Silo Theatre (New Zealand)
PETER AND THE WOLF Composed by Sergei Prokofiev Adapted by Sophie Roberts and Leon Radojkovic
Narrators: Benjamin Kheng, Gaurav Kripalani, Ng Pei-Sian, Jamie Yeo
18 - 20 May Sat - Mon 10am & 3pm KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT 45m, no intermission
MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR When I was appointed as the new Festival Director for Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) last year, one of the central tenets of the curation process we put in place was to present work by game-changing artists. From the outset of my three-year tenure, it was important to me that SIFA challenges audiences intellectually, emotionally and artistically, allowing them to experience works they would not normally have a chance to see in Singapore. Last year, I found myself huddled amid the sand dunes and pine forests of Terschelling Island off the north coast of The Netherlands, to watch Bedtime Stories, a brilliant one-man show which we are bringing to SIFA this year. It reminds us that powerful stories can be told with the simplest of tools - in this case, the actor’s voice. Or through elaborate work such as the cross-cultural, multi-faceted Dionysus by Tadashi Suzuki. Game-changing artists and work exist everywhere – it is our mission to find them and bring them to you. This season, SIFA 2019 is proud to present provocative and challenging works by artists from Singapore and abroad. Our local Festival commissions explore contemporary issues and daringly bring to the spotlight lesser-known facets of Asian history and culture. Toy Factory will realise its innovative re-interpretation of a beloved Ming play. Checkpoint Theatre delves into the realities of the humanitarian aid industry, while Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen investigates some of Southeast Asia’s most shadowy historical figures. On the international front, SIFA is delighted to welcome to our shores works by worldrenowned theatre directors Tadashi Suzuki and Simon McBurney, legendary musicians Ryuichi Sakamoto and Bill Frisell, and groundbreaking choreographers Gisèle Vienne and Sasha Waltz. 1
SIFA 2019 audiences can also expect to see a greater range of multidisciplinary work that defies easy classification, from pushing boundaries between theatre and dance in ST/LL by Japanese artist Shiro Takatani, to the use of virtual reality and binaural sound in Frogman by UK company curious directive. SIFA will also present Silo Theatre’s Peter and the Wolf for families, as well as free outdoor performances in non-traditional venues for audiences of all ages. Festival House will be back this year, as the epicentre of SIFA 2019. Here, audiences and artistes can extend their engagement with the Festival beyond the performance, as well as engage with each other, through a range of talks, workshops and master-classes to delve deeper into the themes and perspectives of each show. SIFA 2019 would not have been possible without the support of CEO Sarah Martin; our three extraordinary producers – Junmin, Rydwan and Sara; and the phenomenal team at Arts House Limited. I would like to thank each of them for their dedication and passion. Finally, I would like to warmly welcome you, our audience, to SIFA 2019. We look forward to taking you on this exciting journey with us.
Gaurav Kripalani Festival Director
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO What does the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) mean to you? A doorway to the world’s performances out there? An escape from the routine of everyday life? An opportunity to indulge your curiosity? Or something more? It would not be unusual for each of you to take away something different from the Festival. When I look back at my years attending the Festival, what stands out in my memory are thrilling moments of discovering a work or artist that slowly built my own love for festival making. In everything we do, SIFA brings audiences and artists on a personal journey, creating a shared experience across different touch-points with a wider community of art lovers, international and local artists. Every edition of the Festival is also unique and contributes to the development of Singapore’s cultural landscape. 2018 was an encouraging year, with SIFA seeing heartening growth in the number of new – and especially – younger audiences. I believe this is a testament to the success of Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani’s balanced curatorial approach, emphasising diverse works with multiple levels of accessibility.
In 2019, the 42nd Singapore International Festival of the Arts will continue to enrich the spectrum of audience experiences with a diversity of artistic genres and innovative platforms. Over 17 days, SIFA will showcase a spectrum of world-class performances by game-changing artists, alongside a range of distinctive multi-disciplinary works. As one of the cultural peaks of Singapore’s arts calendar, the Festival will allow audiences to engage with a fascinating range of contemporary issues and create avenues for critical dialogue. The Arts House will once again transform into our Festival House, a unique gathering point to share ideas and viewpoints and to engage with the artists on a more intimate level. Working behind the scenes at SIFA are many passionate individuals who have been critical to the Festival’s success over the years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played their part in shaping SIFA, and to Gaurav for leading the Festival to new artistic heights. I hope you leave this year with a fresh perspective of what the Festival means to you, and with wonderful memories of your own personal discoveries.
