Theater and the Politics of Culture in Contemporary Singapore

While the politics of Singapore continue to receive a larger share of media attention than the country's small size might seem to justify, very little has been written which attempts to link the government's cultural policies with any artistic practice. As a country that is increasingly being held up as a developmental model for other Asian nations, Singapore's relationship with its arts and culture demands scrutiny. Using Singapore's vibrant, English-language theatre as a lens, William Peterson examines the cultural implications of the much-celebrated Singapore model of political, economic and social development.

The author begins by providing a framework for the understanding of the government's role in creating arts policy. Peterson then explores the "discourse of crisis" in Singaporean political spheres and its effects on the theatre, Singaporean attempts to "find" and stage culture and nationhood, festivals in Singapore, Singapore's lively, indigenous musical theatre scene, and themes of interculturalism, gender, and sexual orientation in Singaporean theatre.