Drama Box and the Social Theatre of Singapore
Published by: Drama Box Ltd and Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd
This pioneering study provides an essential guide to the formative years of Drama Box, a leading Chinese-language theatre company in Singapore. How Wee Ng presents a compelling narrative of how Drama Box has emerged as a prominent force in the field of theatre for social intervention, effectively amplifying the voices of marginalised communities and establishing itself as a foremost advocate of cutting-edge, socially oriented artistic practice. Ng’s in-depth analysis of Drama Box’s most influential works during this pivotal period, and his meticulous examination of the social, political, and economic contexts of their productions, illuminate the remarkable balance the company has achieved in its engagement with government policy, censorship, and financial imperatives, while fiercely defending its artistic autonomy. As well as unveiling the remarkable history of Drama Box, the book offers readers a unique lens through which to understand the complex relationship between the arts and state authority, and the broader socio-cultural and political landscape of contemporary Singapore.
Professor Rossella Ferrari
University of Vienna, Austria; author of Transnational Chinese Theatres: Intercultural Performance Networks in East Asia and Pop Goes The Avant-Garde: Experimental Theatre
E-book
$39.90 SGD
Reviews
“Against insurmountable odds, Drama Box has become vital to Singapore’s cultural ecosystem. Their commitment to theatre as social service while also being powerful, accessible, and inclusive art that transcends human-made barriers, is an inspiration to us all.” —David Diamond, Founding member of the theatre company Headlines Theatre that became Theatre for Living and creator of the Theatre for Living technique
“Highly critical in thought, this book examines the cultural policies and official history of Singapore within a wider global context.” —Mok Chiu Yu, Founding Member, Centre for Community Cultural Development, Hong Kong
“Examination of a riveting tango between Drama Box and the state in Singapore, where power is renegotiated, where subtle and dramatic moves into the cultural landscape and civil society leave lasting reverberations.” —Janet Pillai, Practitioner-researcher in socially-engaged arts and cultural sustainability
"A groundbreaking monograph on Singapore theatre studies based on the study of Drama Box, showcasing a wealth of primary sources and excellent analysis." —Associate Professor Quah Sy Ren, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore "A very precious monograph that demonstrates comprehensive insight and courage in its candid analysis." —Assistant Professor Yu Shan-Lu , Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan
Recommended Books
Non-Fiction
Paperback
$20.00 SGD
Khairat Kita: Menelusuri Sejarah Bantuan Bersama di Singapura (Malay edition)
Paperback
$22.00 SGD
E-book
$22.00 SGD
Malayland
E-book
$0.00 SGD
The CAPE Handbook to Advocacy in Singapore
Paperback
$40.00 SGD
On Sundays, We Play
E-book
$39.90 SGD
Drama Box and the Social Theatre of Singapore
Paperback
$33.00 SGD
E-Book
$33.00 SGD
We Are Not The Enemy: The Practice of Advocacy in Singapore
Paperback
$26.00 SGD
E-Book
$26.00 SGD
The Singapore I Recognise: Essays on home, community and hope
Paperback
$27.00 SGD
E-book
$27.00 SGD
Not Without Us: Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion in Singapore
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
E-book
$25.00 SGD
Brown is Redacted: Reflecting on Race in Singapore
paperback
$20.00 SGD
E-book
$20.00 SGD
Khairat Kita: A History of Malay/Muslim Mutual Aid in Singapore
Paperback
$14.02 SGD
E-book
$14.02 SGD
What We Inherit: Growing Up Indian
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
E-book
$25.00 SGD
Making Kin: Ecofeminist Essays from Singapore
