SPONSORS'

REPORT

Page 1 of 52

CONTENTS

Executive Summary
[ Pg 4 ]
The Fringe in Numbers
[Pg 11]
Performance & Exhibition Details
[ Pg 12]
Sponsors, Partners & Supporters
[ Pg 18 ]
Publicity, Marketing & Outreach
[ Pg 22 ]
Reviews & Audience Feedback
[ Pg 41 ]
Fringe Team 2015
[ Pg 49 ]
M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2016
[ Pg 50 ]

Page 2 of 52

White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour (Iran)

Photo credit: Pink Elephant Labs

The festival explored its theme of Art & Loss in a variety of ways,
with some works opting for the tender and humorous, and other
skirting the heavier edge of grief. While some works were more
naturalistic and accessible and others more abstract and visceral, the
personality of the festival intimate, risk-taking and at once incisive
and playful came through.
- The Straits Times Life!

Page 3 of 52

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Duchamp Syndrome by Por Piedad Teatro | El Trapo Teatro |

The Play Company (Mexico | USA)
Photo credit: Lia Rueda

Page 4 of 52

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival has clearly made its mark in the Singapore cultural landscape with its
11th edition curated around the theme of Art and Loss. Not only has the appointment of a new Artistic
Director and Festival Manager created a great deal of fresh attention and conversation, we also
managed to further strengthen the quality of our programming, as well as continue growing audience
numbers and engagement.

Minister for Culture, Community & Youth Mr Lawrence Wong

as our Guest of Honour for the Opening Reception.
Photo credit: dawn chua / www.echoroar.com

The 28 ticketed performances in 2015 reached out to 3,608 audiences filling 86% of the seats. While we
were not able to compete with our own record 93% house in 2014, which was largely due to especially
low ticket prices to celebrate the 10th anniversary, this is an increase compared to 81% in Fringe 13.
The 2015 Festival reached a total of 14,989 people as compared to 13,934 in 2014, and it is also
noteworthy that we received a record number of applications for participation this year from both local
and international artists. 19 of the 28 performances were also sold out for the following productions:

With/Out by Loo Zihan - All 5 performances sold out

The Duchamp Syndrome by Por Piedad Teatro | El Trapo Teatro | The Play Company - All 2
performances sold out

The Malay Man and His Chinese Father by ponggurl - All 2 performances sold out
Mosaic by Take Off Productions - All 3 performances sold out
Page 5 of 52

 White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour 3 performances out of 4 sold out
untitled women by The Necessary Stage - All 4 performances sold out
92% of our audience agree that ticket prices are reasonable or very reasonable, which is in line with our
aim of keeping the Festival challenging yet accessible to audiences old and new. We want audiences to
take a chance on edgier works, and having free exhibitions and wallet-friendly ticket prices also
encouraged 29% of our audience to attend 3 or more events at the Festival. Standard tickets were
priced at $22 ($17.60 for M1 staff and customers who enjoy an exclusive 20% discount) and concession
tickets at $19 for students, NSFs and senior citizens.

How Loneliness Goes by Nguan (Singapore)

Photo credit: Nguan

The Fringe also saw an increase in attendance from Polytechnic and Junior College groups, and we
were very encouraged by their active participation in the various programmes, including a very healthy
turn out in post-show discussions with the artists.
The Fringe continued with its usual blend of experimental and hybrid arts disciplines from countries
such as Australia, Canada, France, Iran, Japan, Mexico and USA, all sparking very rich and stimulating
post-show discussions, and a range of very supportive reviews. It is evident from the reviews, audience
feedback forms and post-show discussions that the works in the Fringe challenged and stimulated
imaginations and stirred meaningful discussions and debates around the theme of Art & Loss, and also
around the nature of art-making. We are proud of the range of distinctly unique forms and styles of
work we presented in the Fringe, and the range of different responses to the theme.

Page 6 of 52

Despite the potentially sombre nature of the theme, we managed to attract and curate works and
programmes that were as colourful, playful and humorous as they were contemplative and soul
searching.
New and improved partnerships also gave new life and talking points to the Fringe; namely our
partnership with Centre 42, which gave birth to our most talked about programme With/Out by local
artist Loo Zihan. Centre 42 also played host to the two sold-out Fringe Talks that focused on the arts
practices of the Fringe artists, both local and international.