Sarah Martin CEO, Arts House Limited
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PETER AND THE WOLF CREATIVE TEAM Composed by Adapted by Director and adaptation Music director and adaptation Puppet master Set designer Lighting designer Producer Production Manager
PERFORMERS AND OPERATORS Sergei Prokofiev Sophie Roberts Leon Radojkovic Sophie Roberts Leon Radojkovic Jon Coddington Daniel Williams Rachel Marlow Jessica Smith Kate Burton
Puppeteers
Musical Director/Keys Drums Violin Saxophone Bass Guitar Guitar Stage Manager Sound Operator Lighting & AV Operator Videographer
Jon Coddington Debbie Fish Rebekah Head Leon Radojkovic Adam Tobeck Peau Halapua Scott Thomas Hannah Elise Tasman Scholes Eliza Josephson-Rutter Malcolm Ibell Stephen Paul Julie Zhu
Silo Theatre gratefully acknowledges Creative New Zealand for supporting this presentation of Peter and the Wolf at the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2019.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION A story of courage, adventure and friendship, this award-winning adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf is a magical treat for young and old with music, puppetry and live animation. Peter and the Wolf is a beloved musical fairy tale written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936, originally intended to teach children about the instruments in an orchestra. In this contemporary adaptation by New Zealand director Sophie Robert, the orchestra is replaced with a six-piece band and the story is told as a visual spectacle through the use of live animation and puppetry. After travelling across the world to live with his grumpy Grandfather, Peter is struggling to make friends in his new home. When a wolf escapes from the local zoo, Peter sees an opportunity to become a hero and sets off across the city to capture the wolf. Follow Peter’s journey into the unknown through the lens of a video camera as it discovers a magical world filled with puppets, miniature set pieces and music.
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MESSAGE FROM SILO THEATRE Kia ora! Silo Theatre is very excited to celebrate its international debut as part of the 2019 Singapore International Festival of Arts. Silo’s Peter and the Wolf was created to introduce or reacquaint audiences with Prokofiev’s classic orchestration through a new contemporary treatment and musical arrangement. We are delighted to have this opportunity to share our re-telling of this story about a brave boy who is finding his way in a new land. In recent years Silo has developed a focus towards the creation of high quality work for people of all ages. Our interest in this area is to make unforgettable theatrical experiences for young and adult audiences alike, Peter and the Wolf is an example of our new work in this space. One of our favourite moments of this production is having the audience come on-stage to meet the puppets after the performance, so please come and say hi, they don’t bite! Being part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts gives New Zealand artists a valuable opportunity to perform their work within an international context and this is vital for the development of our art-form practice in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Silo would like to say a very big thank you to Guarav and all of his festival team for inviting us to bring our show to the KC Arts Centre and welcoming our company to beautiful Singapore.
Jessica Smith Executive Director
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BIOGRAPHIES SOPHIE ROBERTS Director and adaptation Award winning director and performer Sophie Roberts graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 2007. From 2008 to 2013, she freelanced as a theatre maker and teacher, creating work for many of Auckland and Wellington’s major theatre companies and venues. Roberts is a graduate from the Auckland Leaders Programme and she became Artistic Director of Silo Theatre in 2014. Robert’s directing credits for Silo Theatre include Peter and the Wolf, Hir, Boys Will Be Boys, Perplex, The Events, The Book of Everything, Midsummer, The Pride, I Love You Bro and Sunday Roast. Her awards for direction and performance include four Wellington Theatre Awards. LEON RADOJKOVIC Music Director and Adaptation Leon Radojkovic is an Auckland-based composer and multiinstrumentalist. He is the creator and composer behind Live Live Cinema and its three productions, Carnival of Souls, Dementia 13 and Little Shop of Horrors. He has worked extensively with Silo Theatre, and was most recently Musical Director of Mr Burns, A Post Electric Play. He also leads the avant-garde group Fortress Europe.
