Diva's Review: Matilda The Musical Is A Revoltingly Enjoyable Show

The award-winning MATILDA THE MUSICAL, has returned to thrill audiences in Red Dot Island. Base Entertainment Asia and GWB Entertainment in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company have brought the lively production back to Sands Theatre from now to 7 April 2024. The first time the hit musical was in town was over five years ago in 2019.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, created by playright Dennis Kelly and composer Tim Minchin, is adapted from Roald Dahl's beloved children's book about an extraordinary girl courage and resilience. The production first opened at London's West End over a decade ago, and yet, it still continues to inspire audiences all over the world. The musical has since won over 101 awards, including 24 for Best Musical. Recently, the musical was also adapted into a full-length movie, which is still available to watch on streaming via Netflix.

GWB Entertainment Executive Producer, Paul Warwick Grin says: “This exceptional musical continues to win hearts and minds of audiences all around the world and remains one of the brightest lights on London’s West End. We are delighted to be bringing Matilda The Musical back to the excellent Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands”.

For the international tour, the main character Matilda is performed by three performers Yolani Balfour, Donna Craig, Myla Williams, whilst Daniel Abrahams, Jayden Seder, Erich Jordaan and Gideon van Biljon act as Bruce and Eric. The other primary cast includes Kaye (Michael Wormwood/Tommy), Matthew Rowland (Mr Wormwood), Gina Beck (Miss Honey), Emily Squibb (Mrs Wormwood), Lucy Warway (Lavender) and James Wolstenholme (Miss Trunchbull.

Red Dot Diva was invited for the media premiere and found the musical to be an immersive and enjoyable experience. Even though the story went into rather dark places, it never strayed too far away from the notion of hope and the idea of fighting for the common good. There were also a number of funny scenes interspersed along the way to make the story less intense, like the salsa dance number by Mrs Wormwood and her vain and “very supple” ballroom dancing partner Rodolpho, as well as when the cartoony Bulgarian mobsters who barged into the Wormwood household. The latter segment had Red Dot Diva almost rolling on the floor, in stitches.

The impressive set made the story come alive on stage (there were swings!), and the live band added to the atmosphere, especially the bassoon player's notes during Miss Trunchbull's more menacing scenes. Red Dot Diva thought the ensemble cast was terrific. The child performers showed off their innate mischievousness, and their exhuberance were infectious in group performances like “The School Song” and the iconic “Revolting Children”.

But in Red Dot Diva's opinion, it was Miss Trunchbull the cruel headmistress of Crunchem Hall, played by James Wolstenholme who stole the show. He portrayed the unpleasant, larger than life character as both funny and scary at the same time, and that is not an easy thing to do. The other standout performance was the young actor playing Bruce, who seemed to be having a lot of fun on stage. Red Dot Diva wished that the actor performing as Matilda on media preview night was more expressive, however, she cannot fault the young actor's crisp diction. It was to die for.

The story about Matilda and her love for books was something close to Red Dot Diva's heart. Red Dot Diva was a bookworm when she was Matilda's age, and being the typical Gen X-er, was also left to her own imagination most of the time. Luckily for Red Dot Diva, she did not have uncaring parents. Neither was her school ruled by a tyrannical headmistress. Phew!

MATILDA THE MUSICAL is a great show to get your young family members and friends acquainted with the main protagonist - an intelligent, strong-headed, emphatic young heroine who has the courage to make things right. The story also has an affirming message to tell, and that is, being smart for a girl (and woman) is not something to shy away from.

The production ends at 7 April 2024, so if you want to watch the show, go grab your tickets here!

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Thank you, Base Entertainment Asia for the invite.


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Diva's Review: MAMMA MIA! Makes You Feel Like A Disco Dancing Queen - So Fabulous and Fun!

Are you a super trouper ABBA fan?