With/Out by Loo Zihan (Singapore)

Photo credit: Olivier Henry, Milk Photographie

An emphasis in the Fringe this year was on Singaporean work from very strong local artists with a
significant following. We favoured works that were reworkings and re-imaginings as we believe that it is
a good time to mark a maturing of the independent and experimental art-making scene in Singapore.
We also believed it was time to allow our local artists to show more of their muscle and craft, by
showing how they could take their artistic development further, achieve higher production quality, and
to show that Singaporean audiences were ready to prioritise local work even if it had already been seen
before, in some form. In fact, it is all the local works that were entirely sold out.
We had three festival highlights: With/Out by Singaporean artist Loo Zihan, a groundbreaking
reimagining of Completely With/Out Character (1999), a piece about the late Paddy Chew by The
Necessary Stage; the haunting How Loneliness Goes by Singaporean photographer Nguan; and the world
premiere of The Duchamp Syndrome from a collaboration between Mexican-based Por Piedad Teatro and
El Trapo Teatro with New Yorks The Play Company. With/Out and The Duchamp Syndrome were both
Page 7 of 52

completely sold out and created a great deal of buzz and conversation in the festival and the press, and
Nguans exhibition attracted 4,645 visitors over the 12-day Festival.
The three installations at the National Museum of Singapore with their themes of home, family,
community and memories clearly struck a chord with people. In all, 5,435 visitors interacted with the
knitted installation The Wedding Guests Tale, took away photographs from Fade in exchange for
donations to the Alzheimers Disease Association, and chatted about their concepts of home over cups
of tea at Where the heart is.

Fade by Tan Ngiap Heng (Singapore)

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

Media coverage of the Festival remained robust, including preview and review articles from Official
Magazine Time Out, The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, The Business Times and TODAY, to name a
few. In addition, numerous reviews were posted on popular arts websites and blogs, including Centre
42s Citizen Reviewers, and interviews on 938 Live, FM96.3 Smilewave and Lush 99.5.
A new initiative to increase audience engagement and understanding processes involved holding Artist
Ask Me Anything (AMA) posts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/m1sff), where the 39 questions
reached a total of 7,952 people. Together with consistent social marketing efforts, we increased the
number of Facebook likes to the Fringe page by 54% and audience engagement was multiplied many
times over. Nuffnang also continued their support into the 7th year as the Official Blog Community,
enhancing the Festivals viral marketing efforts via engagement through social media including
Facebook, Twitter and our dedicated website, designed by local creative communications outfit
fFurious.

Page 8 of 52

The Festival also continued to brand itself via outdoor sites such as street banners displayed
prominently along North Bridge Road and Brash Basah Road in partnership with the Arts and Heritage
District and Singapore Tourism Board. Clear Channel also continued as the Official Outdoor media to
advertise the Festival via eye-catching ads at more than 50 bus stop shelters and taxi stands islandwide.
All of this would not be possible without the support of M1 in our 11th year and all our sponsors and
partners, including Festival venues Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, National Museum of Singapore,
ION Art Gallery at ION Orchard, Centre 42 and Drama Centre Black Box. The continued support of
international embassies and cultural institutes such as the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, Embassy
of Mexico in Singapore and Institut Franais, as well as new artist sponsors from Jalisco, Quebec and
Picardie enabled us to present exciting international works as well.
The Festival continued to grow and develop with your support in 2015 with the thought-provoking
theme of Art and Loss, and we would not be able to achieve this growth and nurturing of Fringe
audiences without your faith in the Fringe.
Enclosed in this report are all the key information and statistics gathered by our team. We welcome
your feedback on this years instalment of the Fringe, and the continued conversation between us, to
keep the Fringe a dynamic and vital part of our Singapore arts scene.
Heres to working with you again in Fringe 2016: Art and the Animal.

Kind regards,
Sean Tobin
Artistic Director
M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

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The work was well curated for the theme Art and Loss. And it was
not an easy theme to find work for but I think Sean was able to put
together such a satisfying array of art exploring this difficult theme.
- Tan Ngiap Heng, Artist

Fade by Tan Ngiap Heng (Singapore)

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

Page 10 of 52

THE FRINGE IN NUMBERS

12 DAYS
8 COUNTRIES
68 ARTISTS
10 VENUES
18 EVENTS
86% OVERALL HOUSE
14,989 PEOPLE REACHED
$2,553,982.69 PR VALUE

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PERFORMANCE &
EXHIBITION DETAILS

Incredibly brave to programme young groups/artists. Refreshing to focus

on restagings.
- Chen Yingxuan, Director, Take Off Productions

Mosaic by Take Off Productions (Singapore)

Photo credit: Crispian Chan

Page 12 of 52

Performance & Exhibition Details

TITLE

DATES

NO. OF
SHOWS

VENUE

TOTAL
CAPACITY

TOTAL
ATT.

%TAGE
HOUSE

14 18 Jan

Black Box & Rehearsal

Studio, Centre 42

250

250

100.00%

342

342

100.00%

Fringe Highlights
With/Out
by Loo Zihan (Singapore)
The Duchamp Syndrome
by Por Piedad Teatro | El Trapo Teatro | The
Play Company (Mexico | USA)

14 15 Jan

Gallery Theatre,
National Museum of
Singapore

How Loneliness Goes

by Nguan (Singapore)

14 25 Jan

ION Art

4,645

Terra Incognita
by Pat Toh (Singapore)

14 15 Jan

Esplanade Theatre
Studio

360

245

68.06%

Loss-Layers
by A.lter S.essio
(France | Japan)

16 17 Jan

Esplanade Theatre
Studio

360

213

59.17%

Grand Singe (Great Ape)

by Nicolas Cantin (Canada)

22 23 Jan

Esplanade Theatre
Studio

360

217

60.28%

Under PressureTemporary Title

by Groupe ACM (France)

24 25 Jan

Esplanade Theatre
Studio

360

210

58.33%

Live Fringe

Page 13 of 52

DATES

NO. OF
SHOWS

VENUE

TOTAL
CAPACITY

TOTAL
ATT.