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
E-book
$30.00 SGD
Theatres of Memory
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
E-Book
$30.00 SGD
Voting in a Time of Change: Singapore’s 2020 General Election
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
E-book
$25.00 SGD
Raffles Renounced: Towards a Merdeka History
Paperback
$23.36 SGD
E-book
$23.36 SGD
Eating Chilli Crab in the Anthropocene
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
E-book
$25.00 SGD
Air-Conditioned Nation Revisited
Paperback
$28.04 SGD
A Guide to the Employment Act and Its Related Legislations (2nd Edition)
Paperback
$26.00 SGD
E-Book
$26.00 SGD
They Told Us To Move: Dakota—Cassia
Paperback
$18.69 SGD
Siglap at the Crossroads: Memories of Its Only HDB Estate
Paperback
$26.00 SGD
E-book
$26.00 SGD
This Is What Inequality Looks Like
Paperback
$11.21 SGD
Lancing Girls of a Happy World
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
E-book
$30.00 SGD
The Art of Advocacy In Singapore
Paperback
$23.36 SGD
Singapore, Incomplete: Reflections on a First World nation’s arrested political development
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
E-book
$30.00 SGD
My Nantah Story: The Rise and Demise of the People’s University
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
Living with Myths in Singapore
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
Singapore: A Portrait In Diversity
Paperback
$26.17 SGD
LGOU: Let God Owe You
Out of stock
Paperback
$14.02 SGD
Growing Up Perempuan
Out of stock
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
A Quest for Freedom
Out of stock
Paperback
$14.95 SGD
I am not a label, I am Gary
Out of stock
Paperback
$22.00 SGD
Budi Kritik
Out of stock
Paperback
$28.04 SGD
Walking With Singapore: The Workers' Party 60th Anniversary
Out of stock
Paperback
$20.00 SGD
Local Encounters in a Global City. Singapore Stories.
Out of stock
Normal
$23.36 SGD
Pay It Forward
$23.36 SGD
The Birthday Book 2017: What should we never forget?
Out of stock
Paperback
$11.21 SGD
A Penniless Boy, Chew Joo Chiat
Out of stock
Paperback
$30.00 SGD
1987: Singapore’s Marxist Conspiracy 30 Years On
Out of stock
Out of print
Paperback
$23.00 SGD
Making Sense of Life @ / & SMU: A Partial Guide for the Clueless
Out of stock
Paperback
$18.00 SGD
Speaking Out & Speaking Up: Xinjiao Perspectives
Out of stock
Paperback
$23.36 SGD
The Birthday Book 2016: What is Singapore’s Next Big Thing?
Out of stock
Paperback
$13.00 SGD
A Watershed Election (新加坡政治的分水岭: 林宝音政论文选)
Out of stock
Paperback
$35.00 SGD
Godsmacked
Out of stock
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
World War II @ Bukit Brown
Out of stock
Default Title
$10.00 SGD
Human Resource Case Studies
Out of stock
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
Change in Voting: Singapore's 2015 General Election
Out of stock
Paperback
$20.00 SGD
In Pursuit of NEW LIFE
Out of stock
Paperback
$20.00 SGD
WITHIN & WITHOUT Singapore in the World; the World in Singapore
Out of stock
Paperback
$15.00 SGD
Happy Long Life to You
Out of stock
Out of print
Paperback
$15.00 SGD
The Politics of Defeat
Out of stock
Paperback
$25.00 SGD
25 Years of The Substation: Reflections on Singapore's First Independent Art Centre
Out of stock
Out of print
Attunement
Is life hustling you out of tune? As the week roars by, we invite you to a slice of attunement penned lovingly by our authors, friends, and yours truly. Freshly delivered weekly with care. Intimacy guaranteed. Read selected letters below.
Magical, luminous things
Feb 19, 2022
I have flown across an ocean this week. This still sounds surreal to say.
Read more
No negotiation for blood debt
Feb 14, 2022
The Burmese language resistance poetry is deeply embedded in the country’s colonial past. When mo...
Read more
Burning holes in the darkness
Feb 7, 2022
Poets killed in broad daylight, writers tortured and maimed. I wonder if their ghosts watch on fr...
Read more