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Reviews

'Heather helped me tap into my imagination leaving me with an immersive experience. The beautiful use of lights made the overall visual experience even more dynamic. Very few productions really have the know-how of good lighting.'

'Essentially a reflection of Dana’s own psyche, the space feels surprisingly intimate under Petrina Dawn Tan’s set design... making the entire set-up feel like an actual studio, cosy, welcoming and warm, settling audiences in to quite literally enter the world of Dana.'

'We are in an artist’s studio, designed by Petrina Dawn Tan, and it is stunning. The centerpiece is a suspended sculpture, with branches caught in a net to form a nest. With the walls covered in portraits and nude paintings, and the studio bathed in warm light, it feels like I have stepped into a loving embrace.'

'Petrina Dawn Tan’s gorgeous, intricate set easily resembles a typical landed property located in the likes of Katong or Bukit Timah. The level of detail she has imbued into her set is amazing, fully utilizing the depth of the Victoria Theatre stage that makes it seem far bigger than it actually is, including a water feature one, or the glare of headlights as a car pulls in evident on the window blinds. Yet, underneath the glamorous veneer of golden sculptures and bespoke furniture, how perfectly placed and organised everything is, the messy, dark undercurrent of grief running through the entire house feels even more poignant in contrast, and the eventual, hellish dinner party made more distressing still taking place in a house that otherwise suggests class and elegance.'

'Petrina Dawn Tan, working for the first time with PANGDEMONIUM, conjures up a stylish, fully-realised set filled with Debora's metal sculptures and expensive furnishings, complete with imposing artworks and a greenery-filled outdoor deck.'

'The eye-catching set is furnished with contemporary art pieces and stylish décor as an apt reminder that the story takes place within the present. There is subtle symbolism that subconsciously reminds the audience of the baggage of those who are continuously in mourning such as the unattended dining chair and the trickling of water.'

'Speaking of walls, Petrina Dawn Tan’s gorgeous set design frames the action. Conceptualised and built with excruciating detail, the interior of the landed home features huge art pieces, Debora’s sculptures and even a water feature in the garden. But it is this perfect facade that hides the unimaginable pain of losing one’s own child. As the play progresses, the beauty becomes excess, and the walls start to close in and suffocate the cast and audience alike. The discomfort is palpable and the silence is thick with regret.'

'... when the first-half curtain falls on Claire Tham's The Judge, dramatically lit by Petrina Dawn Tan, who also designed the set... As the characters separate physically, the cast gathers long threads across the theatre into one giant structure.

It is a good way to end a production that celebrates the differences as well as common themes in this anthology of stories. It symbolises, perhaps, the way stories and shared experiences link people to each other across time and space.'

'... further enhanced by Petrina Dawn Tan’s lighting design that helps fully establish the mood of each scene.'

'The more movement-based pieces, such as Felix Cheong’s True Singapore Ghost Story, consisted mainly of 10-15min of pure movement-based storytelling, and were largely coloured by Louis’ soundscapes, which worked hand-in-hand with Petrina Dawn Tan’s vivid lighting and set design, with each story having its own distinct coloured lights, and each transition and change in set, seamless.'

'The set by Petrina Dawn Tan is simple and effective, with colourful circles and lines on the floor and back wall of the stage to depict the vibrant universe that the women live in. It allows us to focus on the text without distraction.'

Christian W. Huber, Reviewer - Centre 42

'All this discourse is helped in part by the by the psychedelic, upbeat mass of colourful circles and almost liquid set by Petrina Dawn Tan, transforming the black box into a trippy, mini-concert hall/lecture theatre that perfectly complements the girls’ upbeat and energetic approach to unpacking hip hop.'

BAKCHORMEEBOY

'This is helped by Petrina Dawn Tan’s set, which while simple, is done well. There is careful attention to detail and the inclusion of stereotypical office elements such as a receptionist counter, or even door access tags that leave a beep when held close to the sensor to unlock doors, make us feel like we’re really in an office.'

BAKCHORMEEBOY

'The performance is housed in a simple set of trapezium wooden frames that grow in width to invite the audiences’ seating area within its staged compounds. It embraces the audience as it implicates him/her. I feel like I am part and parcel of the creation of this work just by being present, and that is a lovely feeling to have before as well as after the performance. ... The bond created through set and actors endures and endears throughout the performance.'

Dawn Teo, Reviewer - Centre 42

'The set by Petrina Dawn Tan, also the lighting designer, is an open trapezium, echoing the evolving and parallel nature of each mother-daughter bond. A screen allows multimedia projections of maternal hands and photographs of mother and child. With only two chairs brought in by the actresses as props, the set seems bare at first sight. By the end of the play it is crowded, given the richness in the relationships being explored.'

Akshita Nanda, Arts Correspondent - The Straits Times

'Perhaps, with time, I too might also come to see my own mother as more than a diamond in the rough (an image effectively captured by Petrina Dawn Tan’s simple set dominated by a large silver diamond on the stage backdrop) and as a “gem of my mother”.'

TODAYonline

'The subtle set and lighting design by Petrina Dawn Tan, stylish costumes by Laichan that capture the gulf between modern and traditional and measured pace of the production come together beautifully into an organic whole.'

CRYSTALWORDS

'The combination of the set, light and video came together and provided an unexpected visual spectacle. It was amazing what Andy Lim (set designer), Shiv Tandan (co-director and video artist), and Petrina Dawn Tan (lighting designer) could do with a row of fridges.'

Isaac Tan - Kentridge Common

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