Written by
George Huang
Adapted for the stage by Michael Lesslie

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Starring
Adrian Pang
George Young
Janice Koh
Daniel Jenkins
James Shubert
Shane Mardjuki
Melissa Faith Yeo
Crispian Chan

Possibly the best RENT production in Singapore to date…the new Pangdemonium production is an extremely competent one - certainly one of the most competent I’ve seen outside of New York. This production directed by Tracie Pang surpasses (previous Singapore stagings) on many counts. Musically, RENT has never sounded better on these shores. Pang has assembled strong singer-actors accompanied by a fine orchestra led by Joel Nah.

Notably too, Pang’s cast is largely Singaporean, with the rest of its members hailing from Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and the US. And boy, what a cast! Ebullient performances, even by the minor players…Decked out in Moe Kassim’s costumes wit make-up by Bobbie Ng and Hair by Ashley Lim, these actors are incredibly photogenic and, more importantly, can belt out a number. Benjamin Chow, the brightest young musical talent to emerge in recent years, shines... the excellent Cameron MacDonald and Juan Jackson...Tabitha Nauser is smoking hot as Mimi...Fetching Aaron Khaled plays drag queen Angel with the requisite charisma…The always impressive Mina Kaye and Frances Lee…

Give yourself a treat and get the best seats in the house.

Seasoned with Love...Tracie Pang's acutely judged direction enabled everyone in her cast to flesh out their respective roles clearly and believably. The 17 actors in this incarnation of Rent in Singapore were consistently excellent, their unforced camaraderie and toasty harmonising bursting with joy.

Tabitha Nauser gave a finely nuanced portrayal that made her character warm and winning from the start. She also stunned the audience with sheer vocal power. Mina Kaye delighted as the night's main comic element, letting her rich, polished vocals speak volumes. Frances Lee lent authentic bustle with her brief, but very effective, appearances, including in the sizzling number Tango Maureen. Aaron Khaled, as drag queen drummer Angel, captured the audience's heart from the get-go as the fearless, giving soul. His bravura turn as a bopping, twirling Santarina stopped time. Juan Jackson had a voice like shirred cream which invested Larson's lines with great poignancy. Also, choreographer Andy Benjamin Cai's deft, simple moves conveyed so much with very little.

Twenty years after Larson's death, as the gulf between rich and poor widens further, Rent resonates stronger than ever.

Director Tracie Pang has assembled a mighty cast well-equipped with the lung capacity and acrobatic ability that this exacting undertaking demanded. Their scintillating singing and synchrony drew thunderous applause of Pangdemonium's audience on numerous occasions, while the awe-inspiring dancing and athletic feats left indelible memories in the audience's minds...The mostly Asian cast pulls this three-hour play off without a hitch, with nuanced expressions and compelling emotions that yielded magnified emotional reactions from their viewers.

Besides an intricate, transforming set that makes one wonder how its crew fit its sizeable components into the lift of the National Library Building, Rent also had a live band to boot, which delivered every note and melody flawlessly…

These are the weapons that Pangdemonium's 2016 staging of Rent wield against the 21st century's many forms of provincialism: Adept acting and resonating storylines which will melt the hearts of even the most contrite of conservatives.

This cast is made up of sterling performers, hitting the high notes while dancing and pirouetting across the urban set. Life, love and death are evocative subjects not normally so well drawn out through song; these players drew hushed crowds during death sequences, and rousing applause for the big tunes and at the end.

Most impressive were the key players: Benjamin Chow as narrator Mark, Cameron McDonald as Roger, Tabitha Nauser as the golden voiced street girl Mimi, and Aaron Khaled as effervescent lovestruck Angel. This musical’s love-based theme is a proper heart-tugger, and Pangdemonium’s slick production does it great justice.

Make sure you bring some spare mascara.

WOW! One of the best productions of RENT I've ever seen...Tracie & Adrian - you've surpassed yourselves! I can honestly say Jonathan Larson is smiling up in heaven. What a triumph of a show!! And the roles couldn't have been better cast if you tried. So many gorgeous duets and the ensemble's harmonies almost made me cry! Andy Benjamin Cai such masterful choreo!! The band absolutely slayed it - Joel Nah you genius! A MONSTER success. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!! It will rock you to the core the way a great musical should.

I haven't been this excited about a musical in ages!

I actually auditioned for this run of #RENT. And am I glad I didn't get cast because I wouldn't have had the deep pleasure of watching this PHENOMENAL cast, band and crew take this production to the HIGHEST of levels last night. I was bubbling over in my seat with raw pride, emotion and elation. Your commitment and purpose as individuals and as an ensemble absolutely floored and humbled me. Some of the best portrayals of these characters EVER, including that stellar ensemble.

