Singapore Theatre in 2020

2020 was not normal year in Singapore theatre. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all theatres were shut down and live performances were completely barred for seven long months in the middle of this year.

Against the backdrop of the unfolding public health crisis, SINGAPORE THEATRE IN 2020 charts the activity of Singapore theatre, specifically:

50 live theatrical performances,
27 known cancelled live theatrical performances,
and 104 digital theatrical performances (which could either be archival footage, or digital productions that were performed live online or pre-recorded for streaming).

This is the fourth consecutive time that Centre 42 is documenting Singapore theatre’s year in a timeline. As with the previous iterations, we rely on the public to help us build a comprehensive picture of the year. If you want to suggest shows to add to the timeline, you can leave your suggestion at bit.ly/yir20padlet or contact us at info@centre42.sg.

[UPDATE 18 DEC 2020: Added 31 discrete events to the timeline. Number tally adjusted for counting error.]

You can scroll through the timeline below. If you’re experiencing problems viewing the timeline, you may download it here.

The spine of the timeline only reflects live theatrical performances, so you’ll be able to observe when Singapore theatre ground to a halt, and the tentative steps we’ve been taking in the last quarter of the year to bring back live theatre. Cancelled performances float above, faded, like spectres of what could’ve been.

The timeline also illustrates the surge in digital theatre activity as the industry tried to tide over the dark days of Circuit Breaker. You’ll also be able to observe the early attempts made to create theatre in a digital space.

And lastly, the tail end of the timeline visualises a strange in-between period as public safety measures are loosened. Some of Singapore theatre is slowly going back to the stage; but we’re also creating work online, much more than ever before.

2020 brought many challenges for Singapore theatre. With this timeline, SINGAPORE THEATRE IN 2020 documents the resilience of the people in Singapore theatre and their remarkable ability to adapt to unprecedented challenges.

SINGAPORE THEATRE IN 2020 is released in conjunction with Year in Review 2020, jointly presented by Centre 42 and ArtsEquator on 19 Dec on Zoom.