Five Theatre Shows to Watch in Singapore This August 2022

Tired of the same old Netflix and chill? Veer away from the screen and take to the theatre to catch these live performances. Whether it's a play about adulting and family life or an ingenious adaptation of a classic novel, you're bound to find something up your alley with these five theatre shows happening this August 2022.

'The Fourth Trimester' by Faith Ng

Want to watch a realistic and humorous take on parenting? Playwright Faith Ng and director Claire Wong of "Normal" (2015 and 2017) fame returned this August with "The Fourth Trimester."

The play by Checkpoint Theatre centers on the realities of family life, including both the good and the bad, to deliver a performance that will surely strike a chord in the hearts of many for its too-relatable themes of discovering home and choose our found families. Tickets are on sale on SISTIC and range from S$40 to S$80. “The Fourth Trimester” will be on show until Aug. 14.

Location: Drama Centre Theatre at National Library, Singapore

'The Nest' by Franz Xaver Kroetz

"The Nest" is set to hold its opening night this Aug. 11, with performances running through Aug. 21. The play was supposed to hold earlier performances but had to cancel its shows from Aug. 4 to 7 due to a COVID-19-positive case within the acting company.

The play, by playwright Franz Xaver Kroetz, follows the story of working-class expectant parents Kurt and Martha. As they strive to give the best for their baby, a seemingly innocent side job grows arms and legs. The play is a parable "on the tangled relationship between materialism, obedience, and ecological devastation."

The performance is approximately an hour and a half long, with tickets priced at S$35 for general admission and S$25 for students. Be apprised that its venue is not accessible by wheelchair.

Location: Rainshadow Studios, 42 Waterloo Street

'Transverse Orientation' by Dimitris Papaioannou

This show marries theatre, choreography, and live performance to take viewers on a heady journey with themes on chaos, reconstruction, and metamorphosis. Created by Greek theatre stage director, choreographer, and visual artist Dimitris Papaioannou, the play is his first full-length work and runs around an hour and 40 minutes without intermission.

"Transverse Orientation" is rated R18 or containing scenes of male and female nudity. Admission to the show, which will run from Aug. 26-27, is for 18 years old and above.

Location: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore

'Animal Farm' by Wild Rice

This production by Wild Rice is a live performance of George Orwell's classic novel, "Animal Farm," which tackles corruption, propaganda, and totalitarianism. Wild Rice's production was launched at Singapore's Jubilee Hall in 2002 and went on to win three DBS Life! Theatre Awards for best director, best ensemble, and best music.

Twenty years on and "Animal Farm" continues to amaze audiences, blending physical theatre, live and original music, and an ingenious design for a show that audiences will never forget. This 20th anniversary production of "Animal Farm" is Wild Rice's first staging of the play in more than 10 years. It is set to open for show beginning Aug. 18.

Location: Wild Rice @ Funan, 107 North Bridge Rd, Level 4, Singapore

'Live. Love. Loaf.' by Nupur Saraswat

This four-act theatrical poetry show is Nupur Saraswat's brainchild and explores the idea of loitering and who gets to occupy which space. "Love. Love. Loaf." will take viewers on a trip, from "the riotous act of solo traveling, the gaze of the streets, and forefront the liberating act of loafing." It thrusts women at the center and attempts to answer and acknowledge the lack of empowered women who are unapologetically "pedestrian women, loafing women, alone women, unchaperoned woman, [and] flaneuring women."

Catch the show on Aug. 26-28 at 8 PM, with tickets priced at S$20.

Location: Haque Centre of Acting & Creativity, 89A Desker Road