Even better still, are you a super trouper ABBA fan, who has also been dreaming of a Greek holiday? Well then, MAMMA MIA!, a joyous jukebox musical created by producer Judy Craymer, will be the perfect experience for you!

MAMMA MIA! first played in Red Dot Island in 2014, and returned for another time in 2018. This time, the show is back on a limited run from now till 5 November 2023 at the Sands Theatre. The English-language International Tour premiered in Dublin in September 2004. Since then, the troupe has visited 41 countries, performing a total of more than 3,500 shows. Over 7 million people from all over the world have watched the MAMMA MIA! musical. That's phenomenal!

Set in sunny Greece, MAMMA MIA! is a charming mother-and-daughter story told through ABBA's catalogue of 22 memorable hits, like “Dancing Queen”, “Money, Money, Money”, “Take A Chance On Me” and “Super Trouper”.

Diva's Movie Review - Spider-man: Across The Spider-verse Is A Dazzling Work Of Art

Just after two weeks of its theatrical release, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE raked in an impressive USD 400 million at the global box office. Achieving this box office number is no mean feat for a superhero animated film, and ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, the sequel of 2018's SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, is now Sony's highest-grossing animated release in history. The film continues its money-making gains at the international box office by crossing the half a billion (USD) mark this week.

ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE follows about a year after the events of the first movie. Back at her own world, Gwen Stacey/ Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) has been dealing with her personal demons. She is feeling emotionally fraught after losing her best friend Peter, and being not able to reveal her secret identity to her dad. Later on, Gwen is roped in to join the Spider Society, which is headed by Miguel O'Hara (Oscar Isaac), the intense and intimidating Spider-man 2099 from Earth 928B. The secret society had been created mainly to prevent the collapse of the multiverse, and consists of numerous Spider-variants as members.

Diva's Movie Review: Missing Is A Riveting And Twisty Screenlife Thriller

Sony Pictures' Missing is the next installment of their critically acclaimed 2018 screenlife film, Searching. In this film genre (also know as desktop films), the audience is led through a series of events which unfolds mostly in front of a computer screen or smartphone. Directed by Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, and a screenplay by Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian (the creators of Searching), Missing is not a direct sequel to older film, but it does follow the same formula. To its benefit, Missing manages to supercede its predecessor with a tauter and twistier thriller, and a touching mother-daughter relationship.

In Searching, Daniel Kim (John Cho) is a frantic father looking desperately for his missing teenage daughter Margot (Michelle La) via her online activities. The situation is somewhat reversed in Missing, with June (Storm Reid), a Gen Z teenager trying to trace the whereabouts of her mother Grace (Nia Long).

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts - A Magical, Moving Reunion For The Cast And Fans

Dumbledore: "After all this time?"
Snape: "Always."

During her wee childhood years, Red Dot Diva was usually found submerged in books of fairy tales and fantasy. She devoured books like candy, and her imagination took her far far away to very British worlds of boarding schools and magical creatures like elves, wizards and centaurs.

When J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books were published, Red Dot Diva was already a grown woman, but that did not stop her from getting back in touch with her inner child. She was caught up by the detailed lore, and the books' many intriguing characters and creatures. It had been a long time since a book series have managed to capture her wild imagination. However, there was also a familiarity to the Harry Potter books.

Red Dot Diva attended an Anglican-run primary and secondary girls' school with similar terminologies, like prefects and headmistresses. Every schoolgirl was put into a school house - somewhat like the Sorting Hat. In her case, the houses were named after the colours of Red, Blue, Green and Yellow, and she had fond memories of challenges between the different houses where points were given by the teachers. So, when she was watching HBO Max's HARRY POTTER 20TH ANNIVERSARY: RETURN TO HOGWARTS, she felt like she was travelling in a personal time portal too.