The set, and the band... man, I could go on forever. My heart is still swelling. Thank you guys for all you put into this and everything else you do. Congratulations Pangdemonium and everyone and THANK YOU. VIVA, LA VIE BOHEME!!

Thanks so much for the wonderful productions you've put on. We loved all of them. There is something special about the acting, the direction, and the productions that connect the plays with us. Catherine and I saw Rent on Broadway (separately, a few years apart) and frankly we were a little skeptical going to Saturday's RENT performance.

But we were blown away by the Pangdemonium version - it made us laugh, it made us tear, we had an amazing time.

This is the best production of Rent I've seen in the last ten years, and I dare say comparable to the Broadway versions I've seen before that. This production starts and ends with great singing, from the individual performances to the big counterpoint set-pieces to even the tiniest features from the ensemble, which is top-notch and give the big chorus numbers a real full-voiced strength, and there are many strong directing notes by Tracie Pang...

All in all, it’s the best Singapore musical I've caught in a very, very long time, and I'm happy to see a mostly local cast out-sing the usual traveling casts that do big-budget productions at Esplanade / RWS / MBS.

If I could use one word to sum up my #RENT experience: PERFECT. From the stage set up, props, cast, ensemble, vocals, dancing, music, cast, lights, sound, costumes, wait have I already mentioned cast?? They were simply AMAZING.

Huge kudos to the #Pangdemonium team for such a spectacular performance!

Rent is yet another dreamteam production from Pangdemonium. Tracie Pang’s direction is sharp and observant, showcasing the very best aspects of the cast, allowing them to shine in almost every scene and revealing the multiple layers of each character.

Pangdemonium spared no effort to cast the most talented ensemble I have heard to date, almost rivalling the closing Broadway company and far better than the off-Broadway company.

Thank you, Pangdemonium, for again braving the authorities to stage this musical in its entirety.

The stellar cast and amazing set design certainly lived up to every one of my lofty expectations. RENT's message of love, tolerance, acceptance, friendship and family are just as powerful today as they were when it first opened 20 years ago on Broadway.

Thank you @pangdemoniumtheatre for bringing this incredible rock opera to Singapore. It was a treat from start to finish!

Wow. Just attended tonight's performance, I think my entire section left in tears. Mad respect to your entire production, please give our congratulations to them. Let me just add that my husband and I have collectively seen Rent in London, Boston, New York and San Francisco.

You guys can go toe to toe with any of them. Bravo!

I don't normally catch theatre productions, but RENT by @pangdemoniumtheatre was just all sorts amazing and cathartic. I haven't felt this way in the longest time, sitting in a theatre with the lights dimmed, feeling waves of emotion flood through my body, overwhelmed and vulnerable all at once.

The last time I saw or did theatre was back in secondary school. I can't wait to dive back in in 2017 with fresh eyes and a renewed perspective.

Written by
Joel Tan

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Starring
Koh Boon Pin
Emil Marwa
Lim Kay Siu
Lok Meng Chue
Karen Tan
Benjamin Chow
Ruzaini Mazani
Dylan Jenkins

In ambition and execution, TANGO is a mesmeric showcase of world-class talent. If you care about being truly human, you would do well to watch it...Joel Tan balances the drama beautifully in a pithy, pacy and elegant script, which is all the more persuasive because he takes digs, not stabs, at the many dilemmas between those who live as they please and others who are not pleased at how they live.

He achieves such balance by showing both sides to every predicament, tenderly stripping away layer upon layer of hypocrisy while leaving hard truths that stick in the craw...Fresh from her triumph as Best Director at this year's Life Theatre Awards, Tracie Pang once again proves how much magic her taut, intuitive trusting direction yields.

Of course, it helps that everyone in her cast not only brings her his best game, but also surpasses himself with a disarmingly natural and nuanced performance…their excellence is matched by the creative team.

TANGO could have checked off ‘balanced’ and ‘art as advocacy’ and been justifiably pleased with itself. For the audience, watching the fine cast and the taut direction would have been an exercise in solidarity and reassurance. Preaching to the choir is easy. Instead, TANGO aims for something riskier, rarer – implicating its audience.

Prejudice and moral judgement are central themes. Joel Tan’s script went beyond the requirements of counter-narratives by developing characters that felt real, not mouthpieces for the greater good.

