16. the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
A community is made up of people. People are driven by their desires. But when put together, the needs of the collective can change how people view their wants. Each of the shows in this triple-bill examines how being in a group creates more value than that of the parts as they answer the question “What does it mean to be together?”
(feat. Improv Lore, Jacintha & Rik, Les Musicables)
15. inside and outside voices
Whether it’s engaging with the voices in your head, or hearing the melodic voices of two improvised musicians outside of your head, this double-bill asks “What’s in a community?” as they look at the different ways the contributors to a community, both internal and external, can greatly shape and influence any outcome.
(feat. Strangers In-Sync, A II Z)
14. mysterious shiz
Communities can be a mystery to us. They can be hard to break into (or out of), hard to love, hard to fathom. In this triple bill, we examine the mystery surrounding communities. Whether it’s a group of people trapped on an unknown island, folks building a city together, or the voices that drive us, we ask “What implicit invitations do we extend?”
(feat. SecondHand Improv, The Rotten Grapes, Drivers)
13. love and loss
Love and loss have the power to rally communities. When people come together to celebrate or commiserate, we find comfort in the bonds of togetherness and belonging. In this double bill where we look inwards to explore relationships surrounding loss, and outwards at relationships showcasing the diversity of love, we seek answers to the question “How do we find where we belong?” and (hopefully) find them, through the power of love and loss.
(feat. Gabe and Missy, (Crazy Rich Sleepless Stupid) Love, Actually)
12. obsession / paranoia
Communities can break apart and disintegrate. All it takes is for one person to cast doubt, sow discord, evoke fear, and discontentment breeds, and resentment festers, leading to an environment where everyone is obsessed with either raising false idols or weeding out those that don’t belong, and a climate of paranoia where members of the community see threats at every turn. In this triple bill that looks at toxic villagers, crazed fans, and the media, we ask “When is a community harmful?”
(feat. Housekeeping Improv, Grace Under Fire, Tabloids)
11. what are words?
“Why do we have communities?” Perhaps it’s to help a clown who has no knowledge of the spoken word. Or it’s because we want to feel comfortable in some sort of physical togetherness with each other. In this double bill, see how both the audience and performers function as a community that supports, uplifts and builds upon each other to devise shows that transcend and move beyond the spoken word.
(feat. Oshow, The Movement)
10. friends and family
Friends and family are crucial to one’s life. As the most basic building blocks of an individual’s community, they have the potential to make people feel like they are a part of something bigger or conversely make them feel absolutely alienated. In this triple bill which asks “How do we find where we belong?”, we turn to look at stories with a strong focus on tangled friendships and complicated families, and the impact of these friends and family when it comes to providing the members of their community with a sense of belonging.
(feat. Improv Queensland, TYPECAST, SPIT)
9. 当我们同在一起 (The More We Get Together)
Interpersonal relationships are layered and complex. Regardless of whether you are in a tight-knit community or surviving in a dystopian society, there is no escaping friction and conflict. The crux of the matter is - what happens when we gather together? And how does being together affect the relationships of those within these communities?
人与人之间的关系又复杂又难搞。不管是在小团体内或在反乌托邦里,我们无法避免摩擦与争执。当我们同在一起时,到底会发生什么事?而在感情方面,又会有什么影响呢?演员会使用即兴探索 “在一起”,希望能从中更深一层的了解“在一起” 的意思。
(feat. Showball, GUTS Improv)
8. fun times
What does it mean to be together? What sort of purpose does that togetherness serve? Perhaps you need to solve your constituency’s problems. Or investigate the issues within an insular group. Or find camaraderie in a group of kindred spirits who enjoy performing the way that you do. In this triple-bill, we venture into communities, for fun (or “fun”) times and figure out how we feel about different ways of being together.
(feat. Improvper Conduct, Saigon Improv House, Pirates of Tokyo Bay)
7. beat cafe
Welcome to the Beat Cafe - where spontaneous spoken word poetry inspires scenes and stories! The Beat Cafe format uses improvised spoken word poems to inspire characters, scenes and stories.
6. fight what fight?
Communities aren’t always safe spaces. Fights take place within and between communities. Sometimes the fights are mental, sometimes they are verbal, and at times they escalate and get physical. In this triple-bill, our performers tackle the question of "What does it mean to be safe within a community?" through the internal and external manifestation of combat.
(feat. Modern Schemers, Buwan ng Wika, Stage Combat)
5. possibilities
A trio, all alone in a space. A group of Asian gay men, finding their place. Tied together by the possibilities of what could happen in the immediate, near and (possibly) far future, join both sets of performers as they explore the unknown and figure out what it means to be part of a larger community.
(feat. No-Show, The Aunties 阿姨)
4. exclude me?!
While the idea of community naturally lends to an assumption of inclusion, a community can, and very often does, exclude certain groups or individuals. Whether it’s in the form of isolation from one’s family, belonging to a marginalised group in society, or a physical representation of separation, each of the performances within this triple-bill poses the question “Who do we exclude?”
(feat. Sandbox, New Kitten Party, Formosa Improv Group)
3. should i stay or should i go?
“Should I Stay or Should I Go” is a double-bill which puts the question “What is a community?” at the front and centre of its shows. Whether it’s confronting the harsh reality of COVID lockdown rules, or leaving one's life behind and braving the unknown, our two shows take a closer look at the people whose lives have been affected by the decisions of staying or leaving and the communities that form around those decisions.
(feat. People's Republic of Comedy, The Beautiful Migration)
2. from everywhere, going everywhere
What does it mean to be together? In this double-bill that journeys through parallel universes exploring regret and how it affects the communities around us, to the bringing of people from all over for a game show that celebrates the uniqueness of Singapore’s local patois, we present a show which explores two contrasting cases for gathering together - healing old wounds and making new connections.
(feat. TAYCHOOMAH, Speak Good Singlish Campaign)
1. everyday i’m hustling
Whether you’re an office worker, a visionary trying to run a country or a pantheon of gods, hustling is hard. What’s worse is that you’re stuck with gossip and toxic coworkers, bureaucracy and red tape, politics and infighting. And amidst all of that, how do we figure out where we fit in, in this larger (workplace) community? Join us for this triple-bill on workplace communities as the shows navigate its intricacies, and their day-to-day ‘work’, and try to build a community themselves.
(feat. The Reluctant Hustlers, The Kitchen Gods & ASAP Improv)