The Witcher Season 2: The Relationships, The Changes, Oh My! *Spoilers* (by Atty)

In December 2019, THE WITCHER TV series premiered on Netflix. The adaptation, based on Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski's book series of the same name, boasts of the brawny and handsome Henry Cavill as the lead character Gerald the Witcher. Fans have been patiently waiting two years for a second season, which was partially delayed due to the pandemic. Season 2 has finally arrived and all episodes are currently available for your bingeing pleasure.

Red Dot Diva's geek gal pal Atty is a huge fan of Henry Cavill. She was lucky enough to win a Netflix contest where a bunch of fans got to meet with the celebrity online. She also managed to get into the official virtual screening party organized by New York Comic Con and Netflix, and watched The Witcher Season 2's first episode together with Henry Cavill and other fans. So, when Atty gives her thoughts about The Witcher's latest season, she gets on point. Check it out below!

Star Wars: Visions - Stunning Visuals and Unique Stories In Anime Form

STAR WARS: VISIONS, an anthology of nine anime shorts, is wonderfully creative and goes right into the emotional core of what the Star Wars is all about. Even though it is not canon, the series offers a thrilling alternate universe, while taking you back to the mega franchise's Japanese roots.

Star Wars has always drew ideas heavily from Japanese culture. In interviews, George Lucas mentioned that he is a huge fan of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa. When you watch Kurosawa's 1958 black and white movie THE HIDDEN FORTRESS side by side with the original 1977 Star Wars movie, you will see the same story beats about a princess, a general, a pair of comedic peasants and the fight against a feudal lord.

Samurai lore and visual traditional Japanese aesthetic, like the ronin, lightsaber, Darth Vader's helmet and kabuki, are also embedded in Star Wars. Even in the sequels, you will find that the Japanese influences remain strong. In THE LAST JEDI, Rian Johnson paid homage to Kurosawa's RASHOMON by portraying the re-telling of young Ben Solo and Luke Skywalker's fateful incident at the training temple in three different versions. Also, Kylo Ren's repaired helmet in the last movie of the Skywalker saga is influenced by kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery.

The anime studios involved with STAR WARS: VISIONS are Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), TRIGGER, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, and Production I.G. When Red Dot Diva was binge-watching the series, it was evident that the production teams adored the Star Wars franchise, and threw their hearts into it by putting their own unique spin to their animated shorts.

Calls on Apple TV+ Is A Suspenseful Binge-worthy Audio Drama

Think of binge-worthy shows, and you might never have imagined an audio drama to be one of these. As highly visual creatures, we tend to focus on colours or dramatic action through imagery.

With CALLS, currently available on the streaming service Apple TV+, audiences are transported back to the days of radio drama. In each of the 9 episodes, you feel like an eavesdropper to intimate conversations, and what you hear is even creepier than what might see. Your wild imagination tends to take over, adding to the weird visceral experience of this horror-scifi audio series.

Fede Álvarez, the director of Apple TV+'s English version, employs minimal but highly effective graphics. As the conversations play out, they are accompanied by lines, bubbles or waves depicting the mood of the dialogues. The visual cues also helping the audiences to orient themselves by depicting the connections between the parties involved.

Phantom on the Scan #1 Is An Atmospheric Start To A Creepy Paranormal Tale

Writer Cullen Bunn and artist Mark Torres, co-creators of the chilling horror series “COLD SPOTS”, have teamed up again with another supernatural tale with AfterShock Comics. Their new series called “PHANTOM ON THE SCAN” was launched last week, and the first issue offers intriguing teasers about how the story is going to unfold in the next week books.

Lead character Matthew Jordan began manifesting his psychic powers through a child spectre, after a comet fell to earth 20 years ago. Every time he uses his abilities, he feels his life force being drained away.

Matt learns that he is not the only one experiencing this phenomenon, and gathers together a group of psychics with an objective to save themselves from certain death. However, when one of them dies horribly during their first meeting, they discover something even more sinister is out to get them.

