The Year of No Return | SIFA 2021

14–30 MAY

THE YEAR OF NO RETURN The Necessary Stage (Singapore)

21 May, Fri, 8pm 22 May, Sat, 2pm & 8pm Victoria Theatre

5 — 12 Jun SIFA On Demand

MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR The world has changed dramatically in the last year. This is an extraordinary time for artists, where we have been asking ourselves: how can we still bring you great art and recreate the magic of the live experience? This is an enormous challenge, one which requires creativity, boldness and determination.

With over 60 productions and over 300 performances, SIFA 2021 has been curated as a direct response to the here and now.

It is a response to the care and compassion we need for ourselves, our community and our environment. It features exceptional artistes and companies who have learnt to adapt and present work that can reach audiences around the world, using a variety of technologies.

And it will feature a record number of Singaporean commissions and collaborations.

Besides shows that will take place in theatres and unique spaces around Singapore, SIFA 2021 will allow you to interact with artists “live” from around the world. There won’t be any shows that you watch passively on a screen. You can also expect the return of festival favourites such as our popular film offering, Singular Screens, as well as Festival House – the epicentre of the festival.

It’s been an honour to helm our national festival and see it grow in stature, both at home and internationally, over the past four years.

None of this would have been possible without the support of the incredible team at Arts House Ltd who have worked tirelessly to make this happen, and especially their Herculean efforts of mounting a festival of this scale during a pandemic.

In a time where most of us can’t travel, SIFA looks forward to bringing the world to you, and Singaporean artists to the world.

See you at SIFA 2021.

Gaurav Kripalani Festival Director

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?

“

When you have power, it doesn’t matter what race you are, what language you speak. You will do whatever it takes to hold on to that power. —Wendy, Model Citizens by Haresh Sharma

BECAUSE WE CAN I write this as The Necessary Stage is staging our run of Model Citizens at our black box theatre—incidentally the last production at our home before our eviction. As such, issues of power, oppression and inequality are at the forefront of my mind. There seems to be no escaping them; the same issues too are explored in our SIFA commission, The Year of No Return.

With centuries of greed and capital accumulation, inequalities have increased, and our planet is left exhausted and depleted. Yet, even as we think we are one humanity facing the same climate catastrophe, the rich maintains its status quo. Moreover, how swiftly have stakeholders begun to ventriloquize the language of environmentalists in their greenwashing campaigns to not only protect but increase their profits. Governments remain in denial, and in their persecution of climate activists, they are complicit in profiting from such gains whilst the young see their future getting bleaker.

The bullying at the playground is a sign of human nature’s tendency to retain power by using whatever privilege we have to keep the weak in its place.

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You can go on pretending to be the leaders of this country. You can go on pretending to care about the poor, the disabled, the needy. But you people are a joke. A fu*king joke. Despised by the very people you give your fu*king Hong Baos to. — Wendy, Model Citizens by Haresh Sharma

Medieval Christianity’s Great Chain of Being, left unchallenged for centuries, has given human beings the justification to lord over every life form, manifested in past colonialist territorial and present-day economic expansions. Through the intersectional lens, we become more aware of how privilege works. This same privilege underlies our exploitation of our planet and of one another. This same sense of entitlement is part of why we remain complicit in oppression, when we turn a blind eye to how nations and conglomerates continue to decimate indigenous populations, disempower the working class, and plunder the earth, in pursuit of greater wealth.

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Privilege isn’t the presence of perks and benefits. It’s the absence of obstacles and barriers. That’s a lot harder to notice. If you have a hard time recognising your privileges, focus on what you don’t have to go through. Let that fuel your empathy and action. — Marie Beecham

BECAUSE WE HAVE A MISSION As we soldiered on creating The Year of No Return, the urgency of climate change has been eclipsed by the pandemic. Yet we know that the pandemic is symptomatic of how we have been relating with our environment and we, as human beings, have to change.

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Everyone thinks of changing the world, But no one thinks of changing himself. — Leo Tolstoy

Change begins with us. But that doesn’t mean change is solely our responsibility. That would in fact be what corporations would like us to believe. Instead, change begins with us rising up, banding together, and forging new futures for an equitable world. Change begins with us recognising science rather than silencing it. It begins with us demanding justice and fairness for the disenfranchised. Change begins when we bear hope for a brighter tomorrow—and act to make it a reality. Because we can.