%TAGE
HOUSE

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

by Nassim Soleimanpour (Iran)

21 24 Jan

Esplanade Recital Studio

907

898

99.01%

The Malay Man and His Chinese Father

by ponggurl (Singapore)

17 18 Jan

Gallery Theatre,
National Museum of
Singapore

240

240

100.00%

The Malay Man and His Chinese Father

by ponggurl (Singapore)

17 Jan

1 free
durational

Gallery Theatre,
National Museum of
Singapore

108

Mosaic
by Take Off Productions (Singapore)

22 24 Jan

Gallery Theatre,
National Museum of
Singapore

513

513

100.00%

untitled women
by The Necessary Stage (Singapore)

23 25 Jan

Drama Centre Black Box

480

480

100.00%

3,447

TITLE

Fringe Gallery
Fade
by Tan Ngiap Heng (Singapore)

14 25 Jan

The Platform, Level 2,

National Museum of
Singapore

Where the heart is

by Asha Bee Abraham (Australia | Singapore)

14 25 Jan

The Concourse, Level 1,

National Museum of
Singapore

813

The Concourse, Level 1,

National Museum of
Singapore

1,175

The Wedding Guests Tale

by Shelly Quick (Canada | Singapore)

14 25 Jan

Page 14 of 52

TITLE

DATES

NO. OF
SHOWS

VENUE

TOTAL
CAPACITY

TOTAL
ATT.

%TAGE
HOUSE

Mambo Night for a King

by Jason Wee (Singapore)

14 Jan
onwards

handsignsfortheking.com

1,013

17 18 Jan

Esplanade Rehearsal
Studio

20

Fringe Talk:
Reimagining Singapore Theatre

22 Nov

Black Box, Centre 42

80

Fringe Talk: The Presence and Power of a

Playwright

25 Jan

Black Box, Centre 42

80

Fringe Activities
Devising Masterclass
by The Necessary Stage (Singapore)

For audiences tired of the mainstream, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival promises to provide
audiences with alternative works that provoke and challenge.
- Lianhe Zaobao

Page 15 of 52

Loss-Layers by A.lter S.essio (France | Japan)

Photo credit: Nicolas Laverroux

80 % OF OUR AUDIENCES ARE SINGAPOREANS

83% OF OUR AUDIENCES ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 19 TO 40
61% OF OUR AUDIENCES FOR 2015 ARE NEW TO THE FRINGE FESTIVAL
92% OF OUR AUDIENCES FEEL THAT THE TICKET PRICES FOR FRINGE 2015
ARE VERY REASONABLE OR REASONABLE

Page 16 of 52

There was an appreciation and care for the

development of the work. Really appreciated all the
chats, feedback, and coming into my rehearsal process.
That presence and dialogue shows an interest in not
just a product but a respect for the value of process in
theatre making.
- Pat Toh, Artist

Terra Incognita by Pat Toh (Singapore)

Photo credit: Ramadhani

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SPONSORS, PARTNERS
& SUPPORTERS

How Loneliness Goes by Nguan (Singapore)

Photo credit: Nguan

Page 18 of 52

Special Thanks
M1 Singapore Fringe Festival
Sponsors | Partners | Supporters

28

Total no. of Sponsors, Partners and Supporters

No. of Repeat Sponsors

18

M1
Esplanade Theatres on the Bay
National Museum of Singapore
ION Art
ION Orchard
Arts Fund
Japan Foundation
Institut Franais
National Youth Council
Fridae
First Printers
Barossa
Pixel Creations
fFurious
Official Magazine - Time Out Singapore
Official Outdoor Media - Clear Channel
Official Blog Community - Nuffnang
Official Hotel - Hotel Grand Pacific

Page 19 of 52

No. of New Sponsors

10

Secretara de Cultura - Gobierno del Estado de Jalisco

Gobierno del Estado de Jalisco
Bienestar
Canada Council for the Arts
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec
Conseil rgional de Picardie
Take Off Productions
Young Changemakers
Centre 42
Q Framing

Mambo Night for a King by Jason Wee (Singapore)

Photo credit: Jason Wee

Page 20 of 52

Tobin says: I want the Fringe to keep being friendly and

approachable, to be fiercely experimental and innovative and fresh
and not obliged to follow the mainstream but neither should it be
alienating. It should reach out as much as possible and I want to
keep that alive.
- The Straits Times Life!

