My colleagues and I at the National Arts Council warmly welcome you fo the 10th Singapore Festival of Arts. We are proud to see its growth from a small Festival back in 1977, to a major international arts event.
The Festival aims to entertain the Singapore audience and visitors alike with outstanding performances by Singaporean and international artists. 27 foreign groups and 10 Singaporean groups will stage a total of 115 performances for the core programme. The outreach arm of the Festival, the Festival Fringe, will feature over 200 performances by some 50 Singapore and 32 foreign groups in both indoor and outdoor venues.
The best of Singaporean works will be showcased in the Festival. A specially commissioned Singapore musical, Kampong Amber, will kick off the Core programme. The Libretto by musician Dick Lee is based on the script by another Singaporean, writer Catherine Lim. Glen Goei, who took the West End by storm in his role as Song Li-Ling in David Henry Hwang’s M Butterfly, will return to Singapore under the “Home Coming” Series to take the lead role.
The Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre will amaze us with their water puppets; the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, which played to standing ovations when they performed at the 1986 Festival here, returns with two plays - A Farmer's Nirvana and Top Restaurant.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra from the United Kingdom, under the direction of Czech-born conductor, Libor Pesek, will make its debut in Singapore. Three soloists will be featured with the Orchestra: world renowned Russian pianist, Lazar Berman, talented Singaporean violinist, Kam Ning, and pianist Toh Chee Hung.
The Hubbard Street Dance Chicago from the United States will perform on inventive repertoire of modern dances, blending classical ballet techniques with jazz and modern dance. The Royal Ballet of Flanders from Belgium will perform Dracula, a thriller ballet created by the late Stuart Sebastian, and a mixed bill.
Three art exhibitions will be held: a solo exhibition by eminent Taiwanese artist, Chiang Chao-Shen, a major exhibition of Indian decorative Arts and an exhibition of 20th Century Spanish Art and the Third Dimension.
Fringe ‘94 will offer three weeks of fun-filled entertainment for the family from 22 May to 12 June. Highlights include The Flying Dutchmen, an acrobatic troupe from Holland, Smallest Theatre in the World from the United Kingdom and Singapore's own Ivan Heng's production of The Woman in a Tree on a Hill, an award winning show in last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A Festival Parade along Orchard Road, with stilt walkers, acrobats, brass bands and Scottish bagpipers, will kick off the Festival.
Last, but not least, a word of thanks to the sponsors of the Festival. Without their generosity and support, this Festival would not have been possible. I take great pleasure in welcoming you to the 1994 Singapore Festival of Arts.
– Professor Tommy Koh (National Arts Council Chairman)
(Source: National Arts Council Programme)