Adapted and directed by the legendary Lee Breuer, Mabou Mines’ DollHouse transforms Ibsen’s bourgeois tragedy into high comedy with a deep bite. This fascinating production sees the women towering over the men whose heights range from three feet four inches to just over four feet. The physical intensity, the emotional violence, the pained recognition are juxtaposed against humour and pathos.

“The whole experience is so fascinating – thrilling here, confounding there
– that it must be seen.” – The New York Times

21 – 23 June, 8pm
Drama Centre Theatre
$80, $60, $40, $20

Advisory: Contains brief scenes of nudity

Beijing Ren
Beijing People’s Art Theatre (China)

Cao Yu’s own personal favourite play Beijing Ren (Peking Man) comes to Singapore replete with a vast paper-house set that bespeaks the fragility and fractured emotions among the people who inhabit it. Set in 1937, the breakdown of a family entrapped by selfishness, divided loyalties, and unfulfilling love exposes the decline of traditional feudal families at a time of turbulent change in China.

22 & 23 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre
$100, $80, $60, $40, $30, $20

Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles

Romeo and Juliet
OKT/Vilnius City Theatre (Lithuania)

This award-winning production sets Romeo and Juliet in an Italian pizza house. Pizza dough and white flour fly about in reckless abandon demonstrating the heat of passion, tempers, and hormones with humour and wit.

“This Romeo and Juliet is a slice of stage heaven…” – Connecticut Post

5 & 6 June, 8pm
Victoria Theatre
$60, $50, $40, $30, $20

Performed in Lithuanian with English surtitles

3 years, 8 months, 20 days
Amrita Performing Arts (Cambodia)
World Premiere

Chhon Sina, Kauv Sotheary and Morm Sokly were children in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge herded thousands of people out of Phnom Penh. Now three decades later, the three women have turned their childhood memories of those three years, eight months, and twenty days of the Pol Pot regime into a play. Directed by Dutch director Annemarie Prins, its simplicity evokes a poetic and poignant touch.

14 & 15 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre Studio
$30

Performed in Khmer with English surtitles

Cogito
Checkpoint Theatre (Singapore)
World Premiere

“Cogito, ergo sum” or “I think, therefore I am”. But does this still hold true? Checkpoint Theatre’s Cogito is a witty, cerebral, and provocative play that explores what it really means to be human. A collaboration between writer-director Huzir Sulaiman, digital video artist Casey Lim, and performers Claire Wong and Neo Swee Lin.

7 – 9 June, 8pm
Drama Centre Theatre
$50, $40, $30, $20

Wong Kar Wai Dreams
The Finger Players (Singapore)
World Premiere

Award-winning company, The Finger Players, presents a play that meditates on the themes of Wong Kar Wai's films with a signature blend of human actors, puppetry and lush visuals. Directed by Chong Tze Chien (Young Artist Award 2006).

13 – 15 June, 8pm
Drama Centre Theatre
$50, $40, $30, $20

Performed in English, Mandarin and Cantonese with English surtitles

Full Frontal
(Singapore)

Young Singapore theatre makers are invited to confront new dimensions in their work. Young Artist Award recipient Li Xie and Peter Sau make their directorial debut in this festival double-bill. Both provide fresh re-takes of plays drawn from the Singapore theatre canon.

19 & 20 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre Studio
$35

DANCE

Sacred Monsters

Sylvie Guillem in a production by Akram Khan Company (France/UK)

with additional choreography by Lin Hwai-min

Two great stars of present-day dance world, Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan, probe the boundaries between two great classical dance forms, ballet and kathak. Exploring male and female energies as spiritual forces rooted in creation stories and myths, Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan evoke their own personal memories.

“It is an extraordinary, spellbinding moment and a fitting image of this collaboration between two remarkable dancers.” – Telegraph

8 & 9 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre
$120, $100, $80, $65, $45, $30

Supported by French Embassy in Singapore

Bones In Pages
Saburo Teshigawara and KARAS (Japan)

A wall of books, pages flying in the wind, heaps of shoes, glass and acrylic tracing the reflections of movement. Within this installation, the supreme aesthete Teshigawara and his encapsulated dancers move fluidly and effortlessly with complete freedom, uniting body and space.

“Bones in Pages is testimony to his (Teshigawara) remarkable mastery. The visually superb piece exudes an exceptional feeling of strangeness and depth.”

– La Quinzaine des Spectacles

10 & 11 June, 8pm
Victoria Theatre
$60, $40, $30, $20

Sinfonia Eroica by Michèle Anne De Mey
Charleroi/Danses (Belgium)
Asian Premiere

Truly sophisticated, packedwith verve, intelligent surprises and contemporary appeal, choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey is making her mark on the European dance scene. Inspired by Beethoven’s monumental third symphony, nine charismatic dancers combine musical and choreographic phrases in an interplay of movements – crossing, gliding, splashing, forming and splitting in alternating playful and serious moments. The result is ravishingly radiant and fluid.

