Idea to Stage
Ever wondered what goes into the magic of live theatre? Behind the words “An Esplanade Commission” lies an incredible journey of creativity, collaboration and dedication that brings an idea to life on stage. Explore the journeys of eight memorable productions.
Find Out MoreWhat's On: Highlights
Past Events
The Seminar – Don’t Teach Art
Through mixed media and interactions, The Seminar – Don’t Teach Art invites art as a catalyst for exploration and open dialogue.
Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2025
An annual festival that celebrates the vibrant Indian arts and culture.
Yusof: Portrait of a President (School Show)
Yusof Ishak’s inspiring journey from journalist to Singapore’s first president, brought to life in a theatrical exploration of history.
Yusof: Portrait of a President
Struggle, sacrifice and an unwavering commitment to serve the nation and its people—don’t miss this illuminating play about Yusof Ishak, Singapore’s first head of state.
U>N>I>T>E>D
Honouring technologies and rituals both ancient and contemporary, this otherworldly performance synthesises body, machine and spirit.
SoftMachine: The Return
Interdisciplinary artist Choy Ka Fai weaves together a decade of experiments in dance making through the lens of five leading Asian artists.
My Grandfather’s Road – Ten Year Series 2015–2025
Revisit Neo Kim Seng's My Grandfather's Road, a personal project to reconnect with the people and places of his past.
Escape to Batam
A boy who found refuge during war, a daughter grappling with grief: don’t miss this powerful new play by Claire Wong and Huzir Sulaiman.
Koko The Great
An imaginative adventure awaits! Follow Koko beyond the riverbank on a magical journey of courage and discovery.
More events
Baybeats 2025
Four days of indie rock and alternative music on the bay, featuring the best of Singapore and beyond.
Red Dot August 2025
In the month of our nation’s birthday, we celebrate the things that make us uniquely Singapore. Enjoy music, theatre, poetry and film from all who contribute to making this little red dot home.
60 Connections – At Home and Afar
Sixty live and digital works bring to life Singapore stories and international collaborations, in celebration of SG60.
60 Connections: Big/Little Music Buddies
This programme offers a platform for children and seniors to build confidence, teamwork and intergenerational bonds by playing the angklung together.
Esplanade Presents
Idea to Stage – Esplanade’s Theatre Works
4 Jul 2025 – 3 Jan 2027
Esplanade Concourse
About the exhibition
Ever wondered what goes into the magic of live theatre? Behind the words “An Esplanade Commission” lies an incredible journey of creativity, collaboration and dedication that brings an idea to life on stage.
Idea to Stage pulls back the curtain on the journey of theatre-making. Explore how eight memorable productions commissioned by Esplanade in the past decade became full-blown experiences through research, playwriting, dramaturgy, music composition as well as set, lighting and costume design.
Through interviews, artefacts and behind-the-scenes insights, discover how the national performing arts centre and theatre artists collaborate to flesh out diverse Singaporean and Asian stories. Get to know the making of Yusof, the Adukku Veetu Annasamy trilogy, Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep, Mari Kita Main Wayang, Between You and Me and Everything For You.
Commissioning is more than just funding. It’s about belief — in an idea, in an artist, in the power of the arts to move audiences. It is also about providing the resources, expertise and support needed to turn bold ideas into unforgettable performances.
Whether you’re a theatre lover or just curious about how art is created, Idea to Stage gives you a peek into the rich and fascinating world of theatre-makers telling stories close to their hearts, igniting reflection on the here and now.
Idea to Stage features research and exhibition text written by Daniel Teo, and the project manager was Denise Dolendo.
Acknowledgements to CultureLink Singapore and Chamber Made, Nine Years Theatre, Teater Ekamatra and the artists interviewed for their contributions to the exhibition.
