SIFA 2026 :: 'Last Rites'

“If you could envision your last performance, what would it look like?”

'Last Rites' brings together five icons of Asian performing art – Didik Nini Thowok (Indonesia), Kanji Shimizu (Japan), Jung Dong-hwan (Korea), Yong Ser Pin (Singapore), and Nam Geung-ho (Korea) – to confront this soul-searching question. 

This landmark cross-cultural production by Emergency Stairs avoids the clichés of mortality, turning instead to the artistic calling of these five masters (with an average age of 74). Through deeply personal – moving from legendary milestones and hidden struggles to the sacred pursuit of truth on stage – the work traces what it truly means to devote a life to the arts.

Written and directed by Liu Xiaoyi, 'Last Rites' moves fluidly between the virtual and the real, the body and the soul. In an age of fleeting spectacles, it asks a vital question: After the final curtain falls, can an artist’s spiritual legacy achieve immortality?

We heard 78-year-old Yong Ser Pin's profound bond with his mentor, Kuo Pao Kun, and even the mentor's last moments. It was so much spoken of that I almost forgot who Yong Ser Pin is and his own achievements in the Singapore Chinese theatre scene. We admired renowned actor 76-year-old Jung Dong-hwan's commitment to treating every show as the last one. There was Busan-born mime artist 65-year-old Nam Geung-ho's journey in theatre and mime, which led to his radical street performances, and one-time arrest.

There was master Kanze-style Noh actor 73-year-old Kanji Shimizu’s visceral contemplation of life and death through Noh, and his dedication to his art. Then we have 71-year-old Didik Nini Thowok's dedication to his dance forms in the face of poverty and adversity, and his idea of looking at the world and viewing himself as an "empty glass" so that he could absorb all the dance knowledge there are in the world. 

I don't know why every actor and director wants to do long plays at some point in their career. I don't like watching long plays. In this show, many long plays were mentioned, especially Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' (published in 1952), which sees all the characters in a state of existential uncertainty. These are themes that theatre always gravitate towards.

I was so tickled that at that start of the show, they could all comfortably sit cross-legged. When the performers' average age is 74, then I'm very impressed by their mobility, memory, clarity of speech, and gorgeous lines perfected in their respective crafts. They sang, they danced, they talked, they mimed, they acted. I was mesmerized. These are truly masters of their craft.

I love the different languages used by the actors— standard Korean, Busan Korean, Javanese Indonesian, Mandarin (olden pre-1965 style), and Japanese. In this edition of Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), I think 'Last Rites' might just be my favorite show of all. There is depth, alot of emotions, reflections, talking about proud achievements, and many lines spoken indicating lives well lived, although the lament is how limited time is. 

From left: Nam Geung-ho (Korea), Yong Ser Pin (Singapore), Jung Dong-hwan (Korea), Kanji Shimizu (Japan), and Didik Nini Thowok (Indonesia).