TANGO evades the curse of the earnest, the blight of the politically correct, the tedious predictability of the social justice warrior (and) holds a mirror up, not only to society at large, but to the socially liberal, inclusive, highly engaged demographic that would have been drawn to this production.

TANGO’s success as an original script hopefully leads to even more great original works from Pangdemonium, who have almost certainly cemented their position as one of, if not the most consistently high-performing theatre companies in Singapore, producing one emotionally charged piece after another.

TANGO is an urgent call to break preconceived notions of homosexuality and the ‘ideal family’, replacing conservative bigotry and hate with mutual respect and understanding for a new set of values that may differ from tradition, but are nonetheless, fully deserving of equal love and acceptance.

Whether you’re gay or straight, a youth or adult, so much of TANGO is felt on a real, relatable level, and touches on issues that affect not just the LGBT community, but every human being.

While TANGO explores and encourages discussions of LGBTQ issues in Singapore, the play is essentially about family.Rather than polarising caricatures, the characters that Tan crafted are ones that you can recognise. You cannot help but be drawn into the narrative. The masterful storytelling is helped by Tracie Pang’s direction.

TANGO is full of life and heart, and it reminds us to think about and care for people, whatever their beliefs.

Earnest, heartfelt drama, methodical and unassuming in its execution, but rich in its impact…Joel Tan’s balanced script (and) meticulous depiction of white- and blue-collar characters, we are made to feel for all aggrieved parties…

Diving headlong into Singapore’s ongoing culture wars with TANGO, it signals a firm direction towards making theatre that tackles topical issues closer to home.

Pangdemonium's TANGO is an honest, complex, and thought-provoking play that holds a mirror up to Singapore society and challenges us to reflect on our "moral values" and what it means to be a “family".

Whether you identify as gay, straight, or simply a human being, you'll empathise with the struggles in each of the characters. Ultimately, no matter the orientation, Tan writes truths we already know, but need someone else to show us: That kindness, love, understanding and acceptance are what we seek within our families and communities.

Playwright Joel Tan gives us a sensitive and incredibly measured portrait of these characters that avoids neat caricature. His characters are flawed and deeply human...Tango is one of the most important works of Singapore theatre to emerge this year and Pangdemonium has crafted a truly inspiring production that is thoughtful, intelligent, urgent and empathetic - a reminder that the personal is, always and inevitably, political.

Please go and watch TANGO. It is truly absolutely brilliant. I know I gush about them every single time but can't get over how consistently good Pangdemonium are every single time. Perfect staging, perfect direction, pitch perfect acting and consistently thought provoking, challenging, content. It's theatre that I never dared to hope that we would have, but we do!!! And I'm just sitting in the bus on the way home trying not cry because I'm so proud.

These guys are everything that is beautiful and good about Singapore and their existence makes me dare to hope. EVERYBODY should watch this.

Pangdemonium and Joel Tan approached this controversial topic with the perfect balance of sensitivity and frankness. I'm so glad that this play brings about an increased awareness of LGBT rights and would get more people talking about such blanketed issues, especially in our increasingly stratified society where understanding and compassion are necessary for everyone to co-exist!! I love how they didn't patronize the non-accepting, but instead, chose to show how both sides are essentially human despite our differences in beliefs, creating more peaceful grounds for everyone to express their views and for greater understanding.

I highly recommend this incredibly relevant and poignant play.

This was a wonderful piece of work by Pangdemonium and Joel Tan. It was a treat to my soul to watch a piece of theatre that's conceptualised and executed with such care and empathy. TANGO is beautifully written, very importantly an original and locally inspired story, with great social relevance, wonderfully executed with just enough ethos, humour and truth.

Congratulations to everyone in TANGO.

Pangdemonium's first local play crosses identities, class, political spectrums, ages, family types. Brilliant use of ensemble and plot to discuss activism and social media engagement.

Poignant script, gorgeous staging and acting!

I haven't watched a play that has moved me to the core as much as TANGO by Pangdemonium. Joel Tan’s masterful writing that takes no sides, and just puts the characters' messy realities at the fore. What could have been just the mundane domestic tensions of a marginalised group become essential, immediate and relevant.

Every plot event feels scarily plausible, because they are firmly rooted in the realities of today's polarised where cultural mis-steps can lead to an all out witch-hunt; where communities can be galvanised because "We Are Against" someone else; where a penguin storybook can divide a nation.

Thank you Tracie and Adrian for staging this important piece. It needs a longer run, or a revival ASAP!

Just wanted to say how amazing TANGO really really was and how affected my friends and I were after the play ended. Stories like these really deserve more attention, especially in Singapore.