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DANIEL WILLIAMS Set Designer Daniel Williams graduated with a degree in Performance Design from Massey University and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 2006. His theatre career has seen him design sets and costumes for productions in New Zealand and internationally. In 2013, he won the Q Theatre Auckland Newcomer Award at the Auckland Theatre Awards. Williams has been nominated multiple times at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, and won the Weta Workshop Set Designer of the Year in 2008. His designs include The Tigers of Wrath, Masi at the 2012 International Sydney Arts Festival, The Pitchfork Disney, Sunday Roast, Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Here Lies Love, and the immersive theatrical event Generation Z at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For Auckland Theatre Company, he designed sets for Enlightenment, and most recently Boys. He was the Associate Director of the 2017 World of Wearable Arts Awards Show.
RACHEL MARLOW Lighting Designer Rachel Marlow is an Auckland-based lighting designer. She enjoys collaborating to produce beautiful theatrical productions and light installations. Marlow studied theatre at Victoria University of Wellington and Royal Holloway University of London. Her awards include Lighting Designer of the Year at the Wellington Theatre Awards in 2018 and Excellence in Lighting Design at the Auckland Theatre Awards in 2018.
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JON CODDINGTON Puppet Master, Puppeteer Jon Coddington emerged on the Wellington theatre and art scene after achieving the Bachelor of Performance Design from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and Massey University. Since then he has gone on many adventures in the realms of theatre, film, animation, puppetry, and illustration. Recently, Coddington’s puppetry work has been going places, from a stint working with the Police, to a highly successful table-top marionette show, Puppet Fiction, staged at The Pit Bar at Bats Theatre. Puppet Fiction is a puppetry-parody of the 1993 film Pulp Fiction, and went on to win the New Zealand Fringe Festival Award for Best Production Design. In the future, he plans to develop more work for children, stage more bombastic shows and venture forth into stop-frame animation. SILO THEATRE (New Zealand)
Established in 1997, Silo Theatre is one of the leading producers of contemporary theatre in TÄ maki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Silo Theatre curates an annual season of work in direct response to the world around us, constantly evolving in response to our cultural climate. The company seeks to push storytelling, artists and audiences forward in their programming and company culture. Silo Theatre aims to invigorate, agitate and illuminate with its belief in theatre as a powerful agent for change.
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NARRATORS BENJAMIN KHENG 18 May, Sat, 10am & 3pm Benjamin Kheng is a Singaporean musician, actor and writer, largely known as the vocalist in his pop outfit The Sam Willows. The band has performed globally and amassed nearly 15 million streams on Spotify. Their award-winning album, Take Heart, hit No.1 on the Singapore iTunes and Spotify charts, and made it to the top 10 of Spotify Viral in Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines and Hong Kong. In 2019, Kheng made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List alongside The Sam Willows. As an actor, Kheng’s recent work on film includes the titular character of the biopic, Wonderboy. He was also nominated for Best Actor at the Raindance Film Festival for his work in the Toggle series The Breakup List. He can be seen in the upcoming Toggle series After Love. His recent stage work includes Toy Factory’s Romeo & Juliet, W!ld Rice’s The Emperor’s New Clothes and Pangdemonium’s Fun Home. Kheng is also the co-founder, writer, director and actor of The BenZi Project, a critically-acclaimed comedy-sketch series on YouTube. GAURAV KRIPALANI 19 May, Sun, 10am Gaurav Kripalani is currently the Festival Director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) for 2018 – 2020. Prior to taking on this role, Kripalani was the artistic director of Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), and produced over 100 plays during his 21-year history with the company. Under Kripalani’s artistic direction, SRT became the first Singaporean theatre company on Broadway in 1998. He has also commissioned and produced several original Singaporean plays and musicals, including the highly successful Forbidden City. Known for his bold artistic vision, Kripalani was one of the first to champion the use of outdoor spaces, and originated productions of Singapore’s own Shakespeare in the Park – where local and international actors, producers and set designers come together annually to bring Shakespeare to life. Kripalani also recognises the importance of education, with SRT being one of the biggest commissioners and producers of children’s theatre in Southeast Asia. He continues to be involved with SRT and remains as director of SRT during his three-year tenure with SIFA. 9
NG PEI-SIAN 19 May, Sun, 3pm Born in Sydney in 1984, Ng Pei-Sian was Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2007, winner of the Gold Medal and First Prize at the 55th Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition held in London. He has performed concertos with major Australian symphony orchestras, Collegium Musicum Basel, Estonian National Symphony, Evergreen Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, just to name a few.