Alvin Tan

DRAMATURG’S MESSAGE THIS IS THE MOMENT How do we create a work about climate change—something so urgent, yet unknowable in its extent of devastation? Despite the immediacy of the climate emergency, not all of us are addressing it in our own lives.

Such a paradox deserves scrutiny and unpacking—if not empathy.

The Year of No Return seeks to tell personal stories of individuals affected by climate change. What makes one deny impending existential danger, and another an activist for systemic change?

What does it mean to lose your home, family and identity as a result of environmental destruction? Why should we care when we, as individuals, seem impotent in this struggle, given the wilful intransigence of governments or greed of profit-driven corporations?

At the same time, we cannot create a work about climate change without examining the environmental impact of the work itself. How do we as theatre-makers justify creating theatre about climate change, when the process itself contributes to wastage and carbon emissions?

The Year of No Return has had to grapple with our response to another urgent crisis as well. COVID-19 resulted in the postponement of the premiere of our show in 2020. In the interim, we witnessed first-hand how the world reacted to the pandemic. We saw parallels in the denial of science. We found hope in collective rapid responses to address the inequities that the pandemic laid bare for all to see.

And we were horrified when nativism reared its ugly heads in vaccine politics. Everything that COVID-19 revealed resonated strongly with the themes we are exploring in this production.

So how do we find purpose in such times to bring forth positive change—not just for ourselves, but for all of humanity, for all living beings, and for all the lands and seas we call home?

We hope you will emerge from this work bearing hope in the dark, believing in our agency and power, in collective action and ultimately in doing the right/moral/ethical thing. We hope the production will inspire in you reason to live for moments of lightness and beauty despite the gloom, to create a better world for others beyond our lifetimes.

This is a pivotal project for The Necessary Stage in terms of how our collaborators have participated in our established devising methodology. We have never undertaken a project where the designers, playwrights, dramaturg and production and administrative personnel had such high stakes in the process and outcome. Heartfelt thanks to every collaborator involved, and also to the climate experts we interviewed. We are also immensely grateful to SIFA for their support and faith in us.

The year of no return is this very moment. We hope in some way, this work will compel us to act and demand change, for a greater good beyond ourselves.

Melissa Lim

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Every day, we are inundated with the dire consequences of the climate emergency. In the face of this threat to humanity, what do we do? Recycle? Switch to environmentallyfriendly products? Be a vegan? Stop having children? What can we do—and do our actions even matter?

Why do we have such different responses to climate change? What makes one a denialist, or another to commit acts of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice?

Can we as individuals, and collectively, affect change? Or will politics and profit dictate the fate of this planet—our only home?

A ground-breaking interdisciplinary collaboration with artists from Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, The Year of No Return by Singapore theatre company. The Necessary Stage seeks to unravel the complications and contradictions in humanity’s responses to climate change.

This hybrid production incorporating live performance and video presentation seeks to question whether we live in an age of despair—or one of hope in the dark.

INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA LIM General Manager and Dramaturg for The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage shares:

How do you feel about being part of SIFA 2021?

We are incredibly excited to be part of SIFA 2021. We are also very grateful to the wonderful SIFA team for keeping their faith in us, after a difficult year of upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic and curtailing of arts and cultural activities. The Singapore audience has definitely shown a hunger to return to the theatre, and we are thrilled to be able to offer them a thought-provoking work that responds to an urgent crisis of our time.

What can audiences look forward to for your programme?

Given the prevailing limits on international travel, we decided to reconceptualise The Year of No Return as a hybrid production incorporating live performance and video presentation. The work is still a collaboration involving artists from four Asian countries— Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore—and will examine the disparate responses that individuals and collectives have towards the undeniable climate catastrophe unfolding before our very eyes. The Year of No Return will provide an unflinching look into humanity’s culpability in what is potentially the greatest tragedy of our times. But it will also show glimpses of hope— through solidarity in fighting against injustice, and our capacity to make change, if we put our minds to it.

What was the inspiration behind the work that will be presented as part of SIFA 2021?

