Written by
Florian Zeller
Translated by Christopher Hampton

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Starring
Lim Kay Siu
Tan Kheng Hua
Janice Koh
Emil Marwa
Frances Lee
Keagan Kang

Status
Singapore Premiere

This Father is hard to forget...Tracie Pang’s truly heartrending adaptation...Lim is stellar as the mercurial Andre...He is evenly matched by Tan as his long-suffering daughter...The success of the play lies in how it employs theatrical devices to make the confusing, non-linear world of a dementia sufferer relatable to a person of sound mind…THE FATHER is terrifying.

It shows how horribly easy it is to lose someone to dementia or to slip into it yourself. It is a memento mori to memory - to never take for granted your mind while it remains with you.

The Father by Pangdemonium is a slow but superb burn - wrapping you completely into that mass of contradictions that is dementia.

Elegantly performed and sensitively directed, it reminds us of the very real pain of being a victim of one’s mind.

Subjects the viewer to a visceral and immediate first-person experience of symptoms alluding to dementia...the lighthearted effervescence of Lim Kay Siu’s André drives the play and makes the protagonist memorable and lovable...Pangdemonium has carved out a niche for itself, staging thoughtful and intense dramas that shine a light on marginalised or overlooked communities.

With The Father Pangdemonium continues to stay committed to this tradition - a heartrending story, in a “show, not tell” style, about alienation, loss and the joy and strain of family love.

Deceptively simple but devastatingly executed...Lim Kay Siu is perfectly cast - his performance transforms Andre into a completely sympathetic character...also anchored by Tan Kheng Hua, who brings a sharp emotional edge as Andre’s daughter...What makes The Father so terrifying is that everything is set up to make even the audience feel as if they’re caught up in Andre’s dementia, with swift set changes that leave audiences paranoid and questioning which version of Eucien Chia’s claustrophobic set is the real one.

Each blackout becomes a memory hole in Andre’s mind, and James Tan’s lighting design makes us feel as if we’ve been momentarily dazed, while Jing Ng’s disturbing electronic music breaks the naturalism, almost sinister in the way it creeps into every scene. In being able to bend audience perceptions, The Father is a prime example of how theatre has the power to recreate and represent some of the most difficult aspects of the human psyche.

What is impressive is the truthfulness in portraying the infuriating affliction of dementia from the point of view of a sufferer. The performers poured their heart into sincerely portraying the raw emotions of dementia sufferers and their caregivers, bringing to life anguish, turmoil, fear, and the occasional mirth that we feel, just as much as the characters do.

The delightfully understated and tender depiction in THE FATHER is one that toys with us through our multi-sensory faculties. Watch out for the subtle but incredibly effective use of the stage to metaphorise Andre’s decaying, confused state of mind.

Thanks for the outstanding performance. Gave me an insight into the intricacies of the world of a dementia patient. The play is so well woven in how it puts together the tension between someone suffering from dementia and his loved ones. The fears, insecurities, love as well as how the use of humour can both be beautifully light-hearted and yet painful when we put ourselves in their shoes forces the audience to think on a deeper level.

Truly provocative and a masterpiece! Bravo! It made me wish I had the chance to know more about dementia earlier when I was in my teens and living with my Grandpa who had dementia. I would had been more understanding had I known the world he was struggling in.

OMG - that was an amazing night of theatre - I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the evening - you really kept me on my toes - i just thought it was brilliant at every level. I am so pleased I got to see the show. To make an audience experience what it might be like to have dementia, i just thought was brilliant.

I was thinking about the show all night - in fact am still. Congrats and thanks to everyone - what a night!

Absolutely riveting! Packs an emotional punch deep in the gut! Easily one of the best plays I've ever seen. Congratulations, you and your troupe have outdone yourselves!

Thank you Pangdemonium for staging THE FATHER, and allowing me to understand on a very intimate level what my loved one experienced during her final moments. This dementia-focused play innovates, entertains, psycho educates, and may cause some heart breaks. 