My friend brought her mum, and I would like you to know that it’s changed her mum’s perspective on so many things!

I respect a theatre company that's willing to take a risk on a local writer and support his vision. My friends and I were moved by the beauty of the script and the sadness of this reality. The LGBTQ community has a voice in this play and we hear it loud & clear.

Thank you Pangdemonium for this brave production.

Watched Tango tonight and WOW!!! Whilst we are not a 'homosexual' family, there is so much I can relate to as an unwed mom for 15 years in a Singapore/ Asian culture - the shame; being kicked out of the house; Asian values etc...

I will never expect anyone to understand what discrimination from society feels like, but when my son signed AWARE's petition for housing for single parents post Tango production, I know he appreciates the challenges we have grown thru together. Great job Pangdemonium!

What a treat it was to watch such magic unfold on stage at Pangdemonium's TANGO! I was humbly reminded about the true power of theatre, as I laughed & cried with the amazing cast who truly brought this poignant story to life, set against a clever & beautiful set.

Tango reminded me how lucky I am to be surrounded by friends & family who love & support me unconditionally. Unfortunately not everybody in the LGBTQ community has had the same privilege. It is my hope that productions like TANGO will bring about more acceptance.

Thank you, Joel Tan, for telling our story honestly & Tracie Pang & Adrian Pang, for always being friends of the community!

Pangdemonium's TANGO is all about love and family in all forms - some in ways that are socially accepted, and some that might not be yet. I'm in awe of how they are constantly pushing the boundaries of these "sensitive issues”, forcing us to take a hard look at what we deem to be societal norms, and inspiring conversations that need to be happening in our society.

A brilliant effort for their first original play and one we would highly recommend!

Written by
Martin McDonagh

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Starring
Adrian Pang
Daniel Jenkins
Shane Mardjuki
Andy Tear
Bright Ong
Victoria Mintey
and introducing Prudence Rivero

Shocking, sinister, and so very good…we don’t give star ratings for our theatre reviews, but if we did, Pangdemonium’s The Pillowman gets the full five stars. An extremely potent production that’s compelling, horrifying and funny all at once. Daniel Jenkins gives a meticulous, committed, career-high performance, with excellent support from Adrian Pang, Shane Mardjuki and Andy Tear. The additional casting of Bright Ong, Victoria Mintey and Prudence Rivero takes the play to another level of terror and gruesomeness.

From a technical standpoint, Pangdemonium continues to set the bar higher. Compared to the version presented 10 years ago, the current one is far more accomplished. It boasts gorgeous animation and graphic design by Mojo Studios, wall-to-wall sound design by Darren Ng, immaculate lighting by James Tan, and an ingenious set by Eucien Chia. Tracie Pang proves once again that when it comes to dark, disturbing tales, no theatre director here tells them better than she does.

Once is hard pressed to think of a more technically polished dramatic production in recent months. If you’re a fan of dark tales, you’d be remiss not to watch this.

Chilling, fascinating and stylish, The Pillowman shows the power and draw of a good horror story...The cast is impeccable. Jenkins makes the play as Katurian...Andy Tear is delightful and frightening...Pang and Mardjuki turn humour to tension on a dime, wringing gasps from mouths still open on the last laugh and prompting several cries during the more violent scenes. Eucien Chia's set is versatile and economical.

Working with lighting by James Tan, it changes from a featureless interrogation room to a dank cell and even a forest when need be. Darren Ng's sound and music is a palpable, atmospheric presence, enhanced by slick, stark animation from Mojo Studio…with vicious humour and subtle compassion, The Pillowman quietly expresses the cyclical nature of abuse in what seems to be an ever-deepening, darkening spiral.

Deftly helmed by the indomitable Tracie Pang and an incredible cast and creative team...Adrian Pang and Shane Mardjuki’s onstage chemistry is partly what makes The Pillowman so successful. Mastering their characters, Adrian brought out Tupolski’s snark and Shane brought out Ariel’s violent temperament, always verging on the edge of a full blown assault...it was the power of familial relationships that triumphs in mood over the overarching darkness of the play...

Pangdemonium’s The Pillowman is yet another successful play, a difficult script to stage that would be a much lesser product in the hands of less capable people. But the cast and creative team handle the staging with aplomb, bringing the nightmares of the play to life in all its gruesome detail. There’s sufficient nightmare fuel in The Pillowman to keep you awake all night long, and yet, possesses a tenderness to the tragedy beneath it all that will make audiences ache with emotional pain.

A bloody good way to start off their 2017 season, and a harbinger of more great shows to come.

