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Justin Eeles, a long-time publishing contact, reached out to me recently informing me that he had taken the role of Editor-in-Chief of NOW! Singapore, a new lifestyle magazine rolling out in our island state this month.  Justin was interested in publishing a photo essay about Singapore and was curious what I had in my archives.  I knew immediately what images I wanted to share...

Chinese opera is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, with roots back to the Third Century.  The Chinese immigrants who have settled in Singapore over the past 150 years have transported this traditional form of musical theatre with them, performing it on makeshift wooden stages in car parks and open fields across Singapore’s heartlands, most notably during Chinese New Year and Hungry Ghost festival celebrations.  Other than offering entertainment, most performances highlight positive virtues such as love, loyalty and patriotism.

I have always been drawn to the vibrant costumes and colourful face painting of the performers, and have often wished for an opportunity to photograph this fading traditional art.  However, the opportunity was only recently presented to me, when invited to join a performance by the Xin Xin Rong He Teochew street opera troupe in Ghim Moh, a neighbourhood not far from my home.

Backstage buzzed with energy as cast and crew raced back and forth through the cramped dressing room -- lit only by naked light bulbs dangling from wires.  Drums pounded and cymbals crashed on the small stage, located just beyond the thin, transparent sheet that separated fantasy from reality.

These photographs are a small collection of the work I created when I spent that evening with the Xin Xin Rong He troupe; more of this series can be found on my website.