Other exhibitions
The Seminar – Don’t Teach Art
Our Sponsors
Sea Limited
Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) is a leading global consumer internet company founded in Singapore in 2009. Its mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology. Sea operates three core businesses across digital entertainment, e-commerce, as well as digital payments and financial services, known as Garena, Shopee and Monee, respectively. Garena is a leading global online games developer and publisher. Shopee is the largest pan-regional e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Monee is a leading digital payments and financial services provider in Southeast Asia.
Albizia Capital
Applied Materials
On Cheong Jewellery
How's Catering Matthew Teng Saw Wei Jie
About
About
‘Singapura, oh Singapura, sunny island, set in the sea’ – so goes the familiar riff of an old homegrown ditty.
As an island, Singapore has always relied on strong relationships within to ground and hold us together. An island must also forge connections over the seas, establishing friendships and exchanges that keep us attuned to the pulse of a fast-changing world.
In celebration of SG60, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s 60 Connections – At Home and Afar shines the spotlight on artistic relationships and the notable productions and programmes spawned through the work of the national performing arts centre.
In this year-long season, 60 live and digital works bring Singapore stories as well as international collaborations to life.
See all that is familiar and strange in our homeland reflected back at you through art, including rich histories and complex identities woven into the fabric of our lives. These Singapore stories are for everyone. Esplanade is committed to creating and presenting wide-ranging works for audiences of all ages that cut across languages and art forms.
Highlights include Teater Ekamatra’s Yusof, based on the dramatic life story of Singapore’s first President, former journalist Yusof Ishak; AGAM Theatre’s Mission Malligapoo, about a multilingual band of misfits trying to change the course of history during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore; and contemporary visual art doyen Tang Da Wu’s solo exhibition The Seminar – Don’t Teach Art, which continues his questioning of the institutional frameworks that surround and contain art.
The international collaborations, many of which involve Singapore artists, reflect our role in connecting artists and audiences at home to their counterparts overseas. We seed new works and presentations with partners, as part of a process that helps deepen ties with cultures and cities in the region and beyond.
Don’t miss Singapore’s largest free alternative music festival Baybeats, which returns bigger and bolder with an additional outdoor stage and panel discussions featuring music changemakers from around the world. As part of ongoing exchanges with overseas music festivals, Esplanade's Jazz in July and South Korea’s Jarasum Jazz Festival will have a reciprocal feature of Korean and Singaporean bands in their respective festival line-ups. Alemay Fernandez, Andrew Lim Trio and the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra with Jeremy Monteiro will perform at South Korea’s premier jazz festival in October. Three Korean bands, Jaejin Ahn Quartet, Jaehun Kang Trio and Forestet (Yechan Kim Quartet), will perform in Jazz in July.
On the dance front, Softmachine: The Return, by Choy Ka Fai, weaves together a decade of experiments in dance-making by five noted Asian dance makers. Another highlight is U>N>I>T>E>D, an exploration of ancient and contemporary technologies and rituals by one of Australia’s most recognised dance companies Chunky Move and Balinese experimental techno group Gabber Modus Operandi, co-commissioned by Esplanade.
In addition to the live programmes, we present Replay – Screenings from the Esplanade Archives, which also features both Singapore stories and international collaborations. With over 30 recordings of performances, free to watch on Esplanade Offstage, it marks the first extensive release curated from the arts centre’s rich archives, supplemented by recordings from the archives of longstanding artistic collaborators. Two of the productions, Mari Kita Main Wayang and Everything for You (Nine Years Theatre) will also have exclusive in-person watch party screenings at Esplanade for Esplanade&Me members.
Whether experienced in person or online, the works and relationships featured in 60 Connections are sparks that inspire, provoke and bring us closer.
Creating shared memories, they ponder and vividly express the here-and-now, illuminating the way forward.
Our heartfelt thanks go to our 60 Connections Principal Sponsor Sea Limited, Supporting Sponsors Albizia Capital and On Cheong Jewellery, as well as Supporters How’s Catering, Matthew Teng and Saw Wei Jie.
Clarissa Oon
Head, Digital & Content Marketing
The Esplanade Co Ltd
Contact
The Esplanade Co Ltd
1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
+65 6828 8377