DIDO AND AENEAS
A show after the opera of the same name (1689) by Henry Purcell
T:>Works
Dido and Aeneas is a riotous reimagination of Henry Purcell's baroque opera of the same name, through the lens of T:>Works' (formerly known as TheatreWorks) artistic director Ong Keng Sen and the body-ody-ody of Becca D'Bus, Singapore's biggest drag queen. The premiere at the Singapore International Festival of Arts turned out to be a performance that finds new life (and a new death) in the classic tale, offering fresh perspectives into old themes of love, loss, destiny, and empowerment. A call for volunteer performers from Yokohama and neighborhoods for this presentation in YPAM is open until October 15.
The Queen of Carthago, Dido falls in love with Aeneas, the Prince of Troy who lost the Trojan War. The ship of Aeneas was heading to Rome, before it was shipwrecked and reached Carthago in North Africa. Dido and Aeneas fall in love. The witches who hate Dido incite Aeneas to leave Carthago and return to Rome, and...
Venue
- KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre Medium Studio
- 281 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0023
Date and Time
12.5 Thu 19:30
12.6 Fri 19:30
12.7 Sat 15:00
Running Time
Approx. 60 min
Performance Language
English
Translation/Subtitles
Japanese surtitles and interpretation
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Multi-Purpose Restroom
Artist Information
- Ong Keng Sen
Ong Keng Sen is the Artistic Director of T:>Works (formerly TheatreWorks), where he has created many works that negotiate diverse traditional arts, queer expressions, documentary and archives, of Asia with a wide range of contemporary artforms. His productions have toured around the world, the latest being Trojan Women which played at Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2022 and Edinburgh International Festival in 2023. He has also initiated and conceptualized a number of projects for curation and public engagement including the renewal of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (2013–2017).
- Becca d'Bus
Becca D'Bus, Singapore's biggest drag queen, seen all over the world since she was created in Boston in 2005, is Eugene Tan, an artist interested in making meaning with entertainment, activism, garments, words and pleasure. Becca is the producer and host of RIOT!, Singapore's only regular drag revue, and an organizer and host of The Glory Hoes present, a queer film screening series at The Projector. Eugene has also been part of the organizing committee of IndigNation, Singapore's pride season, and worked with multiple corporations on their Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity initiatives.
- Khairullah Rahim
The winner of the 2017 IMPART Awards for Visual Artist category, Khairullah Rahim is an internationally acclaimed artist working across mixed-media installation, object-making, painting, photography and moving image. His explorations delve into complex strategies of resourcefulness for everyday survival, through various means of collaboration and critical thinking. Recurring points of departure in his work premise around themes of queerness, desire, resistance, aspiration, labour and ethics of disclosure. His works are in the collection of Singapore Art Museum and SUNPRIDE Foundation.
Staff, Cast and Credits
A T:>Works Production
Conceived and Directed by Ong Keng Sen
Set Design by Khairullah Rahim
Costume Design by Becca D'Bus & Khairullah Rahim
Premiered in Singapore International Arts Festival at Stamford Arts Centre on May 17, 2024
Starring Becca D'Bus and the Yokohama Belindas
