wants to publish the findings in the newspaper and demands that the city council re-route the water pipes. However, his brother Peter, the councillor of the city, raises some serious concerns: The economic prosperity of the spa town will be threatened and the citizens will have to bear the brunt of the high repair costs. Suddenly the support for Stockmann from the town’s policymakers begins to wane. But Stockmann insists on transparency and intends to go public on the matter. In an all-important speech, he hopes to win the town over to his way of thinking. He accepts that this will cause a permanent rift between himself and his brother and that he also runs the risk of being ostracised by the community. For him the affair has long since ceased to be about the polluted health spa, his target is society as a whole. In between a rock band rehearsal, hipster costumes, riffs from David Bowie and a rowdy debate, Thomas Ostermeier’s remarkable production of Henrik Ibsen’s drama boldly tackles age-old dilemmas that seem to resonate with society even today.
PHOTO BY ARNO DECLAIR
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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, THOMAS OSTERMEIER Thomas Ostermeier studied directing at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch in Berlin. Since September 1999, he has been the resident director and member of the Artistic Direction of the Schaubühne in Berlin. He has also directed several productions at the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Edinburgh Festival and the Burgtheater in Vienna. In November 2004, Thomas was appointed Artiste Associé for the Festival d’Avignon, and has been presenting shows at the festival almost every year since. Thomas’ directorial works have won several awards around the world, including the Nestroy Prize and the Politika Prize for the play Nora as well as the Grand Prix de la Critique of France for John Gabriel Borkman. In 2009 Thomas was appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettre by the Ministry of Culture in France, and was promoted to the degree of Commandeur in 2015. In May 2010, he was named the German president of the Deutsch-Französischer Kulturrat (DKFR), the German-French Council of Culture. He also received the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale for the entirety of his work in 2011. Thomas’ productions have toured around the world, including to countries such as Argentina, Australia, Canada, Greece, India, Japan, Norway and Russia.
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PHOTO BY BRIGITTE LACOMBE
THE CAST
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PHOTOS BY FRANZISKA SINN
CHRISTOPH GAWENDA | Dr. Stockmann
Christoph has been a member of the Schaubühne ensemble since 2010. He studied acting from 2001 to 2005 at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Hannover. In 2004 he took part in workshops at the State Arts Academy Theater in St. Petersburg. After his studies, he was engaged as a member of the Staatsschauspiel Stuttgart. Here, he worked with directors like Friederike Heller, Volker Lösch, Michael Thalheimer, Hasko Weber, Thomas Dannemann and Árpád Schilling in productions such as Väter und Söhne, Intrigue and Love and The Cherry Orchard. Christoph’s film appearances include Wer wenn nicht wir, Stalingrad and Auf einmal. He also worked on the audio book production Die hohle Nadel oder der Schatz der Könige Frankreichs. 2
KONRAD SINGER | Member of City Council
Born in Leipzig in 1978. Has been a member of the ensemble at the Schaubühne since the season of 2016/17. He studied acting at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Bochum from 2002-06. In 2005 he could be seen as a guest in Ein Sommernachtstraum (Director: Thomas Dannemann) at the Schauspielhaus Bochum. He started to work as an actor at the Berliner Ensemble while still finishing his acting degree. At the Berliner Ensemble he acted in plays, such as Antigone des Sophokles by Bertolt Brecht (Director: George Tabori, 2006), Wallenstein by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Peter Stein, 2007), Die Dreigroschenoper by Bertolt Brecht (Director: Robert Wilson, 2007) and Spuren der Verirrten by Peter Handke (Director: Claus Peymann, 2007). From 2008–15 he was committed to the Theater Freiburg, where he was involved in numerous productions, amongst others: Die Orestie after Aischylos (Director: Felicitas Brucker, 2009), 1984 by George Orwell (Director: Tom Kühnel, 2009) and Ein Volksfeind by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Christoph Frick, 2015). As a guest actor he was also involved in the play Ödipus adapted from Sophokles (Theater Freiburg, Director: Felicitas Brucker) and in the play Timon aus Athen by William Shakespeare (Schauspiel Hannover, Director: Tom Kühnel) in the season of 2015/16. 6
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EVA MECKBACH | Mrs Stockmann
