City buzz

ENGLISH TV COMEDIAN WHO EXCELS ON STAGE

COMEDY

Jimmy Carr's Funny Business Live in Singapore 2016

ONE of the United Kingdom's biggest comedians, Jimmy Carr, is coming to Singapore for the very first time as part of his Funny Business world tour.

The show has played over 200 dates across four continents and more than two million people have watched it so far.

Known for his witty wordplay, Carr is a household name on UK TV where he has hosted panel shows 8 Out of 10 Cats, Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of the Year and The Royal Variety Performance. He is also a regular guest on chat shows like The Jonathan Ross Show and Graham Norton.

Carr has eight best-selling live DVD releases to his name - Live, Stand Up, Comedian, In Concert, Telling Jokes, Making People Laugh, Being Funny and Laughing & Joking - which have sold over 1.2 million copies to date.

But he's best when he hits the stage and his stand-up achievements include a British Comedy Award for Best Live Stand-Up Tour and a Perrier Award nomination.

In typical Carr fashion, Funny Business will be packed with his witty and incisive musings on the human condition and jokes - some clever, some rude, and a few totally unacceptable.

Come see for yourself the stand-up genius The Guardian calls "a comedy hero for our times".

By Dylan Tan

CONCERT

PianoBotanica 2016

IF you are looking for something to do beyond the usual cafe-hopping, then check out the free concert PianoBotanica.

Now in its fourth year, the popular annual classical music event celebrates the friendship between Brazil and Singapore.

The star of this year's show is Lisbon-based Brazilian soprano, Taiana Froes, a member of the prestigious Gulbenkian Choir. The songs she'll be performing at PianoBotanica are drawn from a rich repertoire of music written by famous Brazilian composers such as Heitor Villa-Lobos, Carlos Gomes and Chiquinha Gonzaga. These composers are famous for combining classical music with popular and folk songs well known and loved by the Brazilian public.

Froes will be accompanied by Singaporean pianist extraordinaire Benjamin Boo, a homegrown music prodigy who had produced three albums by the young age of 11.

By Tay Suan Chiang

THEATRE

Sandaime Richard

STAGED as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, Sandaime Richard (which means "Richard III" in Japanese) is a radical adaptation of Shakespeare's 16th century play of the same name.

Director Ong Keng Sen is well-known for his iconoclastic interpretations of the Bard's classics such as Hamlet, Othello and King Lear, often blendings genres, languages and traditions within a single production. And Sandaime Richard continues that trajectory.

The script by Hideki Noda places Shakespeare the playwright on trial for defaming Richard III with his unflattering portrayal of the latter in his play. And Richard's lawyer turns out to be none other than Shylock from TheMerchant of Venice.

The story has also been transplanted from Europe to the competitive world of ikebana (flower arrangement) in Japan, with a multi-national cast that speaks Japanese, English or Bahasa. Expect nothing less than a challenging and cerebral night at the theatre.

By Helmi Yusof

DINING

New menu at Crystal Jade Prestige

THERE'S a new menu at Crystal Jade Prestige, featuring new specialty creations, dishes recommended from their one-Michelin-starred sister restaurant Crystal Jade Golden Palace, as well as a weekend brunch menu.

One new addition would be the Prestige Signature dim sum platter (S$10.80) comprising a prawn and carrot dumpling with black truffle, assorted mushroom dumpling, osmanthus dumpling with prawn and celery, and water chestnut dumpling with olive and parsley.

From the kitchen of Crystal Jade Golden Palace, expect dishes like its chilled yellow cream crab in Teochew style (S$11/100g) and baked lamb rack with red wine and black pepper (S$19/pax).

As for the brunch menu, it works a little differently from most other restaurants. There are two seatings each weekend and diners will choose eight courses from six categories including appetisers, dim sum, wok-fried dishes, and main course.

By Rachel Loi

EXHIBITION

Joy

ARTIST Aaron Gan's painting exhibition entitled Joy reflects his optimistic mood since he won the UOB Painting of the Year 2015. Last year, his Starry Starry Night became the first-ever watercolour work to clinch the Gold Award in the Established Artists' Category in the competition.

His whimsical Chinese-style nature paintings this time feature soft colours and a plump, cartoon-like bird whose head is always looking backward - as a reminder to himself to stay rooted and grateful to the people who have helped him, says the full-time artist. Joy is a continuation of the Life as Art series he started in 2015.

Although he went through a difficult period as a full-time artist - he used to run a migration consultancy business - Gan also realises that his success is also largely determined by luck and external factors.

The seals in this set of paintings are carved by his friend and mentor Tan Chin Boon, whose teachings on painting and life have shaped him, Gan says.

By Cheah Ui-Hoon