Godzilla vs. Kong - A Monster Flick That Is Pure Escapism

Let's admit it. When one goes to watch a movie called “GODZILLA vs. KONG”, one should not be expecting much other than a massive showdown between two alpha titans.

It does not matter if you are Team Godzilla or Team Kong. The payoff for having the two monsters get into a loud, messy fisticuff is quite a thrill.

The CGI is great for some parts, and generic for most of it. However, it is the camera work that takes you on a visceral ride while Godzilla and Kong engage in their smash and bash. For a few seconds, you are up close and personal with Kong as his eye stares right into a space-age travel pod, or you are placed in the middle of the melee, as your line of sight swerving around angry monsters in the heart of central Hong Kong. It seems that director Adam Wingard had tailor-made the scenes for an amusement park ride.

Zack Snyder's Justice League Is A Spellbinding Visual Wonder

After several years of hardcore fans clamouring for the Snydercut to be released, the moment of truth will be revealed to the world's audiences in just 2 days.

“ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE” aka the Snydercut is set to premiere on 18 March, streaming via HBO GO for fans in Asia (*). The director's cut entailing how the 6 superheroes - Superman (Henry Cavill), Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) came together as a team - consists of hours of unseen footage and alternate dialogue. The movie is rated NC16 across Asia.

Red Dot Diva had access to an official screener a few days ago, and yes, she has watched the entire thing, all 4 hours and 2 minutes of it.

Verdict? Justice is served.

The movie is absolutely epic. A beautiful opera worthy of the DC superheroes legacy we hold dear to our hearts.

The running time of “ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE” may seem daunting, but Red Dot Diva did not feel that it was a slog at all. That itself is a testament to the skilfulness of Zack Snyder and his production team regarding the film's editing and pace. The movie is segmented into 6 parts and an epilogue.

Compared to the critically panned theatrical version in 2017 which had director Joss Whedon (who was uncredited) changing parts of the script and re-shooting several of the original scenes, “ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE” is a far superior version in many ways.

*** WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS ***

*****

Netflix's Pacific Rim: The Black Expands The Franchise's Lore in Intriguing Ways

Kaijus, mechas, anime-style action and Idris Elba. That was what made “PACIFIC RIM” the 2013 creature feature directed by Guillermo del Toro, so much fun to watch. And also Idris Elba. Mmmmm, yes ... Red Dot Diva has to mention him twice.

Five years later, the sequel “PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING” did not fare so well. It was missing the magic touch of Guillermo del Toro and screenwriter Travis Beacham. Despite the loud action sequences, the story was flat and souless. Thankfully, Netflix's new anime series “PACIFIC RIM: THE BLACK” sets things right for the franchise.

The anime series is set in Australia, where various kaiju have taken over the continent. After a terrible battle with a bunch of kaijus five years ago, the jaeger pilot parents of siblings Taylor and Hayley decided to leave them and a few other children at a remote natural sanctuary near an abandoned base of operations. They then went off with their jaeger Hunter Vertigo looking for help, with a promise to return. Since that day, the Pan Pacific Defense Corp, who are in charge of the Jaegers, had implemented an initiative called "The Black". What exactly that is, no one really knows.

Kanme Studio's Boom Shaka Webcomic Is A Refreshing Read

The realm of webcomics is like an unfiltered pool of digital creativity. Ever since the medium's boom in the 2000's, there has been a growing number of formats and titles published. Readers can decide if they prefer the snappy one panel web comics, or those that are written as an on-going series, like those Hong Kong TV serials you grew up with. Since most webcomics are published independently, there is a wide range of genres out there to cater to a smorgasbord of tastes, especially if you are looking for something really niche.

Kanme Studio is one of those creative collectives who have started publishing webcomics. The studio is founded about 3 years ago by American writer named Yam. The collective's core includes usogami, who mainly takes care of the web-related aspects, and local freelance artist Alan Bay whom Red Dot Diva has gotten to know in recent years. Alan Bay has also done worked in the games industry, and drawn for a number of books including the recently published SACRED GUARDIANS comic (Asiapac Books) and ONCE UPON A SINGAPORE... TRADERS, a finalist for Book of the Year at the Singapore Book Awards 2019.