A big thank you to Pangdemonium, the actors and the crew for putting up such a riveting and heartfelt show. Thank you for using your art to tell important and timely stories.

It reminds us why Theatre and art is important and the stories it shares.

I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed "The Father". It helped me understand better how dementia affects not only the person, but the family around him. I happen to be studying occupational therapy, and could be working with clients with dementia in the future. The play has really inspired me to be more empathetic towards my future clients, and it motivated me to work harder and do my best in my studies so that I can be a pillar of support a family needs in these vulnerable and tough times.

I would like to thank the cast and the crew for the splendid production, and for giving me the much needed boost in my occupational pursuits! Thank you again!

To date this is my favourite Pangdemonium production. Hands down. I was floored. This has touched me more than words can say. A thought provoking, insightful and raw look into the difficult, painful and confusing journey of Alzheimer’s. This was beautifully and tastefully executed on all levels.

Riveting performances, stunning set, lighting and sound. Bravo to the cast, crew and insanely talented director Tracie Pang. Lots of love to these amazing humans!

Riveting from the get go. This was an ensemble piece with stellar performances by all, deft direction, great sound and lighting designs, and a solid production team working their magic backstage. All of which added to the overall effect of making you feel the same sense of bewilderment that someone with dementia goes through in their daily lives. Frightening and heart wrenching.This play hits you in the guts but it also had so many humourous moments.

As I watch people around me age, myself included, nothing is more frightening than wondering what if I have dementia one day and what it will mean for my family and loved ones? My teenage son who doesn’t have much to say these days told his Dad in the car without prompting that it was a very good play, so that says a lot and I certainly hope it has given him some food for thought!

Thoroughly enjoyed The Father. Very strong cast, impressive seamless stage production, well researched subject. It is courageous and far sighted of Pangdemonium to tackle such an emotional, sensitive subject, very close to home for many people.

Really admire and applaud you for this. Thanks for a wonderful evening.

As someone who's seen the effects of Alzheimer's first hand, I loved it. Every bit of it. My only regret is I didn't get to watch it five years ago and understand the confusion that went on in my mother's mind a little better.

Thank you! Everything was on point and amazing, I'll be coming to all your plays from now on.

Author
A Play by Rick Alice;  Music by Wayne Barker; Based on the novel by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Starring
Thomas Pang
Andrew Marko
Carina McWhinnie
Adrian Pang
Benjamin Chow
Daniel Jenkins
Erwin Shah Ismail
Zachary Ibrahim
Juwanda Hassim
Crispian Chan
Salif Hardie
Andy Tear

Status
Singapore Premiere

Peter and the Starcatcher is at its heart, a raucous celebration of boyhood and youth, manifested through the soulful, madcap performance put on by the stellar cast. It’s a magical play that transports you from dreary Singapore to the lush jungles of Neverland in the blink of an eye, makes you wish you never grew up!

It is the perfect send-off to end Pangdemonium’s 2018 season, leaving us nothing but enraptured with all the hope and wonder of a child again.

Absolutely amazing and hilarious! If you haven’t already gotten tickets, please do catch this show. Brilliant acting, set design, sound, choreography etc. A performance definitely not to miss!

Take imaginative production design (set by Philip Engleheart, lighting by James Tan), add a cast from the who's who of Singapore theatre and the result is a top-notch rollicking production... clever, creative and delightful.

A rope is the sea, a mop is a cat, a man is a woman and simply everything makes you smile. The interplay of the whole ensemble is impeccable, the theatre stage craft is divine, the lighting is sublime, the live music is fantastic!

Pangdemonium’s Peter And The Starcatcher is a joyous laugh-a-minute treat... The cast is near-perfect, the production design is dazzling and director Tracie Pang adds localised, contemporary touches to keep you very entertained. We’ve rarely seen a cast and crew work this hard - trust us on this, we’ve seen a lot of plays.

An inventive adventure story for adults and older kids.

Director Tracie Pang and her creative team have put together a magical treat that keeps the audience enraptured throughout...working wonders in transporting us headlong into this wacky, wonderful world...fantastic work from the ensemble cast who play a veritable spectrum of characters with audacious physicality.