Where the heart is by Asha Bee Abraham (Australia | Singapore)

Photo credit: Asha Bee Abraham

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PUBLICITY, MARKETING
& OUTREACH

Under PressureTemporary Title by Groupe ACM (France)

Photo credit: Vincianne Verguethen

Page 22 of 52

Publicity & Marketing

COLLATERAL |
AVENUE

DESCRIPTION

PRINT
30,000 booklets were distributed to all SISTIC authorised agents,
community libraries, M1 stores, secondary schools, international schools,
Programme Booklets
tertiary institutions, arts schools, arts venues, embassies and cultural
30,000 copies | A4 size | 38 pages
organisations, cafes, restaurants, clubs, and entertainment and retail outlets
around Singapore.

Programme Leaflets for all

productions and exhibitions 10,000 copies of in-house designed and printed programme leaflets about
10,000 copies | A5 size | 4 8
pages

M1

each work and artist were distributed at all performances and exhibitions.

The Festival was advertised on a DL flyer inserted into all M1 customers' bill
mail-outs inform them of the Festival and their exclusive discounts.
White Rabbit Red Rabbit was used as the cover image and all M1 Singapore

Esplanade Theatres on the Fringe Festival 2015 events at the Esplanade were included in the Whats On
(January March 2015 issue), disseminated at SISTIC counters, lifestyle caf
Bay
chains, hotels, arts venues and Esplanade from December 2014.

National Museum of
Singapore

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015 was included in the Quarterly Calendar

for January March 2015 and distributed at the Museum, libraries and arts
venues.

Time Out Singapore

2 half-page advertisements for the November and December 2014 issues,

and a full-page advertisement in January 2015s issue were included in Time
Out to advertise the Festival.

ENCORE (The European

Season)

Events from the Festival that hailed from Europe (specifically Loss-Layers by
A.lter S.essio (France | Japan) and Under PressureTemporary Title by Groupe
ACM (France) were listed in the ENCORE! events listings in their
programme booklet, disseminated free islandwide from January to February
2015.

SISTIC

3 full-page SISTIC Run-on-Print advertisements were featured in the

November and December 2014 and January 2015 SISTIC Entertainment
Guides, available at all authorised SISTIC agents islandwide.
2 full-page advertorial interview with Sean Tobin in SISTIC Entertainment
Guide for January 2015, to promote the Festival to customers.

Art Stage Singapore 2015

Art Stage Singapore included listings of How Lonelines Goes by Nguan in their
guide, disseminated at numerous venues in the lead up to their event in
January 2015.

OUTDOOR AND ON-SITE

M1

Copies of the Festival booklets were distributed to customers.

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COLLATERAL |
AVENUE

DESCRIPTION

Clear Channel

54 posters advertising M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015 were displayed at

bus stops and taxi stands around the island from December 2014 to January
2015.

Esplanade Theatres on the Banners, floor stickers, directional signages, and posterboards of various
sizes were displayed at venues in and around the Esplanade, such as the Box
Bay
Office, Bus stop, Concourse and Tunnel.
National Museum of
Singapore

2 ad panels were displayed at the

National Museum of Singapore from November 2014 to January 2015.

ION Orchard

2 A1-sized posters about How Loneliness Goes by Nguan were displayed at

concierge desks at the mall, and the e-poster was displayed on information
screens.

Centre 42

Various A2-sized posters advertising the various Fringe events at Centre 42

were displayed at their venue.

Drama Centre

An ad panel for untitled women by The Necessary Stage was displayed at the
ground floor foyer.

Arts & Heritage District

11 street banners were displayed along North Bridge Road.

Singapore Tourism Board

35 street banners were displayed along Bras Basah Road.

ONLINE

Festival website

Festival Facebook page

Festival Twitter account

Electronic Direct Mailers

(EDMs)

A dedicated Festival website was created at

www.singaporefringe.com.
The website, designed by fFurious, was also mobile-enabled and customised
for both desktop, tablet and mobile-phone viewing.
The dedicated Facebook page was frequently updated with previews,
rehearsal photos and videos, with individual event pages set up.
In addition, we started Artist Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, which gave
insights to the artists processes, inspirations and personalities.
The dedicated Twitter account was frequently updated with regular event
updates, blurbs, discussions and recommendations, as well as uploads of
preview and review articles.
14 unique EDMs were sent to a total mailing list of 10,000 (comprising
databases of local and international partners of The Necessary Stage,
SISTIC, embassies, sponsors, partners and venues, schools, The Necessary
Stage's Volunteer E-Group and the Arts Community E-Group).
Genre-specific EDMs were sent to targeted groups such as educators and
students.

Page 24 of 52

COLLATERAL |
AVENUE

M1

DESCRIPTION
A web banner advertising the Festival was included on M1s dedicated
website (www.m1.com.sg) from November 2014 to January 2015.
Facebook posts on the Festival and exclusive discounts for M1 customers
were advertised.
A web banner advertising the Festival was included on Esplanade's
dedicated website (www.esplanade.com) from November 2014 to January
2015.