BOOM SHAKA is the latest web comic published by the Kanme Studio team, and it is off to a promising start. As of now, there is a Prologue, Chapter 1 and a few pages of Chapter 2 available at a very reasonable price on their website, via Gumroad.

Diva's Interview with Actor Benjamin Chow about SRT's Tuesdays With Morrie

Actor Benjamin Chow has landed roles in several local theatre productions like “Forbidden City: Portrait of an Emperor”, “RENT” the musical and “Peter and the Starcatcher”, but the one that really caught Red Dot Diva's eye was his take as Lim Chin Siong in “The LKY Musical”. His performance of the leftwing politician was fiery, powerful and as charismatic as the actual man himself. Benjamin has received Best Supporting Actor at the Life! Theatre Awards twice - one for “The LKY Musical” and the other as Prince Tun in “Forbidden City: Portrait of an Emperor”.

He is currently performing as Mitch Albom in SRT's production of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, a play that marks the theatre company's return to live audience performances after several months of closure due to COVID-19. Remesh Panicker takes on the role as Morrie Schwartz in this two-man play.

It was nice to be able to grab a few minutes of Benjamin's time to ask how he had coped during Circuit Breaker and discuss a little bit more about his role in TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE.

Red Dot Diva: Hi Benjamin. I have been a fan of your work and have enjoyed your performances in several theatre productions. This year has been really tough for so many of us, with the arts community being heavily impacted by the curb on most social interactions. In both good and bad ways, the pandemic exposed a lot of underlying issues within ourselves, with our family members, in the workplace, and revealed socio-economic issues amongst several other things. How did you fare during these unprecedented times, especially during the Circuit Breaker?
Benjamin: I’m sure all of us feel like we’ve lost the year! My personal struggle was mostly over how to pay rent. When lockdown started to take effect, I lost pretty much all my shows, so I went to work at Fairprice for most of the middle of the year. I figured why not lean into what was undoubtedly an essential service! I’m just grateful that we as a country have been able to handle this crisis considerably well, so much so that I’m now able to find work in the arts once again! It’s really a blessing and a privilege.

Diva's Review of SRT's TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE - Moving, Humourous, and A Wonderful Reminder To Live Fully

After months of closure due to COVID-19, it was such a joy to see Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) open its doors again for the production of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE.

The play is based on Mitch Albom's best selling book of the same name, which consists of a series of recorded conversations of Albom's old sociology professor who was terminally ill with Lou Gehrig's disease. The book, that has inspired so many readers, explores the meaning about life and death. Just like Albom's memoir, SRT's staging of this play is like a metaphor for the near-death of the local arts scene for several months due to the Circuit Breaker, and the now hopeful revival of live performances as some restrictions were lifted.

Mitch Albom, a well-known sports journalist in Detroit, was at the prime of his career. You know the old Hokkien song “Ai Piah Jia Eh Yia” (fighting/ struggling to win) that is heartily belted out at karaoke sessions? It is a battle cry to persist and win the fight, but it is also somewhat a tribute to Singapore-style kiasu-ness. And Mitch was kiasu alright. He was all about getting to the top and staying at the top, till he had forgotten how to really live.

After Mitch re-connects with his dying mentor Morrie Schwartz, and visits him every Tuesday, he begins to realise that everyone's number of days in this mortal plane is finite. He learned that we owe it to ourselves to have a happy life, to accept the things we cannot change, and to make things right with the people we love dearly. As the bond deepens between the two, Mitch also realises that it is OK for men to cry and to feel, and not to be afraid to be ‘touchy-feely’.