Scenes are conjured up using the simplest of props, giving the production an endearing, rough-and-tumble charm...a fun-filled voyage to round off the year and Peter and the Starcatcher is certainly a production bound to leave a smile on one's face, regardless of age.

Imagination is empowerment, and Peter and the Starcatcher directed by Tracie Pang joyously screams a celebration of innocence and of the very best of our childhood...the cast was wondrously bursting with energy and entertained audiences in every moment, with humorous, satirical remarks sending the entire audience into uncontrollable laughing fits, Peter entertained in every moment.

Just had THE MOST MAGICAL experience in the theatre. Thank you Pangdemonium for showing us how blissful, crazy, simple and yet mind-blowingly beautiful the magic of theatre can be. BRILLIANT ensemble dynamics where everyone held the show up collectively. A show like this just makes you wanna stand up and shout YES! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT, PEOPLE!!!

What a wonderfull evening that was! I have seen audiences clapping for special acting skills before, and in this show people clapped and stopped the show for absolutely fantastic direction ideas by Tracie Pang. It was fireworks of splendid ideas, we went from one fascination to another. Actors were so quick and clever with high energy, music by Joel Nah and Rizal with very tasteful local touches. Congratulations, and double thumbs up to all.

Badass and beautiful and silly and shattering, Peter and the Starcatcher is the hilarious, heartbreaking origin tale of the Boy who will live forever and yet will never get to live fully. Thank you Pangdemonium, Tracie Pang, and the incomparable cast for that tour of a magical world that made me yearn to have that same choice again, and perhaps choose differently this time.

Something magical happened in the theatre last night. Thank you, Pangdemonium, for this amazing show!!! I really didn’t want it to end. I want to watch it again and again. Congratulations to the amazing cast and Creative team, you are all magicians!!!

A hilarious, witty, heartwarming tale with its silliness, humor, and absurdity dialed up to eleven. A magical two-hour journey filled with music, laughter, hope, and adventure. A fitting curtain closer to mark another great season for Pangdemonium.

Awesome play by Pangdemonium. Fast-paced, creative, imaginative and absolutely hilarious!! Wonderful chemistry and camaraderie! Great production! Must watch!

Amazing show by Pangdemonium. The staging, acting, choreography and lighting were all inspiring. Clever, funny and great storytelling. My favourite Pangdemonium show so far.

Catch this joyful, hilarious and witty show regardless if you have the time or not! I've not lol-ed as much (literally) or felt so moved for ages, and I was thoroughly, thoroughly entertained by this energetic ensemble. It's highly physical and mesmerising.

The story, and the work that went into this production, are enough to mean you must catch it. I'm serious!

Pangdemonium ‘s Peter and the Starcatcher is a masterclass in directing (Tracie you are amazing), and the best ensemble in a show ever.

Don’t miss this marvellous display of talent, a show that reminds us to let our dreams take flight.

Rollicking fun! Amazing cast! Hilarious script, full of wonder and imagination! Please do catch Peter and the Starcatcher before they run out of tickets!

You will not be disappointed!

Written by
Stephanie Street

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Starring
Adrian Pang
Tan Kheng Hua
Benjamin Chow
Frances Lee
Fanny Kee
Jamil Schulze
Elizabeth Morse
Matt Grey
Shona Benson

Street's writing is effectual in capturing the pain brewed by grief, as well as the resignation in a person from a marginalised community. Running for the second time, the script was even updated to include a jab at the Uber and Grab drama, much to the audience's glee. Another quote-worthy line surfaces when the play muses on how powerless a human feels when dealing with physical geography.

Watch Dragonflies to walk a mile in someone else's shoes, and leave the theatre considering our changing, mobile role as humans in this uncertain future.

The play offers a dynamic and fresh look on current affairs that aims to enrich, surprise and stimulate its audience.

But overall, the message of Dragonflies is simple: build bridges, not walls.

There are any number of plays that examine cultural and economic dislocation but Dragonflies embodies this from a truly international perspective, making it a play that would instantly speak to audiences anywhere in the world.

