TALES OF HOPE

As a counter to global disenchantment, the works at this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) explore the theme of “enchantment”, described as the antidote against populism, alienation, injustice and irrationality. Outgoing founding festival director Ong Keng Sen introduces a biennale of 16 homegrown commissions, and seven international productions making their Asia-pacific premieres. Ong himself will direct a contemporary Asian musical, in collaboration with National Theater of Korea (pictured), based on Jean-paul Sartre’s 1965 adaption of Greek tragedy The Trojan Women. Meanwhile, cartoonist Sonny Liew, author of award-winning graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, presents an all-new work for the stage; while Singaporean auteur K Rajagopal invites audiences to be part of his film Lizard on the Wall as guests of a Punjabi wedding banquet. The pre-festival of ideas, The Open, and the main festival take place from June 28 to September 9, at various venues. sifa.sg