Benjamin Chow (The LKY Musical) as ambitious Mitch Albom was frenetic on stage, scurrying around with the need to fill one's life with "busyness". His take on Albom was so easily relatable because you know who they are. You have seen the same manic urgency in your bosses, fathers, husbands and friends. As the main narrator of the play, it was also lovely to listen to Benjamin's clear diction and emotive voice.

The tougher role definitely went to veteran actor Remesh Panicker (Romeo & Juliet, Merchant of Venice) who played the wise Morrie Schwartz. As the disease worsens, Schwartz's use of his limbs became limited, but Remesh skilfully conveyed the man's sadness, wittiness, and love through his voice and facial expressions. His performance was so moving, that by the time the play was ending, you would be grabbing for your tissues.

Generally, the way that the play was written falls flat at some points. However, the two actors emotional conviction and chemistry made up for that. Some of the feel-good platitudes and life lessons from Morrie tend to sound trite. As a cynic, Red Dot Diva would usually feel this way too. However, during these unusual times, she felt that it is worthwhile to be reminded about what is important in one's life and re-calibrate one's priorities.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, directed by Samantha-Scott Blackhall, is currently playing at SRT's KC Arts Centre till 6 December. The theatre has been re-arranged with a cozy cafe-style setting, for social distancing.

Tickets are almost already sold out! So, if you are keen to catch this play, better buy those tickets from SISTIC now.

Diva's Review: Scifi Short Film AFTER_LIFE by Perry Lam Tugs at the Heartstrings

It is usually during times of stress, isolation and uncertainty, that people tend to take stock of their lives. When you are forced to live in the company of those in your household for days on end, it can either be a bittersweet feeling, a sense of relief, or for many others, torrents of extreme frustration and anger.

However, during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the elderly are the most vulnerable of contracting and dying from the disease, most of us are holding our parents and grandparents nearer and dearer to us, even though they may be an annoyance in our daily lives.

The short local film called AFTER_LIFE is a reminder to appreciate those we love, and if you are brave, to verbally express that you love them too. Time and life can be fleeting, and in a moment, things that once know can change drastically.

AFTER_LIFE, written & directed by Australia-based Perry Lam, is a short story with a scifi twist. It tells the tale of a young man named Kurt, who learns to find meaning between the realms of imagination and reality, and how to deal with the consequences of his loss and regrets.

Diva's Movie Review: I Want To Eat Your Pancreas - Overly Melodramatic But Will Still Make You Tear Up

Before the anime version of Yoru Sumino's novel “I Want To Eat Your Pancreas”, there was a live action adaptation with a slightly different title. It was called “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas”, starring Minami Hamabe and Takumi Kitamura in the lead roles. Red Dot Diva caught the tearjerker during a long haul flight, and thought it was engaging even though typically sentimental in that Japanese way. What is it about teens dying from terminal illness in several Japanese tragedies anyway?

The animated film “I Want To Eat Your Pancreas” directed by Shinichiro Ushijima is no less sentimental. In fact, Red Dot Diva found it overly dramatic, and repetitive in many instances (it seems that the novel was like that too), making the movie longer than necessary. Still, it had its moments, and the odd couple's sentiments about mortality, love and friendship were sincere and heartbreaking.

As you can probably guess by now, the bloodthirsty title, “I Want To Eat Your Pancreas” is not a horror movie or a film about the zombie apocalypse. Nope, it is actually a romance story about two people of opposite personalities. Sakura, a bubbly girl suffering from a life-threatening illness, decides to make use of her limited time on earth completing her crazy bucket list of things to do. Not wanting to become a shadow of her sickness, she strives to it a secret, and during her journey through life, she decides to befriend a seemingly boring, moody, anti-social guy from the same school that no one seems to like, and whose name remains a mystery till the last few minutes.

