10 Dec 2015: Gwen Pew cha-cha-chas her way through the beaded curtains to delve into the sleazy ‘Beauty World’ ★★★★☆ As one of the first locally produced English-language musicals, there’s no denying that Dick Lee and Michael Chiang’s Beauty World holds a special place in Singapore’s theatrical canon. Twenty-seven years and five stagings later, it’s still … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Beauty World’ Review
1 Aug 2015: This hyped-up musical, starring the excellent Adrian Pang as Lee Kuan Yew, is as slickly put together as it is predictable ★★★☆☆ It doesn’t get any more SG50 than this. The LKY Musical has been one of the most talked-about plays of the year, and unsurprisingly so: it celebrates the life of one … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘The LKY Musical’ Review
23 Jul 2015: If you’re looking to have a splashing good time, check out this West End smash hit – it’s almost impossible not to come out of the theatre grinning ★★★★☆ As the stage version of Gene Kelly’s beloved film Singin’ in the Rain splish-splashes into town, we went into the theatre expecting a good … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Review
10 Jun 2015: The made-in-Philippines musical about Singapore isn’t ready for the world stage yet, but Gwen Pew believes that it nonetheless shows potential ★★★☆☆ So we got to the party a little late for this one. Amid rumours that Singapura: The Musical was going to close earlier than expected, we decided to hold our horses. But once … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Singapura – The Musical’ Review
The famous meow-sical may no longer be the most cutting-edge of shows, but the production that’s currently in town is nonetheless a valiant effort, says Gwen Pew ★★★☆☆ 16 Jan 2015: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s feline-themed musical ran for 18 and 21 years on Broadway and in the West End respectively. If the show were a child, it … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Cats’ Review
14 Oct 2014: Three drag queens walk into a bar on their way from Sydney to Alice Springs in Australia, and despite getting a dance party started in there, they came out to find that the locals have sprayed hateful words onto their lavender-coloured van (nicknamed Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). That’s not funny, of … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’
Despite a brilliant band, some great actors and all its good intentions, Gwen Pew can’t help but feel that Rock of Ages falls somewhat short of its lofty rock ‘n’ roll aspirations. 22 Aug 2014: It was supposed to be a great night out. The stage was already set when we walked into the theatre, and a … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Rock of Ages’ Review
As the beloved story of Maria and the Trapp family arrives in Singapore, Gwen Pew finds this charming production – which stars six locally-selected children alongside a largely South African cast – an absolute delight. 19 Jul 2014: There’s an unofficial rule in theatre that one should never work with children, because it’s difficult to get things right … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘The Sound of Music’ Review
As Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular rock musical about a child’s dream of trains hits Singapore this month, Gwen Pew gets three of the star engines to introduce themselves. 5 Nov 2013: Greaseball (played by Jamie Capewell) The look ‘I’m an Elvis lookalike with a massive dark quiff, shoulder pads like an American footballer, and very bulky in … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Starlight Express’ Preview
I Theatre takes the Brothers Grimm’s legendary fairy tales back to basics – but also breathes new life into them, as Gwen Pew discovers. 25 Oct 2013: First published in 1812 under the title of Children’s and Household Tales (or Kinderund Hausmärchen in its native German), Grimms’ Fairy Tales has been the staple collection of bedtime stories for … Continue reading Time Out Singapore: ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ Preview
GWEN PEW 