Tough viewing – but well worth the rapt attention given by the packed audience...The Pangdemonium gang have treated the hardcore script with a flair and vim typical of their work – this is what has helped give the theatre group its well respected name in this town. True to form, lines are delivered snappily, direction is tight, and comedy overtones allow the audience to breathe now and then (even have a really good laugh, at times) as the bleak details of the dark plot unravel.

I was impressed at how the four men held their poise and characters throughout the story... Artful stage direction keeps the audience hooked throughout, and the set, though minimal, was clever and emotive. The cast had our full attention; you could have heard a pin drop. True to Pangdemonium’s core values, it is a worthwhile and masterful piece of drama and earned the cast a standing ovation.

You'd be a fool to miss PANGDEMONIUM's superb revival of Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. Excellently paced and has one constantly on the edge of one's seat. Tracie Pang is alive to the many tales embedded within the contours of this large tale. She allows the monologues to shine and the sheer power of the words to transport us into another world, and is aided by an astonishing creative team. Eucien Chia's stark, versatile set, James Tan's nuanced lighting and Darren Ng's unnerving soundscapes go a long way in bringing the text to life.

There are strong performances all round. Daniel Jenkins slips into the central role of Katurian like a second skin...Andy Tear turns in the finest performance of the evening, an affecting, endearing and ultimately harrowing piece of acting that haunts one long after the play. Adrian Pang moves effortlessly from flippant to ferocious (and) has the audience eating out of his hand. There is also excellent support by Bright Ong, Victoria Mintey and newcomer Prudence Rivero.

Shock & Awe: Big love to Pangdemonium for putting up such a bold piece. This was my first time watching The Pillowman and I was riveted by the excellent story-telling. It made me think about families, artists' rights, freedom of expression and what kind of world we want our kids to grow up in.

Most of all, it made me grateful that I chose to spend 3.5 hours in such a meaningful way.

Thank you to Pangdemonium for a night of gripping and poignant storytelling. What a story it is! One that demands every actor’s full focus and total stamina! One of the most intriguing and disturbing explorations of our humanity: the purpose of storytelling in today’s world, one that provokes us to consider with care before we decide on what and how we communicate “truths” to our children and the next generation.

Bravo to the pangtastic duo Tracie and Adrian Pang for your heartwork, leadership and vision!!

Pair strong writing with a cast of truly professional veteran actors, and you have a production that moves you, stuns you, and leaves you breathless. Pangdemonium’s The Pillowman was 3 frickin' hours long, but it gripped me from start to end. To Daniel Jenkins, Adrian Pang, Shane Mardjuki & Andy Tear ~ BRAVO!

And to the one never seen but always felt ~ you've done it again, Tracie Pang!

The Pillowman was amazing! Incredibly brave and raw performances, stunning story-telling and the animation was unique and visually moving. Haven't seen anything quite like it before and I'll be following more of your work for sure.

Congratulations and all the best for the rest of the run!

Once again, I'm a proud Pangdemonium Season Ticketholder. They really outdid themselves this time. Amazingly powerful performances & an insanely beautiful set to a killer script.

It’s going to be a kickass 2017 season!

An absolute tour de force - loved every minute of this wonderfully dark and delightful play. Do yourself a favour and go catch it! I cannot recommend it enough!

I escaped for awhile. I escaped from the mundane, hard-to-love-but-nevertheless-must-be-loved mess that is our daily life into a whirlwind.

I was enthralled; not entirely comforted, but hooked. And then, somehow, out of the darkness, the blackest part of humanity, there was hope. Pillowman is great. It really is. Do watch!

I mean this in the very best way: I spent a lot of this show grabbing my face and covering my mouth in response to what I was EXPERIENCING.

And I'd watched the last staging of it. The Pillowman - a great example of the magic and terror that live theatre can evoke.

Congratulations to Adrian Pang, Tracie Pang and the rest of the cast and crew of The Pillowman. This show will traumatize you but also entertain and completely enthrall you. Brilliant acting, fabulous direction.

As expected from a Pangdemonium show, a strong, take-no-prisoners, emotionally-charged and fiercely sharp production. See it now!

I loved all 3 hours of it. I escaped, I was curious, I was me and not me, and if something can do that for me in today’s climate and also leave me with a goodie bag of your stories, and loving one another with determination, and the deadly power of creative acts - I fully believe it is worth your time and money. Go see it. Class act from all involved.

The Pillowman may be what we humans need today. A little darkness to remind us we are capable of creating light.

Starring
Nathan Hartono
Inch Chua
Benjamin Kheng
Tabitha Nauser
Andrew Marko