It's terrific to welcome such a fantastic script to our local canon and I would love to see PANGDEMONIUM take this to a theatre in London or New York, proudly waving the Singaporean banner abroad.

Watching Dragonflies is like a reading an issue of The Economist from cover to cover: it is chock-full of urgent issues from immigration to xenophobia to climate change.

Excellent script, evocative staging, brilliantly played!

Dragonflies is a compelling, feel good play that makes us believe that even in the face of unrelenting difficulty, there’s always a way out that will leave us not with despair but with hope.

With a successful second original script on their hands this year, we’re now hungrier than ever for more original productions from Pangdemonium, who undoubtedly cement themselves as one of Singapore’s best theatre companies.

Simply stunning. One of the most moving, meaningful, insightful, beautifully written and visually mesmerising productions I have seen lately, realised by a stellar cast. This will make you think twice about the environment we live in, the way we see “outsiders” and treat them, and what it means to be a part of this universe.

Do yourself and the world a favor by watching it.

Dragonflies is truly an amazing show with many powerful messages. It definitely made me question my own perspectives and be renewed in my hope for more compassion, empathy and kindness in society.

Once again, as always, Pangdemonium has hit home with this production!

This year we opted for Pangdemonium season tickets, meaning a second viewing of Dragonflies (we watched the play last year). I did not realise I’d be able to love it any more than I already did, and find the themes running through it even more relevant to today.

Thanks to the Pangdemonium team for another stellar performance.

Dragonflies is one of the best plays i’ve seen. Racial sensitivity, climate change, national identity. So many important-but-overlooked messages packed into two hours.

Dragonflies was one of the hardest and definitely one of the most amazingly powerful pieces of theatre I’ve ever watched. Well done. Well done.

Pangdemonium’s play on the backlash to immigration and the perceived ‘other’ in the UK, Singapore and other places around the world was painfully uncomfortable to watch in parts - which makes it so prescient and compelling in today’s world.

This made me really hopeful about the arts scene in Singapore as they’re really a wonderful theatre company!

Pangdemonium never disappoints. Another extraordinary show that was both hopeful and heart wrenching. Each and every actress and actor was fabulous as was the set and lighting. I found myself getting sucked into the emotions, as if I were there, only to have to reel myself back out.

If you haven’t seen Dragonflies, check it out!

Had my heart, mind and soul stretched watching Dragonflies by Pangdemonium.

How good is Dragonflies by Pangdemonium? I forgot to go to the loo at the start of show and was a bit urgent. 2 hours and 10 minutes later, I had forgotten I needed to go at all. It's a show that holds up a mirror to some of our innermost thoughts and biases.

It certainly made me confront some things about myself. Such a vital piece of work.

A clever and entertaining social commentary on current hot topics of protectionism, climate change, dumb ass regulations etc etc, and how there can still be little pods of kindness for a little bit of hope...

Directed by
Tracie Pang

Written by
Jordan Tannahill

Starring
Janice Koh
Karen Tan
Adrian Pang
Edward Choy
Xander Pang

IMDA Rating
Advisory 16 (mature content)

Blistering drama...Director Tracie Pang allows the play to unfold with a quiet ferocity that keeps us rapt. Flashes of rage catch one almost by surprise while tender moments leave one fighting back tears.

A lot is said by the end but it's what remains unsaid that rings in our ears. The decision to localise the setting is also terrific. Late Company is a fine example of how text and performance fuse together to create truly compelling theatre.

Pangdemonium has a strong track record of producing quality domestic dramas, and Late Company ranks among their best. Kudos to director Tracie Pang for pacing Late Company to perfection; under her direction, there are emotional moments that catch one completely by surprise. The localisation of Late Company has also been effectively carried out making its themes and narrative feel immediately relatable and urgent to the Singaporean audience.

Above all, it is the efforts of the talented cast that makes Late Company as arresting as it is. Poignant, gripping and fiercely relevant, Late Company is a powerful, moving production that will leave you devastated, and is essential viewing. This is important, socially impactful work that delivers on all fronts, from production value to performance to a smorgasbord of lessons and thoughts audiences will take away.