Esplanade Theatres on the

4 EDMs were also sent to selected demographics of Esplanade's mailing list.
Bay
The Studios also promoted Terra Incognita by Pat Toh on their Facebook
page (https://www.facebook.com/esplanadethestudios)

National Museum of
Singapore

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015 was listed on the Museums

dedicated website (www.nationalmuseum.sg) and Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/National.Museum.of.Singapore). 1 EDM was
also sent to their database.
Centre 42s dedicated website (www.centre42.sg) featured 2 Homepage
banners advertising the Fringe talks and listed all Fringe events held at
Centre 42.

Centre 42

Their support for With/Out, which was Loo Zihans creation as part of their
Basement Workshop programme, included documentation and video
interviews with the artist and the process. Centre 42 also supported Fringe
Talk: Reimagining Singapore Theatre as part of The Living Room series, and
video recordings of both the Fringe Talks were also filmed as part of the
documentation process, and will be made available on their website and
Facebook page.
3 unique EDMs, each featuring a Fringe event at Centre 42, were also sent
to their database.
In addition, Centre 42s Citizen Reviewers attended the Fringe performances
and posted their reviews on the website (http://centre42.sg/category/crtheatrereviews).

Drama Centre

untitled women by The Necessary Stage was included in the online calendar.

ION Orchard

How Loneliness Goes by Nguan was included on the website for ION Art and
1 EDM was sent to their database.
Network wide cost-per-click campaign provided box ads of the Festival to
blogs signed up to Nuffnang (4,000 clicks) for January 2015.

Official Blog Community Nuffnang

The Festivals main visual was used as the skin for Nuffnangs official
Twitter page in January 20145
Shoutouts and mentions of the Festival were done on Nuffnang's official
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
2 feature blog posts on the Festival were included on the Nuffnang site.
Page 25 of 52

COLLATERAL |
AVENUE

DESCRIPTION
1 dedicated EDM advertising the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival and 1
mentioning the Fringe in a community EDM were sent out to registered
Nuffnang bloggers islandwide.

Official Magazine
Time Out Singapore

Previews and event listings on Time Out's website from December 2014 to
January 2015, and 3 EDMs were sent to their database.
2 EDMs were sent out to Fridaes members.
Premium Homepage Banner advertisements were included on Fridaes
website over a 3-month period.

Fridae

3 Run-Of-Site Banner advertisement inserts were included in Fridae's agenda

listings.
3 Email Notification Banner advertisements were included in Fridae's
emailers.
1 Featured Agenda advertisement button were included on Fridae's website
over a 3-month period.
5 Newsletter Banner advertisements were included on Fridae.com's emailers.

SISTIC

4 dedicated EDMs were sent to SISTICs selected database to advertise the

Fringe, along with 4 Facebook shout outs and advertising on the main
website (www.sistic.com.sg) via New Release and Highlights icons.
The Festival also ran a Mastercard Promo giveaway contest via SISTIC.

Broadcast Advertising
Festival video

A 60-second Festival video was produced and screened from October 2014
to January 2015 at M1 shops, the Fringe website, partners' websites, and onsite plasma screens at the Esplanade and National Museum of Singapore.

Others
The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015 staged a successful press launch at

Media Launch of the Festival the Esplanade on 22 October 2014, which generated several press write-ups
immediately after.

Opening Reception of the

Festival

The official Opening Reception of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015

was held at the National Museum of Singapore on 15 January 2015, and was
attended by Guest of Honour Minister Lawrence Wong and various
members of the media, sponsors and artists.

Page 26 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Programme Booklet

Page 27 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Time Out Advertisements

SISTIC Run-on-Print Advertisements

Page 28 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Arts & Heritage District Street Banners

Singapore Tourism Board Street Banners

Page 29 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Clear Channel Bus Stop & Taxi Stand Posters

Page 30 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Esplanade Onsite Collaterals

Page 31 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Esplanade Onsite Collaterals

Page 32 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

National Museum Ad Panel

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Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

ION Orchard A1 Poster

Centre 42 Posters

Page 34 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival TV Commercial (Screen Capture)

Page 35 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Festival Website

Page 36 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Electronic Direct Mailers

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Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Electronic Direct Mailers

Page 38 of 52

Publicity & Marketing Collaterals

Festival Facebook Page

Festival Twitter Page

Page 39 of 52

With/Out by Loo Zihan (Singapore)

Photo credit: Olivier Henry, Milk Photographie

The best thing about the Fringe, as I have experienced yet again this
year, is definitely the robust publicity infrastructure that has been refined
over the years. You feel that your work is getting the maximum exposure
and the publicity team (both at Phish and the Fringe) really believe in
the work which is very important.
- Loo Zihan, Artist

