0
0
This September, Gateway Arts will transform a live music gastrobar at Gillman Barracks into an intimate theatre space for The Parting Glass, its first immersive, site-specific production. Running from 2 to 13 September 2026 at The Blackbird, the play explores love, loneliness, masculinity and the emotional struggles that can remain hidden even within close relationships.
Originally written by British playwright Chris O’Connor and adapted for Singaporean audiences by local theatre practitioner Krish Natarajan, The Parting Glass follows young couple Jim and Sarah as they revisit their relationship. What begins as a tender love story gradually reveals the emotional distance between them and the burdens that can go unseen by the people closest to us.
Unlike a conventional stage production, the play places audiences within the same social setting as its characters. The Blackbird becomes part of Jim’s world, allowing viewers to experience the story’s humour, warmth and heartache from only a few steps away.
A love story shaped by loneliness
At the centre of The Parting Glass is a difficult question: can someone be deeply loved and still feel profoundly alone? Jim, played by Rishi Vadrevu, appears funny, reliable and easy to be around. He shows up for his friends, makes people laugh and rarely gives those around him a reason to worry. As the story develops, however, audiences begin to see the emotional weight beneath that outward ease.
Vadrevu describes Jim as a layered character who appears one way externally while carrying something very different within. “What’s surprising is that unlike a lot of narratives out there, nothing dramatic happens. There’s no big fight,” he says. “It’s just a quiet parting to give Jim space and it’s as tender as any other parts of the relationship. That feels very real.”
Sarah, played by Juliana Kassim Chan, is one of the emotional anchors in Jim’s life. Her perspective raises questions about what it means to notice that someone is struggling and whether love alone is always enough to reach them. “This show is for those who feel they lack the capacity to fully express themselves or for anyone who knows someone struggling with the same issues,” Chan says. “I think this is quite prevalent among men here.”
Opening a conversation about men’s mental health
Directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall, Artistic Director of Gateway Arts, the production also considers how traditional expectations of masculinity can make it harder for men to speak openly about their emotions. “The Parting Glass is a timely script to get men talking about their emotions, especially in Asia, where men are less likely to open up,” Scott-Blackhall says. “Traditional expectations of masculinity can be hard to live up to, even within a love story that feels almost perfect.”
According to figures cited in the press release, Singapore recorded 314 suicide deaths in 2024, with the largest increase seen among people aged 30 to 39. Men accounted for 64 per cent of the reported deaths. Against this backdrop, the play examines how emotional distress can exist behind familiar routines, humour and apparently strong relationships. Instead of focusing only on why someone may not ask for help, it also invites audiences to consider how they might recognise an unspoken need for support.
Theatre inside Jim’s world
Staging the production at The Blackbird is central to the way Gateway Arts wants audiences to encounter the story. “The bar is where Jim’s world takes shape, where his friendships, routines, as well as his sense of belonging and identity are formed,” Scott-Blackhall explains. “By placing audiences inside his environment, we’re inviting them to experience the story alongside the characters, rather than observing it from a distance.”
The familiar gastrobar setting also reflects one of the production’s central ideas: that emotional difficulties may exist within the ordinary spaces people move through every day without being noticed. Ticket holders can receive 15 per cent off food and beverages at The Blackbird when they present their show ticket. The venue will also offer a co-branded speciality beverage named “The Parting Glass” exclusively during the production’s run.
Support beyond the performance
The production continues Gateway Arts’ partnership with Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre (EMCC), following their collaboration on Third Man Syndrome in 2025. Every performance will be followed by a discussion led by EMCC. These sessions will feature counsellors, mental health practitioners and people with lived experience, giving audiences an opportunity to reflect on the play and discuss mental health and emotional wellbeing.
EMCC counsellors will also be available at the front of house before and after each performance to share information about mental health resources and offer additional support. Thirty complimentary individual counselling sessions will be made available to ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis. Details on how to register will be included in the programme booklet.
“At EMCC, we believe conversations about mental health need to happen long before someone reaches a crisis point,” says Elaine Tan, Executive Director of EMCC. “Theatre has a unique ability to reach people in a way that statistics and educational materials often cannot.”
The Parting Glass: Dates, venue and tickets
The Parting Glass will be staged at The Blackbird, located at Gillman Barracks, 8 Lock Road, Singapore 108936, from 2 to 13 September 2026. The production runs for approximately 75 minutes without an intermission and is recommended for audiences aged 16 and above. Those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets are priced at S$30 for the preview, S$36 during the early-bird sales period and S$45 at the standard rate, excluding SISTIC booking fees. The production is eligible for the SG Culture Pass. The play contains themes of depression and references to suicide. As an immersive production, audiences will experience the performance in close proximity to the cast.
Tickets are available through SISTIC.
Average Rating