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Phew! We just reviewed the final theatre production of 2023, and already, the new year’s theatre season is kicking off. Organised by The Necessary Stage, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival returns for its 20th edition from 17 to 28 January 2024, and Catch members stand a chance to score tickets to one of the festival’s showpieces!
As always, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival promises contemporary performances that resonate with today’s pressing social issues. This year, the festival, known for its cutting-edge and relevant themes, will feature a diverse array of works from both Singaporean and international artists, each addressing unique challenges faced by communities around the globe.
Festival for a Hopeful Future
The Fringe Festival, since its inception in 2005, has consistently served as a platform for artists to express their concerns about the world and envision a path towards a better, more hopeful future. The 2024 edition, amid a backdrop of global hostility and chaos, aims to use art as a medium to confront violence and reignite hope. It is a call to build resilience and a sense of shared humanity in these trying times.
The Fringe Lineup
This year’s festival presents six compelling works from diverse groups of artists centred around issues they deeply care about. Each piece serves as a distinct voice on themes like forging connections in troubled times, challenging stereotypes, and breaking free from mundane routines. The lineup includes:
Delving into humour and absurdity. 'SAME SAME' merges dance and theatre to unveil the wild within the corporate labyrinth.
1. Oo-Woo by The Necessary Stage (Singapore), a tender story that intertwines family duty, love, and the mysterious disappearance of a pet bird.
2. Here Where You Were by Matter.Less (Singapore), a debut work exploring mental health and grief in the Singapore Malay Muslim community.
3. Motherland by Very Shy Gurl by fendy (Singapore), a poignant examination of love and betrayal among soldiers under a shared sky.
4. THOM PAIN (based on nothing) by Edith Podesta, Yarra Ileto & Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Australia and Singapore), a Pulitzer Prize-nominated play addressing the agonies of human condition.
5. aMoratorium by J’Sun Howard (USA), a dance-theatre performance exploring Black male identity and visibility amidst racial supremacy and police brutality.
6. SAME SAME by Dame de Pic/Cie Karine Ponties & Temporary Collective (Belgium and Czech Republic), a humorous and absurd dance-theatre piece that comments on corporate life and the rediscovery of one's wilder self.
Challenging norms through movement, ‘'aMoratorium' by J’Sun Howard illuminates black male identity and solidarity amidst societal turmoil.
These performances not only showcase artistic brilliance but also engage in a dialogue with the audience about resilience, empathy, and the human condition. They collectively challenge dominant narratives and encourage new perspectives in relating to one another.
With 'Oo-Woo', you’ll go on a heartfelt journey by The Necessary Stage, where a missing pet koel and an ageing matriarch test the bonds of family and love
Inclusivity and Accessibility
In addition to the artistic endeavours, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024 is committed to inclusivity and accessibility. Collaborating with Equal Dreams, the festival is enhancing features like Plain English versions of texts, visual stories for easy theatre navigation, captions for in-theatre performances, and speech-to-text interpretation for post-show dialogues. These efforts ensure that the festival is accessible to people with disabilities, reflecting the event's ethos of inclusivity.
With a lineup that spans a wide range of themes from familial bonds to societal challenges, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024 promises to be a vibrant, thought-provoking, and inclusive event in a world rife with division and strife.
Kick off your theatre 2024 season and Catch the M1 Fringe Festival! Better yet, make sure to sign up as a Catch member and follow us on Instagram at @catch.singapore and stand a chance to grab tickets to SAME SAME and THOM PAIN (based on nothing)!