Page 40 of 52

REVIEWS &
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Under PressureTemporary Title by Groupe ACM (France)

Photo credit: Monica Mahendran

Page 41 of 52

REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Fringe Highlights:
With/Out by Loo Zihan (Singapore)
With/Out is as much a faithful reconstruction of the late Chews
1999 monologue, Completely With/Out Character, as it is a deeply
moving homage to a man who chose to do the brave and extraordinary in the
face of certain death.
- Corrie Tan, With/Out pays a moving tribute to the late
Paddy Chew, in The Straits Times Life! [15 January 2015]
Strong, powerful source material that was given respectful and
unembellished presentation.
- Audience member
The restaging is very sincere and had a spirit of respect/ dignity and dare I
say, defiance still? I am left with a sense of yearning though, perhaps this is
the experience of loss itself.
- Audience member

Photo credit: Olivier Henry, Milk Photographie

you negotiated and wrestled with this fragmented albeit tenuously

linear experience that simultaneously hit you on two levels: The deeply
moving emotion one feels towards Chews monologue you see and hear, and
the intellectually compelling detachedness of the presentation strategy Loo
used. It was a show full of warmth, it was a clinically cold show, a
combination that worked brilliantly.
- Mayo Martin, Spore Fringe Fest 2015: The late Paddy Chew
comes to life in With/Out, in TODAY [18 January 2015]

Fringe Highlight:
The Duchamp Syndrome by Por Piedad Teatro | El Trapo Teatro | The Play Company
(Mexico | USA)
in the very hands of Mexican directors Antonio Vega and
Ana Graham, [The Duchamp Syndrome] is a fantastical
tale that speaks of loss, hope and the American dream at
once funny, heartwarming and achingly sad. a visual and
auditory feast
- Nabilah Said, The Duchamp Syndrome shrinks
loneliness into a charming, bitter pill,
in The Straits Times Life! [15 January 2015]
an intriguing feat that pushes theatrical conventions at every
turn, drifting between the real and surreal through a cast of
colorful characters and unusual routines..
- Casidhe Ng,
in Centre 42s Citizen Reviews
I was blown away by the sheer creativity and it wasn't like
anything I've ever seen before.
- Audience member

Photo credit: Lia Rueda

Page 42 of 52

REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Fringe Highlight:
How Loneliness Goes by Nguan (Singapore)
What I remembered most: The ambiguity about being alone;
pleasurable or sad/troubling; artist's eye for beauty in citys
architectural geometries.
- Visitor

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

Nguans discerning, sensitive eye is a given, with a seeming

knack for being in the right place at the right time to capture
overlooked moments. But theres more at work here. The power
of his images, we suspect, is equally due to his approach of
framing his moments of isolation in that distinct bright palette of
his. Enveloped in daytime, theres a stark contrast and an
uneasy tension between what these images tell us and the mood
evoked. For us, its this ambiguity that makes heightens the
unique familiar-but-not-really quality ethereal as a friend
put it of his work.
- Mayo Martin, Spore Fringe Fest 2015:
The visual arts exhibition round-up
in TODAY [15 January 2015]

Live Fringe:
Terra Incognita by Pat Toh (Singapore)
There were many things I liked about this piece, which developed from a
work-in-progress presentation back in 2012 titled Homogeneous.
That butoh transformation moment was physically top-notch. I was
captivated by her extremely detailed description (and demonstration) of
how, physiologically, our legs work.
- Mayo Martin, Spore Fringe Fest:
Terra Incognita goes in different directions,
in TODAY [16 January 2015]
I loved the intensity, devotion to walking, towards our body.
- Audience member
T oh approached walking from the conceptual, emotional and
anatomical, providing many perspectives to this simple theme. While this
work had many thematic threads, it got one fundamental thing right, it
was honest and heartfelt storytelling.
- Lee Mun Wai, The Muse

Photo credit: Delvin Lim

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REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Live Fringe:
Loss-Layers by A.lter S.essio (France | Japan)

Physically, Takayama was a mind blowing repository of dance

styles, shifting nimbly from fluid circular motions to accented

ticks and hops that packed a punch. Watching LossLayers was one of those rare times that a theatre going
experience was so powerful that I left the venue shaken and out
of breath.
- Lee Mun Wai, The Muse
"In transforming her body, solo performer Yum Keiko
Takayama expertly transforms the space she inhabits, making
Loss-Layers a compelling production."
- Audience member
Photo credit: Fabrice Planquette

[I enjoyed] the unrelenting pace, the play of light and lines, the
manipulation of body and shapes.
- Audience member

Live Fringe:
Grand Singe (Great Ape) by Nicolas Cantin

a work that was rich in meaning despite its simple, comic banality.
In Grand Singe, so little was done, yet so much was gained.
Virtuosity was not displayed through complicated physical technique but
through the performative confidence the performers exuded.
- Lee Mun Wai, Electrifying tension in empty space,
in The Straits Times Life! [26 January 2015]
Clarity, minimalism, joy.

