Part theatre, part collective experience, ubin by Singapore theatre company Drama Box invites you to an immersive walking tour uncovering the stories and sites of Pulau Ubin – and share in a moment to reimagine the island’s future.  

There is another reality alongside ours – one where nature, community and a slower rhythm quietly stand against the march of urbanisation.

This is Pulau Ubin: an island mere 15 minutes away from the main island of Singapore. Ubin, which means “squared stone” in Javanese, was once a thriving kampong with a bustling economy. With records of inhabitants tracing back to the 1800s, today its native islanders number at a hundred; come nightfall, only around 30 remain.

As the population on Pulau Ubin ages and dwindles, what will happen to life and culture on the island? Who will safeguard its rustic beauty and cultural relevance? Will there be new inhabitants and how will they sustain the island's vibrancy? How will the living, the spiritual and the embedded continue to exist in the future?

Billed for its socially-engaged productions, Singapore theatre company Drama Box invites you to this extraordinary three-hour journey through the sites and scenes of Ubin. From the forests to the birds to the islanders and the iconic granite quarries, leave behind the bustle of the city and immerse yourself in the stories of the island, as you meet stakeholders of the land and join in the re-imagining of its future.

A reflective intimate journey through one of Singapore's most rustic sites, ubin promises to be an unforgettable evening of history, nature and culture.

Drama Box would like to thank the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) and National Parks Board for their generosity and support to the production.

Learn more about ubin:

Life Profusion: +READ: The Last Island.

Writer, researcher and curator Marcus Ng offers an insight into ubin in this essay reflecting on Singapore's offshores islands and our unspoken longing for a sense of "islandness".

Education Kit Available for ubin

Click here to view and download resource

This education kit will help to facilitate students' understanding of the performance, the artists and the unique elements that make up this performance. It is designed for deeper engagement and discussion with the SIFA programme. Divided into four sections, it comes with guiding questions, suggested activities and links for further exploration on the subject and themes presented in the show.