SINGAPORE — Sandaime Richard, which opened yesterday at the Victoria Theatre, stands out with its international collaboration that boasts a cast including top Indonesian film actress Jajang C Noer and Singapore actress and former Nominated Member of Parliament Janice Koh.

“More than just an international production, Sandaime Richard is an intercultural work that brings together many different performing traditions and languages into a theatrical space with the aim of telling a story with a fresh and original perspective,” described Koh.

“This interfacing between cultures on stage requires a great deal of patience, mutual respect and understanding as well as a genuine sensitivity to what each collaborator can bring to the piece, so as not to diminish or dilute the traditions from which they come from,” the actress, 42, added.

In Sandaime Richard, which is produced by the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) together with Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and Shizouka Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Koh plays the character of Machaan, who takes Shakespeare to trial for falsifying the depiction of Richard in his play, Richard the Third.

Machaan is a play on the name “Merchant” from The Merchant Of Venice. She performs alongside seven other actors, all of whom come from diverse performing traditions, including actors from traditional Japanese theatre forms such as Kabuki and Kyogen as well as a Balinese puppeteer.

Written by Hideki Noda who is known to be the most talented playwright of contemporary Japan, Sandaime Richard effortlessly parallels the intrigues of the Wars of the Roses in England with those of an ikebana clan in Japan.

Using Noda’s script, Sifa’s festival director Ong Keng Sen uses his signature style of juxtaposing Asian traditional forms of performances, and presents a vision of what it means to connect in a world that is becoming increasingly divided and paralysed with fear.

Explaining his vision for the production and the festival, he said: “We want to bring Singapore audiences brand-new, fresh productions from around the world and if possible in collaboration with Singapore artistes. This situates Singapore at the core of the creative process globally.”

Along with Koh, established Singapore actors Oliver Chong and Margaret Chan are involved in Argentine dramatist and visual artiste Fernando Rubio’s uniquely Singapore versions of Time between Us and Everything By My Side respectively. Both performance pieces have been staged across Europe, South America and the United States.

Chong, 39, who performs in Time Between Us from Wednesday to Sunday (Sept 11) at Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza, talked about his experience working with international artistes in an international production. “I feel like I am operating in international waters and everything is possible, especially during the conceptualisation phase. Artistic exchanges with international artistes often have the effect of challenging and questioning our norms, things that I have taken for granted. And through explaining myself and answering their questions, I have had to contemplate on my practices, my country, my world and myself as a person.”

Moving beyond acting, Singapore’s contemporary film director and performance-maker Brian Gothong Tan, who has produced visual spectacles at the National Day Parade, Youth Olympic Games and SEA Games, is involved in creating Tropical Traumas, which was performed last weekend on the massive stage — that was the multimedia installation 720° by Israeli architect and designer Ron Arad. At the Gardens by the Bay until Sept 17, the coliseum-like structure with its shifting images and interactive stage become an instant crowd favourite.

Also, Singapore’s premier classical string quartet T’ang Quartet comprising Ang Chek Meng (2nd Violin), Ng Yu-Ying (1st Violin), Leslie Tan (cello) and Lionel Tan (viola) performed the score of Paradise Interrupted at Drama Centre Theatre last weekend. It is a new music theatre performance blending traditional classical Chinese idioms from the Ming Dynasty and contemporary music against the backdrop of a beautiful garden inspired by origami and Chinese painting.

The group jumped at the chance to be a part of the production because they had always admired Huang Ruo, the composer and conductor for the performance, known as one of the world’s leading composers.

The group also talked about how Ong has brought a certain dynamism to the festival that did not exist before, adding that they have seen “much more creativity and collaborative synergies from different artistes from all over”, since Sifa started.

Koh concurred: “I think the focus on enabling collaborations between international and Singapore artistes is a superb move, and will be important in paving the way for more Singapore artistes to impact and make connections with the global art world. The number of international collaborations this year involving Singapore artistes is unprecedented. As such, Keng Sen has been a game-changer in this respect.”

More than just international exposure for local artistes, Ong believes steering the festival in these directions would also make it more exciting for audiences. “These directions will go a long way in creating a unique identity for the festival; enhancing the pinnacle festival concept of Sifa both nationally and internationally.” REENA DEVI

Sandaime Richard is on today and tomorrow at 8pm at Victoria Theatre. Time Between Us is from 10am to 10.30pm until this Sunday. Tickets for both are on sale at Sistic.