The Year of No Return has been in gestation since 2019, and throughout this period, it has gone through several rewrites and reconceptualisation, not only in response to the pandemic, but also because of the alarming acceleration of climate breakdown, and consequently the urgency for bold climate action. When we first decided to focus on the issue of climate change, it was largely because of numerous reports we’d come across that unless the world begins drawing down drastically on carbon emissions, the planet is headed towards a point of no return. As we researched more into the issue, evidence of the Sixth Mass Extinction become incontrovertible. And yet, we found that responses to climate change varied wildly: from denialists to activists. The Year of No Return is our attempt to understand these differences, and also to question if humanity is to be doomed by relentless capitalism.

How has the pandemic influenced your process in creating this work?

The pandemic has certainly forced us to work in brand new ways.

SIFA commissioned us in 2020 to develop Digital Traces as a glimpse into the universe of The Year of No Return. The series of vodcasts that we created allowed us to experiment with new modes of storytelling and character exploration. With artists situated in four different countries, we had to find ways to collaborate remotely—via video calls, Zoom reads, online chats, etc.

I think what is also important to note is the link between COVID-19 and the climate crisis. It has been said by many researchers and scientists that the pandemic is but a dress rehearsal for climate breakdown. I think there is credence to that view, and even as COVID-19 raged on, there were unprecedented climate-related disasters: massive wildfires, floods, freak snowstorms. There were also reports about how climate change and biodiversity loss results in more zoonotic diseases and pandemics. So our work had to respond to these phenomena and findings as well, and because this is a current and escalating crisis, research for The Year of No Return continues even to this day.

PRODUCTION CREDITS CREATIVE TEAM Written by Haresh Sharma & Rody Vera Directed by Alvin Tan Performed by Chihiro Hirai Marco Viaña Rody Vera Siti Khalijah Zainal Sukania Venugopal Tan Guo Lian Sutton With Ensemble Cast Ariel Lim Ezzafatin Aslam Isaac Lim Jue Hao Jaclyn Magdalene Rajendran Jovetta Tan Rajkumar Thiagaras Dancers

Costume Designer MAX.TAN Multimedia Designer Jasmine Ng Multimedia Co-Designer Hanafi Haffidz PRODUCTION TEAM Production Stage Manager Samantha Chia Assistant Stage Managers Jovetta Tan Nadya Gerhard Technical Manager Fiona Lim Sound Operator Muhammad Taufiq Bin Sawal Multimedia Operator Christer Jon Aplin

Edina Handali Jereh Leong Dramaturg Melissa Lim Choreographer and Movement Director Goh Shou Yi

Lighting Operator and Programmer Mo Fengling Yvonne Motion Graphics Team Erica Tan Chua Khai Xin Lee Jing Wei Production Intern Manisha Devdas Sawlani

Set Designer Wong Chee Wai Lighting Designer Yo Shao Ann Sound Designer and Composer Ng Jing

Project Manager Nicole Lim PREFERRED PROJECTOR PARTNER:

ABOUT THE CAST Chihiro Hirai – Cast Chihiro appeared in The Necessary Stage’s Mobile 2: Flat Cities in 2013. She performed the first single national release in the theme song audition of the stage in 2014. In 2015 Chihiro released her first album, Ai no Toni and in 2017 her second album NEW () HELLO was released.

She also works as a goodwill ambassador from Hokuto City (Japan), Yamanashi Prefecture, where she is from.

Tan Guo Lian Sutton – Cast Tan Guo Lian Sutton is a graduate of the BA (Hons) Acting program at LASALLE College of the Arts. He is a recipient of Best Supporting Actor for his role in Electra at the 2017 Life! Theatre Awards. He is currently a core member of theatre collective; Dark Matter Theatrics, and associate artist of Pink Gajah. Lian recently completed his Masters in Arts Pedagogy and Practice where he researched the pre-performance rituals of professional actors in Singapore. As a trained martial artist from an early age, Lian constantly seeks to merge his talents to tell stories in varied and engaging ways. Selected theatre credits include Temple, and Electra directed by Natalie Hennedige, 2 Houses by Lim Yu Beng, and Those Who Can’t, Teach directed by Alvin Tan.

Marco Viaña – Cast Marco is the recipient of the 2017 Gawad Buhay Award for Male Featured Performance in a Play for Tanghalang Pilipino’s Ang Pag-uusig (The Crucible).