Photo by Lertkiat Chongjirajitra
Recently, Ng played alongside Yo-Yo Ma and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, performing the fresh and exciting double cello concerto Violoncelles Vibrez! by Giovanni Sollima. Other notable presentations include Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Cello Concerto with The Festival Orchestra and the composer, as well as appearances with Cho Liang Lin, Renaud Capuçon and Alina Ibragimov. Ng is currently Principal Cellist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore. He performs on a 1764 Giovanni Antonio Marchi cello, Bologna. JAMIE YEO 20 May, Mon, 10am & 3pm Jamie Yeo is a household name in Singapore, famous for her illustrious career in radio and television, and as a model and emcee. Yeo rose to fame for playing Tammy Tay in MediaCorp’s Channel 5 series Growing Up and presenting Say it With Music on 987FM. As a model she has been the face of countless ad campaigns on TV and in print. Yeo became well known as a sports host after presenting ESPN’s regional show Football Crazy and Football Extra which reached over 10 million viewers in Asia-Pacific, as well as hosting the World Cup 2014 highlights show and the weekly Barclays Premier League Roundup show. She re-joined Mediacorp in 2015 and presented the evening drivetime show live on Gold 905. She also fronted SportsWorld and hosted Power Recipes 2. Yeo left Mediacorp in 2018 to become a full-time social media consultant, brand ambassador, emcee and television- video host. Yeo has a significant social following, with 92,000 followers on Instagram and 27,000 on Facebook. 10
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TICKET HOLDER PRIVILEGES
FLASH YOUR SIFA 2019 TICKET
TO ENJOY SPECIAL DEALS AT OUR PARTNER OUTLETS Empress
Kuro Izakaya
1 Empress Place, #01-03, Asian Cilivilisation Museum, S179555
3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-604/605, Suntec City Tower 3, S038983
10% off dine-in ala carte food and drinks purchased at EMPRESS.
Enjoy 15% off total food bill.
Esplanade Mall
OTC Café
Esplanade – Theatre on the Bay, 8 Raffles Avenue, S039802 Beware of Pity, ST/LL, Körper and Ryuichi Sakamoto ticket holders are entitled up to 15% savings on dining and shopping at Esplanade Mall on the day of performance. Visit www. esplanade.com for details.
House Pour @ Festival House
The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, S179429 Chill out and soak in the festival buzz at House Pour. Enjoy a glass of signature Housepour cocktail or a serving of ancho chicken tacos at only $4.20nett and all other items at 15% off. In addition, complimentary premium ice cream in assorted flavours will be given out daily. (Limited to the first 30 guests each day)
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach 30 Beach Road, S189763
Enjoy 25% off at Beach Road Kitchen and 15% at Akira Back.
100 Victoria Street, #03-01 National Library Building S188064 15% off food and beverages.
Privé ACM
1 Empress Place, #01-02 S179555 10% off dine-in ala carte food and drinks purchased at Privé ACM.
The Naturally Better Company
9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-46, Millania Walk, S039596 5%* storewide discount and 20%* discount for 2nd pair of MELISSA shoes. *Discount not applicable on selected nett-priced brands and promotional items.
The NCO Club
32 Beach Road, S189764 Enjoy 15% off dine-in ala carte food and beverage (Cool Cats, Madame Fan, Stags Room & Fish Pool)
Kith Café
Bras Basah: 51 Bras Basah Rd, #01-03A Manulife Centre, S189554 Marina Square: 6 Raffles Blvd, #02-49 S039594 Enjoy 10% off dine-in ala carte items purchased at KITH CAFÉ (Bras Basah, Marina Square).
Capital Zouk
3C River Valley Road The Cannery, #02-02, S179022 Enjoy free entry into Capital Zouk before midnight.
For more Festival deals, visit sifa.sg. Unless otherwise stated, all promotions are valid till 2 June, Sunday. Not applicable with other promotions, discounts, vouchers and offers by credit or privilege cards. Ticket stubs presented must be in its original condition and e-tickets must be shown via electronic devices clearly. Management reserves the right to amend any promotional terms and conditions without prior notice. Merchants’ terms and conditions apply.
ABOUT SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS As Singapore’s annual pinnacle 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. Under the helm of Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani from 2018–2020, SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works.
