In the Press

Hybridised spectatorship: “FIVE” by Intercultural Theatre Institute

'FIVE by Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) ran between 12 – 14 November 2020 at both the Esplanade Theatre Studio (onsite) and Zoom (online). Presented in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, FIVE was directed by Kok Heng Leun and devised with ITI’s 2020 graduating cohort.

The following Gee Dock Convo took place between Ang Kia Yee (kyatos) and Ke Weiliang (kewl). Kia Yee attended the Saturday, 14 November 2020 (8PM) show at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, whereas Weiliang attended the Friday, 13 November 2020 (8PM) show on Zoom.'

- Gee Dock Convos 

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[Interview] Breaking out of the box: Yeo Yann Yann is ready for her next challenge

'Yeo is no stranger to acting as athleticism, the kind of practice that requires you to be in peak physical condition. Studying at the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore instilled in her a kind of rigour. “I remember waking up at seven; we go for Tai Chi class, we do Peking opera, Bharatnatyam,” she recalls. “We sit in for acting class and other lessons of all the other traditional art forms. And then we have our lectures to attend. Our day ends at 7pm, and then we still have practices in the evening.”'

- NME 

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Review: FIVE by Intercultural Theatre Institute

'The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a myriad of problems and effects, something that’s likely to be felt just as strongly, if not more so, than the five graduating members of the Intercultural Theatre Institute’s (ITI) latest batch of graduating students. Not only did they have to cancel their mid-year performance; as foreign students away from their immediate family, and locked down in isolation, their mental health certainly took a toll over the last few months, leaving them worse for the wear during the initial stages of the circuit breaker.

However, with the lifting of live performance restrictions, graduating students Kyongsu Kathy Han, Li-chuan Lin (a.k.a. Aki), Prajith K Prasad, Ramith Ramesh, and Rhian Hiew Khai Chin have been given a chance to redeem themselves and make good with their graduating show. Directed by Kok Heng Leun, FIVE is a devised, hybrid live/Zoom work that takes inspiration from each student’s deeply personal works developed during the pandemic, as well as Virginia Woolf’s short story The Mark on the Wall, serving as a culmination of the mental hell they’ve gone through in isolated living.'

- Bak Chor Mee Boy

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Arts Picks: Play games at Small Big Dreamers, Ding Yi's live concert and ITI's graduation show

'The Intercultural Theatre Institute marks its 20th anniversary this year and the 2020 graduating cohort reflects the institution's regional reach. The five students hail from India, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan.

Five is a hybrid production which combines live theatre with streaming on the Zoom platform. Directed by Singaporean arts veteran Kok Heng Leun, it addresses questions about human isolation.'

- The Straits Times

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[Interview] Taking Five with Actors of “FIVE”

'Next week, the graduating cohort of the Intercultural Theatre Institute will present their final showcase, FIVE. It consists of five actors telling their stories which raise the following questions: How does it feel to be cut off from regular human contact? What happens to a mind and body which can only connect with others virtually? What does it mean to be an artist in this “new” world?

As the performance will be catered to an on-site audience at the Esplanade Theatre studio and another group of audience on Zoom, I spoke to the actors to find out more about the process.'

- Isaac Tan

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Preview: FIVE by Intercultural Theatre Institute

'As theatre begins to reopen, the graduating students of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) will finally get an opportunity to perform to a live audience this November. Playing at the Esplanade Theatre Studio and livestreamed on Zoom, this year’s graduating batch of students will be performing FIVE, an intimate and evocative hybrid piece about isolation that was designed to cater to both online and on-site audiences.'

- Bak Chor Mee Boy

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ITI Navigates Between Live and Digital Performances with “FIVE”

'In a first for the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI), the graduating cohort will present FIVE, a live performance to audiences at the Esplanade Theatre Studio and on Zoom.

I interview director Kok Heng Leun to find out more about the show.'

- Isaac Tan

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Intercultural Theatre Institute presents ‘FIVE’ to both online and on-site audiences this November

'Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) will be presenting ‘FIVE‘, an innovative hybrid performance that is uniquely designed to be performed live to both online and on-site audiences, from 12–14 November 2020 at Esplanade Theatre Studio and on Zoom.'

- The Online Citizen

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[Review] 4.48 Psychosis - Harrowing, Haunting, Unshakeable

'Haunting and performed with striking passion, 4.48 Psychosis paints a picture of loneliness, of longing for stillness, of grieving for the ungraspable. With its harrowing corporeality and eerie shadowplay, this performance seeps into the pores of your skin, becoming an unshakeable part of you.'

- Arts Republic

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Arts Picks: Dance production Abhinaya, theatre production 4.48 Psychosis and more

'Combining lyricism with dark humour, this play by English playwright Sarah Kane is an unvarnished look at the difficulty of questioning and communicating with the outside world through the lens of depression.

Presented by the Intercultural Theatre Institute, an independent theatre school for contemporary artists, the show is performed by this year's graduating cohort, which includes students from India, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan. It is directed by alumnus Andy Ng Wai-shek, who was previously named Director Of The Year at the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) Critics Awards for his experimental production, Ink Maze.'

- The Straits Times

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