Photo credit: Sandra Lynn Blanger

- Audience member

Grand Singe is performed by Ellen Furey and Mathieu Campeau,

both strong artists who easily command attention. Furey is the more
adept performer of the two, easily swinging from fragile to manic to
strong to subdued. She moves with such finesse that even the most
drudging of actions such as slapping paint on herself is executed
with enviable grace.
- Selina Chong, Monkey Business, in The Flying Inkpot

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REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Live Fringe:
Under Pressure Temporary Title by Groupe ACM (France)

a snappy, hilarious piece of meta-theatre which peeks behind the

curtain to celebrate the tedium, the coffee and the photocopying
that goes into pulling a work together.
- Lisabel Ting, Inside look at circus of theatre,
in The Straits Times Life! [26 January 2015]
I loved the truth behind the whole play! Excellent stuff that I
can relate to and laugh at as a theatre student.
- Audience member
we are given a thrilling expos into the drama that goes on
behind the stage even before the curtains have risen for the first
time ... As an audience member , it's something we never get the
chance to see and it's refreshing to see the inner workings of a
theatre production being laid bare with no holds barred
- Naeem Kapadia, Crystal Words

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

Live Fringe:
White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour (Iran)
One cannot deny that White Rabbit Red Rabbit is a
unique and engaging theatrical experience. It reminds us, with
cheeky charm, how theatre is a tool to connect people and places
- a thread that links playwright, actor and audience despite
geographical or linguistic boundaries. True to the theme of this
year's Fringe Festival, it also underscores a particular type of
art and loss: the loss of a playwright who can never see the play
he has created being performed live.
- Naeem Kapadia, Crystal Words
Soleimanpour is at once very far away and very present. ...
Soleimanpour is a master of words, although he says that it is
challenging for him to be writing in English. He manages to
provoke laughter and incite fear in the audienc..
- Isaac Lim, Centre 42s Citizen Reviewers

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

.Very glad that TNS decided to bring this experience here. A

great piece of theatre!
- Audience member

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REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Live Fringe:
The Malay Man and His Chinese Father by ponggurl (Singapore)
There is something very powerful about a pared-down production ...
When done well, it leaves the audience with layers of images and
ideas that continue to linger in the mind long after the curtain call
[The Malay Man and His Chinese Father] is one such
production.
- Nabilah Said, Ponder on father-son bond,
in The Straits Times Life! [19 January 2015]
Abstract performance that was heart-wrenching.
- Audience member
While our hopes of meeting the Malay Mother were not fulfilled,
save for a spectre in the shadows, we were no less moved and affected.
We cant wait to see what ponggurl does next.
- Gavin Khoo, Coconuts SG

Photo credit: Shawn Byron Danker

Live Fringe:
Mosaic by Take Off Productions (Singapore)
More than just a post-ironic celebration of nostalgia (especially in the orgiastic
throes of SG50 frenzy), Mosaic probes deep into the heart of teenage
relationships, exposing the insecurities of Singapores younger generation.)
- Walter Chan, Centre 42s Citizen Reviewers
This plays an affirmation of Tans talents but my ultimate shout out has to be
to its young director Chen. You do feel Mosaic as a whole and Im very sure its
to her credit, teasing out the little nuances in the script, getting the best out of her
actors.
- Mayo Martin, Spore Fringe Festival 2015:
Mosaics pieces fit just right,
in TODAYs For Arts Sake [23 January 2015]

Photo credit: Joel Lim

As a whole, Mosaic is beautiful, admirably complex and disturbing. It offers

no solution to its crises, leaving viewers with a knot of angst in their chests. Yet
it is also grounds for optimism. This show, created and staged exclusively by
20somethings, is evidence that young Singaporeans can make great theatre.
- Ng Yi-Sheng, Mosaic Marvels,
in The Straits Times Life! [24 January 2015]

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REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Live Fringe:
untitled women by The Necessary Stage (Singapore)
As both plays unfolded, what became clear was that loss is confusing.
We are often left to sort through our emotions as we cope with loss, and
sometimes we cant even be sure whats gone. There seems no better way
to close the M1Singapore Fringe Festival 2015.
- Selina Chong, The Flying Inkpot
Set, movement, light and sound was beautiful and natural.
- Audience member
Charged with a flurry of powerful, raw emotions and a patchwork of m
yths and narratives within vague contexts
- Gloria Ho, Centre 42s Citizen Reviewers

Photo credit: Caleb Ming / SURROUND

Fringe Gallery:
Fade by Tan Ngiap Heng (Singapore)
It's magical. When you enter it, you feel like entering one's
inner world!
- Visitor
I enjoyed seeing visitors of the exhibition touched and amazed
by your art and installation.
- Visitor
I thought it was really relatable. It allows you to become part of
the exhibition and bring back a piece of the exhibition, especially
when each photo has a story of its own.
- Visitor
Photo credit: Tan Ngiap Heng

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REVIEWS & AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Fringe Gallery:
Where the heart is by Asha Bee Abraham (Australia | Singapore)
Lovely, engaging, inspiring.
- Visitor
Conversation with Asha was homely, fulfilling and insightful simply wonderful!
- Visitor
So personable yet relatable. An intimate work.