ARTS HOUSE LIMITED BOARD Chairperson Christine Ong Members Chong Yuan Chien Deborah Ho Eduardo Ramos-Gómez Kelvin Ang Kenneth Kwok Lynette Pang Madeleine Lee Maniza Jumabhoy Mok Wei Wei Ong Chao Choon Ong Choon Fah Sarah Martin (Ex-Officio)
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS THE SIFA TEAM
Chief Executive Officer Sarah Martin Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani Chief Financial Officer Ng Soon Lee Head, Production Cindy Yeong Head, Marketing Jasmine Gan Assistant Head, Event Services Management Emma Izzabella Tagoe
PROGRAMMING Producers Sara Joan Fang Rydwan Anwar Ye Junmin Senior Manager Lisa Lip Manager Shridar Mani Assistant Manager Alicia Chong Festival Assistant Chong Xinyi
PRODUCTION
Production Manager Chan Silei Yo Shao Ann Production Co-ordinators Celestine Wong Melissa Chin Technical Co-ordinators Huang Xiangbin Ian Tan
Assistant Technical Co-ordinator Muhammed Muzzamier Bin Abu Bakar Production Assistants Chong Wee Nee Alexis Ho
MARKETING & TICKETING Senior Managers Elizabeth Wong Winnie Chan Managers Allison Lai Fiona Chua Senior Designers Hakim bin Rahim Md Firdaus bin Wari Executives Juliana Tan Shariffah Natasha Dinah Eriqah Azman Intern Chew Ying Ying
COMMUNICATIONS Manager Khairi Johann Jasmin Intern Jamie Buitelaar
PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Manager Norita Senin Executive Tan Yanru
EVENT SERVICES MANAGEMENT
Managers, Artist Logistics Carine Lee Syafiq Zulkepli Managers, Front-of-House Nura Osman Germaine Leow Manager, Back-of-House Hospitality Esther Goh Manager, Event Services Johnson Kee Manager, Special Projects and Operations Zalikha Mis’ari Executive, Front-of-House Kitty Kwan
FINANCE
Managers Vivian Gan Executives Aileen Ong Izyan Nooraini Bte Ramlee
HUMAN RESOURCE Manager Noraliza Ramli Senior Executive Elaine Neo
ADMINISTRATION
Centre Manager Lucas Chiew Executive Nor Limah Binte Ja’ffa
DON’T MISS
THESE OTHER PRODUCTIONS IN THE FESTIVAL ST/LL
SINGULAR SCREENS
by Shiro Takatani, Dumb Type (Japan)
Curated by Asian Film Archive
24 & 25 May, Fri & Sat Esplanade Theatre
18 May - 2 Jun Screening Room, Festival House & Oldham Theatre
Photo by Yoshikazu Inoue
DIONYSUS
BILL FRISELL TRIO
by Suzuki Company of Toga & Purnati Indonesia (Japan & Indonesia)
featuring Rudy Royston & Thomas Morgan (USA)
17 & 18 May, Fri & Sat Victoria Theatre
29 May, Wed Victoria Theatre
Performed in various languages with English surtitles. Photo courtesy of Purnati Indonesia (2018). Photo by Dian P. Susilaradeya
Photo by Monica Frisell
IMPULSE
THE MYSTERIOUS LAI TECK
1 & 2 Jun, Sat & Sun Play Den, Festival House
17 - 19 May, Fri - Sun SOTA Drama Theatre
by Ho Tzu Nyen (Singapore)
Varsha (Singapore)
Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles. Photo by Park Suhwan.
DISPLACED PERSONS’ WELCOME DINNER
A DREAM UNDER THE SOUTHERN BOUGH: REVERIE
24 - 26 May, Fri - Sun Victoria Theatre
31 May - 2 Jun, Fri - Sun Drama Centre Theatre
Photo by Joel Lim @ Calibre Pictures
Performed in Mandarin with English and Chinese surtitles.
南柯一梦 之 如梦
by Checkpoint Theatre (Singapore)
by Toy Factory Productions Ltd (Singapore)
FREE PROGRAMMES AND MORE FESTIVAL CLOSING CONCERT
DE RELAXERETTE
Arjan Kruidhof and Explore-the-North (The Netherlands)
with Singapore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joshua Tan
12 – 20 May & 22 May – 2 Jun, Daily, Various timings The Plaza, National Library Building
2 Jun, Sun, 6pm The Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage
FOR FULL FESTIVAL LINE-UP, VISIT SIFA.SG Organised By
Commissioned By
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