Born in 1981 in Seeheim-Jugenheim in Hessen, Germany, Eva has been a part of the Schaubühne ensemble since 2006. From 2003 to 2006 she studied acting at the Universität der Künste Berlin. Other than appearing in various Schaubühne productions, including Tartuffe (2013), The Lower Depths (2015) and Beware of Pity (2015), she has also worked on audio books and radio productions. In 2012, she appeared in the movie Home for the Weekend directed by Hans-Christian Schmid. The same year, she received the award for best actress at the International Theatre Festival in Stettin for her role as Erika Roth in Martyr by Marius von Mayenburg. 4
RENATO SCHUCH | Hovstad
Born in 1980 in São Paulo, Renato joined the Schaubühne ensemble in 2015. He studied acting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. He has had guest engagements at the Thalia Theater and the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg, where he worked with theatre directors Jette Steckel, Andreas Kiegenburg and Daniel Wahl. From 2009 to 2013 he was a member of the ensemble at the Schauspiel Köhn where he appeared in Iphigenia (2011), The Waves (2011) and The Last Ones (2013). In 2008 Renato received the Rolf Mares Prize for his role in The Dreamers directed by Daniel Wahl. He has also appeared in several film and television productions, including The Black Brothers (2014). 5
DAVID RULAND | Aslaksen
David has been a member of the Schaubühne ensemble since 2003. He studied at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch in Berlin, and has appeared in productions like Spring Awakening at the Deutsches Theater, and The Little Foxes and Westberlin at the Schaubühne. His television credits include Tatort: Reise ins Nichts and Tatort: Veras Waffen. David has also collaborated with German film and theatre director Leander Haußmann in the films Dinosaurier and Haialarm am Müggelsee. 6
MORITZ GOTTWALD | Billing
Born in 1988 in Halle, Germany, Moritz has been a member of the Schaubühne ensemble since the 2011/12 season. He studied acting at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch in Berlin and first appeared at the Neues Theater in Halle in An der Saale hell gestrandet. Ein Heimatstück directed by Melanie Peter and Yves Hinrichs. Since then, he has appeared in various productions, including hamlet ist tot. keine schwerkraft and Parasites at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, and Richard III and Beware of Pity at the Schaubühne. 7
THOMAS BADING | Morten Kiil
Born in 1959 in Quedlinburg in northern Germany, Thomas has been a member of the Schaubühne ensemble since 1999. He studied acting at the Hans Otto theatre school in Leipzig. He has performed at the Neues Theater in Halle and the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in productions such as Kriemhilds Rache (1994), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1997) and Monsieur Chasse (1998), amongst others. Thomas’ directorial works include William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2003), Hamlet (2005) and Romeo and Juliet (2008) staged at Burghofspiele Eltville. His film credits include Die Unberührbare (1999), Drei (2010) and Barbara (2011). He has also appeared in television productions such as Drei in einem Bett (2012), Der Fall B. (2014) and Weissensee (2010, 2011, 2014), for which he was awarded the German Actors Award in the Best Ensemble category in 2014. 7
THE CREATIVE TEAM Director: Thomas Ostermeier Actors: Christoph Gawenda, Konrad Singer, Eva Meckbach, Renato Schuch, David Ruland, Moritz Gottwald and Thomas Bading Stage Designer: Jan Pappelbaum Costume Designer: Nina Wetzel Music: Malte Beckenbach and Daniel Freitag Dramaturge: Florian Borchmeyer Lighting Designer: Erich Schneider Wall Paintings: Katharina Ziemke This is a production of Schaubühne Berlin
PROGRAMME PARTNER
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PHOTO BY ARNO DECLAIR
TICKET HOLDER PRIVILEGES
FLASH YOUR SIFA 2018 TICKET
TO ENJOY ATTRACTIVE DISCOUNTS & PROMOTIONS HOUSE POUR@FESTIVAL HOUSE
The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
10% off drinks and light bites.
TIMBRE @ THE ARTS HOUSE AND BARBER SHOP BY TIMBRE
The Arts House, #01-04, Annex Building, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
• • • •
Pizza Set and Twin Half Pints of Archipelago @$31++ Twin Glasses of Red or White Wine @$20++ Twin Pints of Archipelago @ $30++ Pizza Set and Twin Glasses of Wine @ $31++
ESPLANADE MALL
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039802
1984 and An Enemy of the People ticket holders are entitled up to 15% discount at Esplanade Mall. Visit www.esplanade.com for more information.
AURA
#05-03 and #06-02, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957
15% discount on all food and beverages.
Esplanade Mall
COURTYARD CAFÉ & LOUNGE
Supreme Court Wing, #01-02A/ #01-K1, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957
10% discount on all food and beverages.
GALLERY & CO
City Hall Wing, #01-17, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957
• Free coffee/tea with purchase of any pastries. • 1-for-1 cocktail, beer, house wine and house spirits all day. • 10% discount on selected retail items.
SPRMRKT DAILY
41 Robertson Quay, Singapore 238236
10% discount on all food and beverages at SPRMRKT Daily.
SPRMRKT
#02-13/14 Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 259760
10% discount on all food and beverages at SPRMRKT.