Director Tracie Pang and the team of actors are stellar, delivering Tannahill’s fervent text with precision and charm. It is a combination of ruthlessness and vulnerability that the characters and actors display that makes this play a real masterpiece.  Late Company is a must-watch play that checks all the right boxes. The text and visuals are in perfect harmony, and yet they leave a mark much deeper than can be articulated.

Late Company holds so many elements and topics of discussion, thanks to Director Tracie Pang. The performance of the cast is beyond stellar. With an amazing cast and production team, Late Company is a play that will stir your emotions and keep you at the edge of your seat in anger and sorrow.

Pangdemonium has displayed a real knack for staging handsome productions with socially relevant themes that resonate with audiences and Late Company is the latest example of its winning formula.

The stellar cast marvellously embodies the different perspectives of the heartbreaking incident – both attached and detached – bringing audiences along for a rollercoaster ride filled with waves of laughter and tears.

I can't tell you enough how proud I am of the show. As I have been telling my friends and family, I really do think it is the most accomplished and fully-realised version of the play to date. I was deeply impressed and felt very honoured by it.

Late Company is a phenomenal piece of theatre which examines the issue of bullying today. It was tremendously moving and harrowing to watch at the same time...

The stellar cast Karen Tan, Adrian Pang, Edward Choy and Xander Pang held it together tight and told us an important story which reminded us that we have to keep talking to our children and those around us who may be in pain.

This production was so, so moving. I quietly sobbed from the table setting to the very end…even through the laughter. The performances, words, set, lighting, everything was brilliant. Thank you so much for this experience.

An awkwardly brilliant play filled with emotions, #latecompany is about #cyberbullying and its possible consequences, finding closure, and in the process, inevitably and desperately trying to find someone or something to blame and coming to terms with our fears, faults and flaws. Another excellent one from #pangdemonium

Wow. @pangdemoniumtheatre’s Late Company was intense, saturated with emotion beneath all the polite talk. The play also brought a lot of topics to the surface, that might take awhile to absorb and reflect. A wonderful performance by the cast - I felt every sentence and wave of emotion from all the characters on stage.

I have this habit - of not finding out what I am watching whenever I step into a theater for any @pangdemoniumtheatre production...because they are always that good and I love that element of surprise and suspense I allow myself. Late Company - starring Janice Koh, Karen Tan, Adrian Pang, Edward Choy and Xander Pang, all brilliant in their own roles, element and headspace. Thought-provoking, utterly sobering, gripping and powerful - peppered with light hearted moments that make you realize life is indeed one whole tragedy with pockets of golden moments.

Once again Pangdemonium brings a phenomenal, gut-wrenching, relevant and very important piece of theatre to Singapore. Go watch #LateCompany. This one really hit home for me. Thank you.

So glad I managed to get last minute tix for Pangdemonium's Late Company. Giant bouquets to the entire cast—Adrian Pang, Janice Koh, Karen Tan, Edward Choy and Xander Pang—for their electrifying performances. A powerful, relevant script and great direction too. If I were a tissue-selling uncle or auntie, I'd head straight to the Victoria Theatre ahead of tonight's final performance, because the audience WILL NEED SEVERAL PACKETS EACH. The folks around me were sniffling so much, there must be pools of snot on the theatre floor.

I didn’t know that to expect from watching a local production for the first time and little did I know that Late Company by Pangdemonium would resonate so deeply. Glad that this was the first of many plays I will be supporting. Kudos to the great cast for bringing awareness about depression and the realities of bullying to the crowd.

My mind is still swirling from Pangdemonium’s latest production. My husband and I spent our journey back to our kids, talking. About bullies, getting bullied and being different. My hubby and I have not reached common ground - many questions with very few answers. But we agree to leave the channels of communication open and wide. With each other and with the kids. And to keep talking. Thank you Pangdemonium for always inspiring us and prompting us to confront difficult topics.