It’s inconceivable to go away a Sing’Theatre efficiency and not using a smile on one’s face. Whether or not it’s the gutwrenching story of ’30s French chanteuse Edith Piaf’s tragic life, or the realities of ageing in Perpetually Younger, every musical is imbued with loads of coronary heart and soul. It’s a pleasure to see the likes of Hossan Leong and Robin Goh belt out iconic French tunes from the likes of Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel, peppered with a splash of Singaporean humour.
It’s telling of the skills of Nathalie Durot Ribette, theatre director, producer, and founding father of Sing’Theatre, who is ready to deal with weighty matters akin to demise and loss with wit, humour and liveliness – not too shabby for somebody who had no prior expertise within the performing arts. Born in Paris and rising up because the daughter of a divorcee and single mum, Nathalie had the significance of getting a job and being financially unbiased drilled into her as a baby. So when the then 33-year outdated moved to Singapore in 1996 along with her husband – and having left her advertising job at Siemens Medical to care for his or her sickly twin sons – Nathalie felt unfulfilled. Spending days and nights on the hospital along with her kids didn’t assist both.
However by means of the darkish days got here a sliver of sunshine – she noticed an open name for Starmania, one among France’s first-ever musicals, that cultural organisation Alliance Francaise was staging, and on a whim, determined to audition.
“Possibly I used to be fortunate that day and there weren’t many good folks auditioning, however I used to be chosen,” says the mother-ofthree with a self-deprecating giggle. “And that was how my journey started. I fell in love with this world. Not a lot being on stage, as a result of I’ve large stage fright, however I [loved] the atmosphere, the workforce spirit, and the friendships that exist until at present.”
Nathalie determined to maintain performing; she took performing courses, and joined theatre corporations The Stage Membership and Wild Rice. She even directed an novice model of Notre Dame de Paris for the Alliance Francaise in 2002.
It was throughout a tour with Wild Rice that veteran actress Selena Tan – of Dim Sum Dollies fame – requested Nathalie: “Why don’t you create a present about Edith Piaf?”
I fell in love with this world. Not a lot being on stage, however the atmosphere, workforce spirit, and friendships.
The concept germinated in her thoughts for just a few years, and Nathalie lastly determined to make the leap. The Alliance Francaise agreed to supply it, however this time, Nathalie ensured that the manufacturing was professionally staged with paid actors. No Regrets, A Tribute to Edith Piaf was launched in 2004.
It was laborious to promote tickets to start with. She says: “As a result of the French folks had been like, ‘Excuse me, that is being sung by a Singaporean, and in English no much less, are you critical?’ And the Singaporeans at the moment didn’t actually know a lot about Edith Piaf.”
Nevertheless, the premiere night time was so successful that, by means of phrase of mouth, the present was utterly bought out for subsequent performances. In 2006, Nathalie would formally arrange Sing’Theatre.
Discovering her goal
Regardless of the success of No Regrets, Nathalie felt overwhelmed, satisfied that her skilled directorial debut had been a fluke, as a result of she had not been skilled in theatre earlier than.
The 59-year-old remembers: “I had imposter syndrome. I felt like I might not be capable of do it once more… It took me years earlier than I used to be capable of say, oh, perhaps it’s a part of me, it’s a part of what I’ve performed, and perhaps I’m gifted. However I don’t suppose I’ve but learnt learn how to overcome this imposter syndrome!”
Nathalie obtained a number of requests to direct one other musical, however she was not able to enterprise into one other directorial function. As an alternative, she targeted on producing company and college reveals. That’s, till the demise of stage actress Emma Yong, who had been recognized with abdomen most cancers and handed away on the age of 36 in 2012.
Nathalie was devastated. “Emma was actually my major inspiration. She had been in all my reveals, and he or she was very supportive. So when she handed away, I didn’t really feel like I needed to maintain occurring. I simply utterly misplaced the sense of what I used to be doing.”
That’s when it hit her: She would produce an occasion that might not have existed had Emma nonetheless been alive. She determined to deliver music to the hospitals.
