One of the most influential figures of Asian contemporary theatre, director Ong Keng Sen embarks on his next production following the success of Search:Hamlet in Denmark. Inspired by Gautama Buddha and the musings of travel writer Pico Iyer, The Global Soul stars renowned butoh legend Min Tanaka; Charlotte Engelkes, the stunning Swedish actress last seen in Heiner Goebbels' Hashirigaki (Singapore Arts Festival 2001) and Paris-based Nigerian dancer Sophiatou Kossoko.
What does spirituality, travellers and global currency mean to contemporary artists? A poignant tale of personal search; it embraces stories of Buddha, jet lag, airports, butoh, liyuan opera (a thousand year old Chinese operatic form), and Korean court songs within a contemporary soundscape by Toru Yamanaka of dumb type.
Conceived & Directed: Ong Keng Sen
Writer: Charlotte Engelkes, Robin Loon
Dramaturge: Robin Loon
Composer: Toru Yamanaka
Set Design: Justin Hill
Light Design: Scott Zielinski
Video Design: Heman Chong
Collaborators-Performers:
Charlotte Engelkes
Kang Kwon Soon
Pichet Klunchun
Sophiatou Kossoko
Toru Yamanaka
Zeng Jing Ping
Producer: Tay Tong
Production Management: Jean Yue
Technical Management: Peter Gohler
Stage Management: Valerie Oliveiro, Vivian Lee
Assistant to Composer: Ishikawa Tomohisa
Sound Engineering & Video: Michael Meliani
Head Mechanist: Danny Hones
Master Electrician: Tom Pearl
Scenery Coordinator: Dorothy Png
Translators: Christina Ng, Hena Yeo, Yoon Eben
Crew: Alan Mathew, Scott Dominic Peterson, Tessa Mae Sim
Promotion & Publicity: Traslin Ong
Collaterals: Andy Lee, Jirka Jansch
(Source: National Arts Council Programme)