Why “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is THE Best Spider-Man Movie

Sony Pictures' animated movie “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” has created waves across the geek world with its simple yet iconic storyline that has a lot of heart and chockful of easter eggs, accompanied by eye-popping dash of colour and a snappy pace. Red Dot Diva loved the movie too, and thought it was the best animated movie of the year.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” translated the characters from the 2D comic book pages to animated form, by fleshing out the characters whom we love, like Peter Parker (Jake Johnson for the scruffy 'B' version), Gwen Stacy (Hailey Steinfeld), and the latest Spidey hero Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in such a delightful manner. It made us even feel a little for the villain, Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). 

The animated feature is also a beautiful, heartfelt tribute to Spider-man's creators Stan Lee (who passed away a month ago), and Steve Ditko. For those sniffle-worthy moments, do not forget to stay on for the movie's post-credits, for which there are two.

Red Dot Diva's fellow geek pal Wayne Rée watched the movie and loved it as well. Here's Wayne's review of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”:

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I’ll just say it right up front. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” isn’t just my favourite movie of the year, it’s also one of my favourite superhero movies ever, one of my favourite Spider-Man stories in any medium, and easily my favourite Spider-Man movie.

Your mileage may vary on all the Spider-Man live action movies thus far. I personally think that Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s respective series were both flawed overall, but with moments of brilliance, and while Homecoming very much got the spirit of the character right, a lot of the action was pretty choppy. (Don’t @ me, guys.)

Why Into the Spider-Verse tops all of them for me, however, is that it’s the one that didn’t just nail the spirit of the character, but it also tapped into the idea of why we al love Spider-Man.

STGCC 2018 Recap - Diva Reviews the Good and The Bad of This Year's Convention

The Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) 2018 wrapped up its 11th year last weekend, and despite Red Dot Diva's misgivings before the show, she did manage to have quite a lot of fun at the show.

It was much more low-key than previous years, and there are a few reasons for that, like late announcement of guests, high ticket prices and a lack of new show ideas, but Red Dot Diva will get to more of that later in this article.

After taking some days getting over the STGCC hangover, and speaking to other geeks about what they thought of the show, here's a general recap of the good, the bad -- and some ideas on a way forward to a more vibrant convention.


THE GOOD:

Movie/ TV presence via Sony Pictures SG and HBO Asia
It seems that Reed is finally getting the idea that fans absolutely LOVE being part of their favourite movies and TV shows. So, having Sony Pictures SG set up a two-booth event promoting their upcoming movies, "Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse" and "Venom" at the showfloor, was a superb idea.

People could watch the trailers, take photos with cosplayers, or with props...

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Singapore Repertory Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park: Julius Caesar - A Fascinating, Modern Take on an Old Tale

The weather was sticky and muggy last Sunday evening, but Red Dot Diva felt happy to be back in Fort Canning Park for an evening of theatre accompanied by a enjoyable picnic on the lawn. She was there to indulge in one of the biggest Shakespeare in the Park productions in the region - Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT)'s adaptation of Julius Caesar. The production also part of SRT's 25th Anniversary celebrations.

In 2017, SRT called off the beloved annual Shakespeare in the Park due to funding issues, as they saw large sponsors depart and production costs rise. However, with backing from loyal corporate sponsors as well as support and crowdfunding from an ardent group of theatre lovers, the outdoor production is back in its usual venue, with a huge impressive set!

Right after entering Fort Canning's Gothic Gates, attendees were invited to climb up the stairs from backstage and to walk around the modern, "concrete-and-glass" looking Roman Piazza set. A semi-circular structure held an audio-visual display, and flags of the seven "nations" of the R.O.M.E. alliance marked the stage where the Shakespearean tragedy will later unfold. Standing up on stage with ushers who were dressed the part as government officials, Red Dot Diva felt as if she has already become part of the story.

Welcome to R.O.M.E. - where I expect to rule with a glittery 💫 🌟 💫 Diva fist. #SRTJuliusCaesar #SRT #ShakespeareinthePark #Shakespeare #JuliusCaesar #theatre #Sgtheatre @singaporerepertorytheatre

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