He is currently a Senior Member of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company, comprising resident actors of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He is also a member of the pool of Actor-Facilitators accredited by UNICEF to conduct acting classes and forum theatre workshops in the Philippines. Most recently he has expanded his artistic practice to include production design with Tanghalang Pilipino’s serialised staging of Nang Dalawin ng Pag-ibig si Juan Tamad (When Love Came to Juan Tamad).

Rodolfo (Rody) Vera - Co-Writer/Cast Rody is an actor, singer, playwright, screenwriter, actor, and director. He has written nearly 70 plays and won numerous competitions, notably the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Hall of Fame) and the Buhay! PhilStage Awards. He has written many film scripts which won accolades and co-wrote the critically acclaimed Cannes Film Festival entry to Un Certain Regard, Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan.

In 2015, Rody became an UMPIL Gawad Balagtas Awardee for his literary contributions to Philippine Drama and a Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi Awardee by the Ateneo de Manila University. He is the co-founder of the Virgin Labfest, an annual theatre festival of new works, and currently heads the Writer’s Bloc, Inc, a group of Filipino playwrights. He also acted in The Necessary Stage’s productions, including Mardi Gras, Top or Bottom, godeatgod, Mobile and Good People (nominated as Best Actor at The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards)

Siti Khalijah Zainal – Cast Siti Khalijah Zainal made her debut as a full-time theatre actress after she attended The Necessary Stage’s year-long Theatre for Youth Ensemble programme in 2003. Since then, she has been working with a wide range of theatre companies, both locally and internationally, and she considers herself very lucky. She won Best Actress for her roles in Model Citizens and Off Centre at the 2011 and 2016 The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards, and was awarded the Young Artist Award by the NAC in 2014.

Sukania Venugopal - Cast Sukania Venugopal has worked in Malaysia and Singapore for theatre, TV and movie projects, including Talentime with the late Yasmin Ahmad. She performed and co-directed dance dramas with The Temple of Fine Arts, worked in children’s theatre and musicals, and is a pioneer performer with The Instant Cafe Theatre. In 2019, she was part of an Australian theatre production Counting and Cracking at the Sydney and Adelaide Arts Festivals. She won Best Supporting Actress for Ghost Writer by The Necessary Stage at The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards, and Best Supporting Role for Language Archive in the Boh-Cameroonian Awards.

CREATIVE TEAM Alvin Tan - Director Alvin is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Necessary Stage and a leading proponent of devising theatre in Singapore, having directed over 80 plays. He is also the current Artistic Director of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. Alvin has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, the Young Artist Award (1998) and the Cultural Medallion (2014). In 2010, Alvin was conferred the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. The following year, he was awarded Best Director at The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards for Model Citizens by The Necessary Stage. He was also the Artistic Director of Peer Pleasure, an annual youth theatre festival by ArtsWok Collaborative (2015–2017).

Haresh Sharma - Co-Writer Haresh is the Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage since 1990, having written more than 120 plays staged in over 20 cities. His play, Off Centre, was the first Singapore play selected by the Ministry of Education for GCE N- and O-Levels. He was conferred the S.E.A. Write Award (2014) and the Cultural Medallion (2015), and is also the first non-American to be awarded the prestigious Goldberg Master Playwright by New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2011).

Haresh has 13 publications of his plays, with works translated into Malay, Mandarin, Greek and Italian. He was awarded Best Original Script for Fundamentally Happy, Good People and Gemuk Girls at The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards. Haresh also had the honour of having his works featured at Esplanade’s first playwright-centred season at The Studios in 2017.

Goh Shou Yi - Choreographer/Movement Director Fascinated by the relationship between the body and society, and eager to explore it through an alternative set of lenses, Shou Yi ventured beyond dance by taking on the role of a collaborator in The Orange Playground (2016), led by Haresh Sharma with The Necessary Stage, as well as in the 1 Table 2 Chairs Experimental Series (2017) presented

by The Theatre Practice, Singapore. He was also a movement choreographer for PRISM (2017) by Toy Factory. Shou Yi is delighted to be part of The Year of No Return team.

Melissa Lim - Dramaturg Melissa is the General Manager of The Necessary Stage (TNS) and the Executive Producer of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. She has assisted with research and translation for TNS’ productions, including Manifesto (2016) and Underclass (2018).

She is deeply grateful for being given the opportunity to develop as a dramaturg at TNS, for works such as《演员四十》(Actor, Forty) by TNS, commissioned for Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2017, Civilised (2019), and now The Year of No Return.

