Is theatre dying?

Admittedly, it feels like a silly question to ask when we are seated in front of four young theatremakers whose presence refutes the question somewhat—why choose a dying craft?

But that doesn’t mean that all is well in the Singapore theatre scene. For years, there have been questions of succession in legacy theatre companies and competing in an increasingly crowded arts and entertainment scene—particularly in the years after the peak of the pandemic. So, while the question is a bit of an overdramatisation, it stems from real changes in one of Singapore’s most established performing art forms. What are some of the issues that these young theatremakers face? What are their influences and what kind of work are they interested in creating? How are they evolving to keep up with a tumultuous arts scene?

Rich with analogies (a garden, forests, fungi, cake) and candid observations, Krish Natarajan, Irsyad Dawood, Tan Rui Shan and host Sindhura Kalidas lay their cards on the table—sharing their experiences and hopes for the future in this roundtable conversation.

Check out Hi, Can You Hear Me?, presented by The Necessary Stage with Sindhu as the dramaturg, taking place from 21 – 31 Mar 2024 at Esplanade Theatre Studio.

“So we have to talk about the craft of acting?” asked every smirking actor—Adrian Pang, Siti Khalijah, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai and host Hossan Leong—on set, skeptically, incredulously. When we first approached them, they were all game to have a conversation about well… work. But when it came down to it, the idea of talking about the craft of acting felt too self-indulgent. In Adrian’s words, wanky.

Instead, these actors got real (like, really real) about what it means to act and be an actor, particularly in Singapore. What were their experiences like working in the arts and entertainment industry? How do actors take care of themselves mentally and physically? How does one begin to pursue an acting career? In one honest and heartfelt conversation, Adrian, Siti and Rebekah laid their cards on the table, providing a realistic insight into the oft-glamourised job of being an actor.

See them in action: Adrian's next role is in Pangdemonium's Into The Woods from 27 Oct – 12 Nov 2023. Siti played a ghost in Three Years in the Life and Death of Land from 5 – 13 Aug 2023 as part of Esplanade's The Studios. Both productions take place at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre at Esplanade.