“The primary [Musicfest @ SGH (Singapore General Hospital)] was vastly profitable. The artists had been very moved to have the ability to sing for the sufferers at Singhealth, and it was a really distinctive expertise. It’s most likely the factor that I’m most happy with, as a result of from this very unhappy story got here one thing wonderful,” she says.
The primary Musicfest @ SGH pageant began in 2013, and month-to-month programmes have been developed at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Nationwide College Hospital since – greater than 100 performers, together with singers, musicians, and musical theatre practitioners, go from room to room, spreading the enjoyment of music and bringing a smile to the sufferers. On the finish of 2019, Sing’Theatre launched 365 Days of Music @ Singhealth, the place performers would do one hour of dwell music day-after-day at 10 Singhealth establishments.
From France to Singapore
Sing’Theatre had been established with the ambition to “promote and pay tribute to French tradition in Singapore by utilizing Singapore actors talking in English”. For the primary 10 years, Nathalie caught to her imaginative and prescient, utilizing Sing’Theatre’s platform to introduce Singaporeans to the likes of Jacques Brel and Moliere, and convey a contact of dwelling for the French expats dwelling right here.
For her contributions, Nathalie was awarded the Knight within the Order of Arts and Literature by the French Minister of Tradition and Communication, Frederic Mitterrand in 2010.
However ultimately, it grew to become obvious that the single-minded imaginative and prescient of the corporate was not sustainable. It was changing into more durable to seek out sponsors, and Nathalie realised that it was time to pivot. An important turning level was the staging of Jacques Brel is Alive, a revue of the Belgian singer and actor’s discography, in 2016.
“Artistically, it was the very best present I’ve performed,” she muses, “However we misplaced some huge cash. That’s after we determined we needed to drop the French component. It was very emotional and troublesome for me.”
Within the meantime, Nathalie had already began Sing’Theatre Academy, which hosts performing classes for aspiring thespians of all ages, so its mission grew to become fairly clear: to proceed selling multicultural dialogues by way of the musicals it phases; to make music accessible to all layers of society, by way of the neighborhood outreach programmes with the hospitals; and to coach the subsequent technology of skills.
In July this yr, Sing’Theatre launched the primary Asian Musical Theatre Fringe Fest, the place younger skills got the chance to stage revues at a number of areas throughout Singapore.
“Our pageant director, TJ Taylor, got here up with this concept to assist the musical theatre neighborhood to develop in Singapore, and to offer them likelihood to showcase their skills,” says Nathalie. “The suggestions was nice,” she says, including that they’re planning one other one in two years, because it’s a pricey endeavour. The inaugural version price the corporate about $50,000, and Nathalie hopes to seek out sponsors for the subsequent one.
I had by no means studied theatre, and on the age of 35, I used to be capable of begin from scratch. Singapore had its belief in me. So now, I need to give again.
Nonetheless, for Nathalie, this can be a method to give again to the nation that’s given her a lot: “Once I began theatre in Singapore, it actually modified my life. I’m so grateful, and I thank Singapore for giving me an opportunity to do that – I had by no means studied theatre, by no means performed this earlier than, and on the age of 35, I used to be capable of begin from scratch. Singapore had its belief in me. So now, I need to give again to society.”
Her most up-to-date launch was A Singaporean in Paris, which was staged for the third time from Nov 2 to 13. The 2010 and 2014 variations had been each sell-out successes. Directed by and starring Hossan Leong – Nathalie’s pal and a long-time Sing’Theatre collaborator – this yr’s model got here laden with heavy emotion, on condition that many households had been torn aside for 2 years in the course of the pandemic.
She is aware of the sensation of being away from dwelling very nicely, as she’s been in Singapore for greater than 20 years. The pandemic was not simple on her, as she was unable to see one among her sons who lives in France. Two of her kids, her son and daughter, have left Singapore, whereas one among her twins has settled right here.
Nonetheless, this nation is now the place she calls dwelling. And for now, she has another essential purpose to remain: She’s about to turn out to be a grandmother, inserting her within the greatest function of her life.
Supply: Her World