The latter delves into an issue close to her heart, and she hopes that this production will move the audience to act—not only in terms of personal consumption and lifestyle choices, but also in demanding that corporations and the powers that be are held accountable for climate inaction and greenwashing.

Wong Chee Wai - Set Designer Chee Wai is a full-time freelance set designer. He has designed and worked with various performing arts companies in Singapore.

Some of his recent works include W!LD RICE’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Fair Play, Merdeka, Emily of Emerald Hill, Supervision, Mama White Snake, HOTEL, Monkey Goes West, Public Enemy and The House of Bernarda Alba, Checkpoint Theatre’s Displaced Person Welcome Dinner (SIFA 2019), as well as The Necessary Stage’s Off Centre and Sight Lines Productions’ Lord of the Flies.

Yo Shao Ann - Lighting Designer Shao Ann received a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of California, San Diego. He was the first technical theatre recipient of the National Arts Council Young Artist Award in 2006. Recent lighting designs include Fatih: the prince & the drum (Pesta Raya 2019) and My Grandfather’s Road (The Studios 2019) for Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. He was a production manager for Singapore International Festival of Arts 2019.

TNS credits: Off Centre (2019), Sanctuary (Yokohama - 2017), Sanctuary (Singapore – 2017), Those Who Can’t, Teach (2017), Mobile 2: Flat Cities (Kuala Lumpur – 2013), Mobile 2: Flat Cities (Singapore – 2013)

Jing Ng (Ctrl Fre@k) - Sound Artist/Composer Awarded with National Arts Council Scholarship, Jing graduated with first class honors from Rose Bruford College (UK) specialising in Performance Sound. He has a keen interest for sound design in theatre and dance; and enjoys collaborative, devised and experimental works.

His Singapore credits include Silly Little Girl and The Funny Old Tree, Titoudao, Lord of The Flies, Red Sky, Prism, Fundamentally Happy, Dragonflies, Art Studio, The Father, Late Company, This Is What Happens to Pretty Girls, and First Fleet.

Jing was also nominated for Best Sound Design in the 2014 Off West End Theatre Awards for Outfox Productions’ Corpus Christi (UK) and Best Sound Design in the The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards 2018 for Dragonflies (Pangdemonium Theatre Company Ltd).

Jasmine Ng - Multimedia Designer Jasmine Ng is a filmmaker who tells stories across platforms—from film to digital media, to theatre and site-specific installations (Moveable Feast, Eating Air, SHIRKERS, Pink Paddlers, FUTURE FEED, Our Town, In The Silence of Your Heart, KING). She has also conceptualised cross-disciplinary works in collaboration with various communities and other artists in public spaces in Singapore (PRISM Project IPS, all editions of Both Sides, Now for the Lien Foundation). An advocate for the film and arts community and other civil society causes, she is also co-founder and current president of the Singapore Association of Motion Picture Professionals (SAMPP).

MAX.TAN - Costume Designer Experiments with quirk cuts and expanding on extremely simple ideas define the MAX.TAN language. Maximizing on minimalistic ideas, this complex language results in details that are sometimes blown out of proportion. Much of the label’s attention is paid to tailoring and draping while creating unexpected silhouettes and austere moods.

The garments play with volume, modified shapes and use, masculine, feminine, oversized, undersized, deconstruction, reconstruction and transformation.

The label designed its first collection in 2010 and has since been featured on numerous international publications and participated on platforms such as Modefabriek (Amsterdam) and Who is on next? Dubai (organised by Vogue Italia) just to name a few. Besides designing for the bi-annual ready to wear collections, MAX.TAN has also extended its designing language into costume designs in theatre productions. In 2017, its second foray into costume design for Manifesto by The Necessary Stage and Drama Box won Best Costume Design in The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards.

ABOUT

THE NECESSARY STAGE Established in 1987, The Necessary Stage (TNS) is a non-profit theatre company with charity status. Our mission is to create challenging, indigenous and innovative theatre that touches the heart and mind. TNS has the honour of being the only arts company in Singapore helmed by two Cultural Medallion recipients: Artistic Director and Founder Alvin Tan and Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma.

The company is also the organiser and curator of the annual M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. TNS is supported by the National Arts Council under the Major Company Scheme for the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2023.