- Visitor

Photo credit: Asha Bee Abraham

Fringe Gallery:
The Wedding Guests Tale by Shelly Quick (Canada | Singapore)
I love the theme and motif of the exhibition/ The execution was

done well and I personally love the aesthetics.

- Visitor

I like how it replicates a real nest with the use of knitting. It's
really creative and I like the motif and reason behind it.
- Visitor
I did enjoy the interactivity in the exhibition that let visitors
contribute to the overall artwork.
- Visitor

Fringe Gallery:
Mambo Night for a King by Jason Wee (Singapore)
Cheeky take on The Singapore Story: From
Third World to First.
- Visitor
Amused by this very Singaporean dance
interpretation of the text.

- Visitor

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FRINGE TEAM 2015

Sean Tobin

Artistic Director
The Necessary Stage
Administrative Office
Artistic Director
Resident Playwright
General Manager
Festival Manager
Project Managers

Alvin Tan
Haresh Sharma
Melissa Lim
Jezamine Tan
Irma Suzanna Ruslan
Edlyn Ng
Joyce Tan

Volunteer & Intern Coordinator Pearlyn Wee

Production Office
Production Coordinators Jason Ng
Josiah Yoong
Yusri Sapari
Visual Arts Coordinator Nurul Izzatul Fia Sumono
Lighting Coordinator Josiah Yoong
Fringe Production Interns Ang Kia Yee
Egan Chan
Kenneth Chia
Monica Mahendran
Muhammad Syafiq Bin Anuar
Board of Directors

Tan Chong Kee

Vincent Lim
Diana Lim-Chong
Haresh Sharma
Alvin Tan
Christopher Tan
Serene Tan
Andy Yeo

The public relations for the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015 is managed by Phish Communications Pte Ltd.
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M1 SINGAPORE FRINGE
FESTIVAL 2016:
ART & THE ANIMAL
Humankind has dwelt together with animals for thousands of years. The history of our relationship
with them is a long, rich, wonderful and sometimes shameful one. We love them, hate them, eat them,
domesticate them, destroy them, worship them, wear them, clone them and lead them to extinction, as
we live off them in affection, fascination, need and greed. They roam around our gardens, streets, our
imaginations and our nightmares. They love us, care for us, intimidate us and entertain us. They
protect us and reflect us. They also kill us. Great men like Gandhi and Lincoln highlighted the
treatment of animals as a sign of how healthy our society is.
Animals have featured in our art since cave paintings and campfire rituals. Our fear and fascination of
them is found in our sculpture, literature and our mythology. Orwells Animal Farm, Adams Watership
Down, and Ionescos The Rhinoceros are among the greatest literary classics. Animals feature in all sorts of
traditional and contemporary spaces, in many cultures, from martial arts to haiku, to fairytales, to
tattoos and some of the greatest pop songs.
Animals have always had this dual charm and dual challenge for me.
I love them so much I want to hold onto them, but I know that the right thing to do is to let them go
and be wild. And I often love them as much as I fear them. But, if you put the feathers and fur aside,
and I could be talking about humans.

Animals are often referenced when we want to talk about human behaviours that we prefer to distance
or disassociate ourselves with. We often conjure up the names of animals when we talk about the less
savoury, or more taboo kinds of human behaviour. I am curious about the way we refer to animals as
this other which we secretly know is much more like us than it might be convenient or comfortable to
admit. We allegedly have more manners and intelligence, but that is not always so evident.

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Its this love and hate. This affection and fear. This closeness and distance. This familiarity and
ignorance that I find fascinating. Animals as this not us and this other us.
Theatre maker and thinker, Tadashi Suzuki talks of the innate animal energy from which a strong and
healthy human culture comes from. Something that is firstly more natural than industrial, more
expressive than mechanical.
I am excited about how next years Fringe could bring a bit more of the wild, the natural, and the
instinctive into our physical and emotional space in the heavily built up concrete jungle that is
Singapore.
I am excited to see how your creative investigations into Art and the Animal might invite us into a
whole bestiary of exciting new questions, games, adventures and songs.

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.
-

Maya Angelou

Art and the Animal.

13 24 January 2016.
Get involved.

Find out more about the application process and download the application form at
www.singaporefringe.com
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THE NECESSARY STAGE

278 Marine Parade Road
#B1-02 Marine Parade Community Building
Singapore 449282
CONTACT US AT
Tel: (65) 6440 8115
Fax: (65) 6400 9002
Email: admin@necessary.org
www.necessary.org
www.singaporefringe.com

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