For more festival deals, please visit sifa.sg Terms & Conditions: Unless otherwise stated, all promotions are valid till 13 May, Sun. Not applicable with other promotions, discounts, vouchers and offers by credit or privilege cards. Ticket stubs presented must be in its original condition. Management reserves the right to amend any promotional terms and conditions without prior notice. Merchants’ terms and conditions apply.
ABOUT SIFA Into its 41st year, Singapore International Festival of Arts 2018 presents diverse and distinctive work from Singapore and around the world that ignites the imagination, inspires myriad audiences, and provokes reflection and dialogue. Get ready for a plethora of theatre, music, dance, literary and visual arts at the pinnacle national arts festival that will happen over three weeks from 26 April to 12 May, and across ten performance spaces, including the Festival House, located at The Arts House. ABOUT ARTS HOUSE LIMITED Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL manages two key landmarks located in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District – The Arts House, a multi-disciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs the Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre, two creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses, and performing arts space Drama Centre. AHL presents the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the annual pinnacle celebration of performance and interdisciplinary arts in Singapore commissioned by the National Arts Council. AHL was set up in 11 Dec 2002 as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) under the National Arts Council and was formerly known as The Old Parliament House Limited. It was officially renamed Arts House Limited on 19 Mar 2014. AHL BOARD Chairperson: Christine Ong Members: Chong Yuan Chien, Deborah Ho, Kelvin Ang, Lynette Pang, Madeleine Lee, Maniza Jumabhoy, Mok Wei Wei, Ong Chao Choon, Ong Choon Fah, Paul Tan, Sarah Martin (Ex-Officio)
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS THE SIFA TEAM Chief Executive Officer: Sarah Martin Festival Director: Gaurav Kripalani Chief Financial Officer: Yong Yuet Mei Advisor: J P Nathan Head, Programming: Jobina Tan Head, Production: Cindy Yeong Head, Marketing: Jasmine Gan Head, Communications: Carolyn Tay Head, Partnership Development: Payal Michelle Parekhji Assistant Head, Event Services Management: Emma Izzabella Tagoe PROGRAMMING Producers: Sara Joan Fang, Rydwan Anwar, Ye Junmin Senior Manager: Lisa Marie Lip Senior Manager, Place Making: Natalie Tan Managers: Kong Yen Lin, Shridar Mani, Pang Su Li Assistant Manager: Alicia Chong PRODUCTION Production Managers: Christopher Chua, Natalie Lim Production Co-ordinators: Celestine Wong, Melissa Chin Technical Co-ordinators: Huang Xiangbin, David Li Production Assistant: Chong Wee Nee MARKETING Senior Managers: Elizabeth Wong, Winnie Chan Assistant Manager: Koay Yi Ling Senior Designers: Muhammad Hakim bin Rahim, Md Firdaus bin Wari Executives: Diana Othman, Juliana Tan Interns: Clara Janssen, Lim Yi Shuen, Michelle Chia COMMUNICATIONS Assistant Manager: Willy Beh Wei Hong Intern: Rifdi Jaffar TICKETING Executive: Nor Limah binte Ja’ffar PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Manager: Norita Senin Executive: Tan Yanru EVENT SERVICES MANAGEMENT Frontof-house Hospitality Manager: Dorothy Neo Front-of-House Manager: Mohd Afham bin Abbas Back-of-House Hospitality Manager: Nursheehana binte Akbal Ahmad Event Services Manager: Johnson Kee Secretariat Manager: Carine Lee Transport Manager: Syafiq Zulkepli FINANCE Manager: Vivian Gan Executives: Mandy Choo, Lai Zhi Ying, Priyasini D/O Balachandran HUMAN RESOURCE Manager: Noraliza Ramli Senior Executive: Elaine Neo ADMINISTRATION Manager, Arts: Liza Mustapha Executive: Norhanim binte Mohamed Tayib 10
DON'T MISS THESE FREE PROGRAMMES AT THE FESTIVAL
Enjoy a slew of interactive visual arts displays and an elegant jazz concert to round off this year’s enthralling line-up.
BY GEOFF COBHAM AU
26 Apr – 12 May, daily, 10am – 10pm Gallery I, Festival House Step into this immersive installation and bask in the wonder of light.
BY
SG
26 Apr - 12 May, daily, 10am - 10pm Gallery II, Festival House A multi-dimensional approach to question memory, space and legacy through lapses in structure, text and image.
BY FERRY SG
Duke Ellington Orchestra 10 - 12 May, Thu - Sat , 10am – 5pm Play Den, Festival House Unlock new dimensions to experiencing sound in this tactile audiovisual installation.
US
12 May, Sat Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage, Singapore Botanic Gardens
The legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra will play some landmark jazz pieces in a festival closing performance.
For more details, visit sifa.sg. ORGANISED BY
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