For its Main Season, TNS produces an average of two plays a year at our black box and other venues. The plays are original, mostly devised pieces created in a collaborative process that is based on research, improvisation before scripting, and input from all members of the production.

We are also committed to international exchange and networking between Singapore and other countries, through staging the company’s plays abroad, inviting foreign works to be presented by the company in Singapore, through dialogues, workshops and training opportunities as well as creative collaborations leading to interdisciplinary productions.

TNS has also curated and presented the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival from 2005 to 2014. From 2015 to 2019, the Fringe — as it is affectionately known — was led under the Artistic Directorship of Sean Tobin, who helmed the curating of the Festival.

The Fringe will be curated by TNS from 2020 onwards.

TNS has also been unwavering in its efforts to nurture new talents and local content, through various platforms including youth- and senior-oriented training initiatives, commissions at the Fringe Festival, and laboratory and developmental platforms such as The Orange Playground, The Orange Production, and most recently in 2020, the TNS Devising Platform. The company also has a comprehensive online archival portal at tnsarchives.com, providing the public access to its 30 years of history.

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ART HOUSE LIMITED BOARD

Chairperson Wilson Tan Members Georgina Phua Joseph Ong Kelvin Ang Kenneth Kwok Lynette Pang Madeleine Lee Maniza Jumabhoy Ong Chao Choon

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 December 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 March 2014.

In 2020, AHL was appointed cultural place manager of the Civic District.

ABOUT SIFA

As Singapore’s annual pinnacle performing arts festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) presents captivating and diverse works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts. First launched as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977, the festival has gone through several evolutions and inspired generations of arts lovers and practitioners. Today, the highly anticipated festival is a high point on Singapore’s arts and cultural calendar. SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works.

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS MANAGEMENT

Manager, Programming

Designer

Executive Director

Shridar Mani

Daphne Ong

Tan Boon Hui

Programmer

Ticketing Specialists

Festival Director

Nur Shireen Marican

Debbie Ng

Gaurav Kripalani

Producing Intern

Allison Lai

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Ng Xue Qi

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Ng Soon Lee

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Production Managers

Adeline Loh

& Planning

Chan Silei

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Yeow Ju Li

Victoria Lim

Amelia Su

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Chia Kai Lin

Head, Production

Melissa Chin

Denise Lim

Cindy Yeong

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& Communications

Chong Wee Nee

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Kailash

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Abu Bakar

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Rachel Chu

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Nor Limah

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Managers

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20 — 22 May 2021 Thu & Fri, 8pm Sat, 2pm & 8pm Drama Centre Theatre

19 — 21, 26 — 28 May 2021 Wed — Fri, 6pm, 7.30pm, 9pm 22, 23, 29, 30 May Sat & Sun, 11am, 12.30pm, 3.30pm, 5pm, 8pm, 9.30pm

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EN ROUTE

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one step at a time like this

14 — 16 May, Fri — Sun 19 — 23 May, Wed — Sun 26 — 30 May, Wed — Sun 11am, 2.30pm & 5pm

19 — 30 May 2021 Various Timings In-venue: Various

14 — 15, 21 — 22, 28 — 29 May Fri — Sat, 6.15pm Central Singapore

THE JOURNEY

Scott Silven

18 — 23, 25 — 30 May 2021 Tue — Sun, 7pm Online

A DREAM UNDER THE SOUTHERN BOUGH: EXISTENCE

Toy Factory Productions TOY肥 料厂

29 — 30 May 2021 Sat, 2pm & 8pm Sun, 2pm Drama Centre Theatre SIFA On Demand: 5 — 12 Jun SISTIC LIVE

COMPASSION: CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

SINGULAR SCREENS

14 — 30 May 2021 In-venue: Oldham Theatre Various Timings

16 — 26 May 2021 Various Timings Various Locations

OIWA – THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA

Various Artists

Various Artists

SIFA On Demand: 31 May — 6 Jun SISTIC LIVE

FROM MEE TO YOU

Chef Justin Quek

The Finger Players

30 May 2021 Sun, 11am — 11.30am SIFA All Access / Facebook / YouTube

28 — 30 May 2021 Fri — Sun, 8pm Victoria Theatre SIFA On Demand: 5 — 12 Jun SISTIC LIVE

FOR FULL FESTIVAL LINE-UP, VISIT SIFA.SG Organised By

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