“The entire choreography radiates sensuality and spontaneity…its sun-filled theatricality and the luminous generosity of these dancers-persons confer upon Sinfonia Eroica a fragile and shattering humanity.” – La Libre Culture

16 & 17 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre
$60, $50, $40, $30, $20

Blind Date
Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (USA)
Asian Premiere

Blind Date confronts and shines a searching light on values of patriotism, honour, sacrifice, and service to a cause larger than oneself. Performed in a sensory landscape of primary colours, video imageries, and musical influences from around the world, the result is a multi-layered dance theatre experience that is moving, sexy, funny, thoughtful, and sad.

“A new maturity in combining Bill T Jones’ political and moral concerns with choreographic ingenuity and theatrical flair” – The New York Times

2 & 3 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre
$60, $50, $40, $30, $20

Advisory: Contains brief scenes of nudity

Dreaming of Kuan Yin, Meeting Madonna
Mark Chan and The ARTS FISSION Company (Singapore)
World Premiere

A new collaborative work that combines original music and text by Mark Chan, contemporary choreography by Angela Liong and The ARTS FISSION Company, and multimedia visuals by artist Brian Gothong Tan. Conceived by Chan, the work contemplates and exposes the compromise of spirituality and the mundane in the everyday life of our modern world, and the continual cohabitation of the east and west in a series of surprising conversations.

“... Although still at a formative stage, this work (Kuan Yin) was already looking very imaginative, evocative and fluid…” – Dance Europe

1 & 2 June, 8pm
Victoria Theatre
$50, $40, $30, $20

Forward Moves
(Singapore)
World Premiere

Three Singapore dance makers stage their choreographic debut in the Festival, each distilling their choreographic essence in miniature dancescapes. Featuring Ricky Sim, Joanne Lee, and Daniel Kok.

6 & 7 June, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre Studio
$35

MUSIC

Optical Identity
Theatre Cryptic and T’ang Quartet (UK/Singapore)
World Premiere

A music theatre work that immerses the audience in a sensory world of escape. Optical Identity sets music performance in a new environment involving film, design, interactive technologies and visuals. Featuring T’ang Quartet as you have never encountered before, they perform music to be seen, not just heard! Directed by Cathie Boyd of Theatre Cryptic, in collaboration with award-winning Singapore designer Jason Ong and couture house BAYLENE, and Swiss digital artist, Jasch.

“Theatre Cryptic’s work… sensuous, imaginative and sumptuously visual, an extraordinary and innovative company.” – The Times

“...undeniable enthusiasm, energy and commitment.” – The London Times on T’ang Quartet

31 May – 2 June, 8pm
Drama Centre Theatre
$60, $40, $30, $20

Supported by British Council

The Map and Paper Concerto
Tan Dun with Singapore Symphony Orchestra
(China/Japan/Singapore)

Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun conducts the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in a sumptuous concert. In The Map, a Concerto for Cello, Video and Orchestra, traditional music of southwest China presented on docu-film interacts with live orchestral music that connects generations and cultures across years and over continents. As a prelude to The Map, Tan also leads the orchestra in his Paper Concerto for Paper Percussion and Orchestra.

“A work of profound beauty and spirit…nothing less than thrilling to experience.” – Boston Herald on The Map

2 & 3 June, 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
$130, $110, $90, $70, $50, $30

Sponsored by The Shaw Foundation

Accommodation by Conrad Centennial Singapore

PLAY! A Video Game Symphony

Singapore Festival Orchestra (USA/Singapore)
Asian Premiere

PLAY! features award-winning music from blockbuster video games such as Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls and Sonic The Hedgehog. Outstanding games footage on large screens accompanies this symphonic extravaganza performed by the Singapore Festival Orchestra, supported by a chorus and conducted by the Grammy Award-winning Arnie Roth. A must-see for Singapore’s legion of cybergame fans.

“An hour before the theatre’s doors opened, the line of fans stretched nearly a quarter-mile in clear 30-degree weather.” – The Chicago Tribune

15 & 16 June, 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
$70, $60, $40, $30, $20

Supported by Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore

Asian Infusions
Tsung Yeh with Singapore Chinese Orchestra

Be prepared for a refreshing aural experience as Asian instruments like the Japanese shakuhachi, Indian tabla and the Vietnamese dan bau pit against other Chinese instruments in fresh new music commissions. These music premieres take centrestage alongside award-winning compositions from the orchestra’s international composition competition held last year.

16 June, 8pm
Singapore Conference Hall
$50, $40, $30/$16*, $20/$11*

*Concession ticket price for students, senior citizens and NS men.

Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Chorus)
(Germany)
Asian Premiere

Named by Leonard Bernstein as his favourite chorus, the much recorded Bavarian Radio Chorus brings its special tonal homogeneity and stylistic versatility to Singapore in a repertoire covering major choral works from the baroque to the classical and the contemporary.

“… did full honor to its reputation as a top-flight chorus...” – Züricher Oberländer

2 June, 8pm

$80, $60, $40, $20
3 June, 3pm

$70, $50, $30, $20
Victoria Concert Hall

An Arabian Passion
Ensemble Sarband & Modern String Quartet (Germany/Lebanon/Iraq)
Asian Premiere

Inspired by Bach’s Passions, An Arabian Passion intertwines the spirit of Bach’s baroque with the living musical traditions of the Middle East together with the improvisations of jazz. One of the most famous singers of the Arab world, Fadia el-Hage, reprises Bach’s arias as healing songs bridging the conflicts and differences between the Arab world and the West, between believers of one and the other faith, between modernists and traditionalists. This musical collaboration creates an intense and contemplative space for peace and respect.

“Heart, mind, gesture and communication…were merged into an intensive whole. I could not have imagined more beautiful music ...” – Salzburger Nachrichten

12 & 13 June, 8pm
Jubilee Hall
$50, $40, $30, $20

Festival Fantasia
Singapore Festival Orchestra

The Festival celebrates the gift of music in a concert fantasia featuring Singapore’s young music talents. The Singapore Festival Orchestra, drawn from a pool of professional and professionally-trained musicians in Singapore, performs some of the best-loved works of the orchestral repertoire. Singapore award-winning pianist Abigail Sin and violinist Loh Jun Hong make their festival debut with the orchestra and music director Chan Tze Law, with orchestra and soloists inspiring one another to greater heights.

23 June, 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
$60, $50, $40, $30, $15

Taraf de Haïdouks
(Romania)

Taraf de Haïdouks, which means a “band of honourable brigands”, hails from the small Romanian village of Clejani near Bucharest. Representing three generations of gypsy musicians, a dozen extraordinary and colourful characters are ready to energise you with their rhythmically complex songs, and enthuse you with their grace, easy camaraderie and sense of mischief.

“…. It’s rare for a cultural treasure like Taraf de Haïdouks to come to town, so open your self-absorbed selves to these Roma thieves of the heart.” – Los Angeles Weekly

21 & 22 June, 8pm
Jubilee Hall
$60, $40, $30, $20

ANNEX 2

SINGAPORE ARTS FESTIVAL 2007

DISCOUNT AND TICKETING DETAILS

* Accurate at time of release

General sales of tickets are open to the public from 1 March to 24 June 2007.

Early Bird Ticket Discounts (1 March to 15 April 2007)

Patrons can enjoy the following discounts:

1 – 2 productions 10% discount
3 – 4 productions 15% discount
5 or more productions 20% discount

Bulk Discount (1 March to 24 June 2007)

Purchase 10 tickets or more to a minimum of 2 productions to receive a 15% discount.

(Bulk discount is available via SISTIC counters and phone booking only)

Package Discounts (16 April to 24 June 2007)

Patrons can enjoy the following discounts:

3 – 4 productions 10% discount
5 or more productions 15% discount

Special Concessions (1 March to 24 June 2007)

Full-time students/senior citizens/NSFs enjoy 20% discount for any number of tickets purchased. Discounts cannot be used concurrently with the early bird discounts. One ticket per identification pass per show.

All ticket prices exclude SISTIC handling fee.

The above discounts do not apply to Asian Infusions by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.

HOW TO BOOK

By Internet

www.singaporeartsfest.com

www.sistic.com.sg

Credit card payment only

By telephone

Call SISTIC Hotline at (65) 6348 5555

Mon to Sat: 10.00am to 10.00pm; Sun & Public Holidays: 12.00pm to 8.00pm

Credit Card payment only

At SISTIC Counters

Cash, NETS and Credit Card payment only

All ticket prices exclude SISTIC handling fee.

School and corporate bookings are also available.

For more information, log on to: www.singaporeartsfest.com.

JOIN THE ARTSFEST CLUB TODAY!

Get enjoy exclusive discounts and win exciting prizes!

Join the Artsfest Club member to get first-hand information on the Singapore Arts Festival and secure good seats at discounted prices (10% discount from 23 February to 15 April 2007, and 5% from 16 April to 24 June). Sign up now for your chance to be one of the 10 lucky ArtsFest Club members to win a pair of tickets to any Singapore Arts Festival 2007 performance (subject to availability).

Log on to www.singaporeartsfest.com to sign up today!

Closing date: 11 May 2007. Terms and conditions apply.

Source: www.nac.gov.sg News Release 27 Feb 2007

ABOUT THIS WEB SITE | ADVERTISING WITH US | LISTING WITH US

ePartners | Press | eMail Us | Permissions | Content Contributors