Bharathaa Arts presents Today We Are Born Anew at Esplanade Theatre Studio on Friday, 27 November 2026 at 8pm and Saturday, 28 November at 3pm and 8pm. It runs for 75 minutes without an interval. The production is performed in Tamil with English surtitles, and admission starts at age six.
Esplanade lists standard tickets at S$38 and advertises prices from S$33.40. The show is eligible for SG Culture Pass credits. It uses bharatanatyam, poetry, music and narration to explore the ideas in Subramania Bharathiyaar’s Puthiya Aathichudi.
- Friday, 27 November 8pm
- Saturday, 28 November 3pm and 8pm
- Where and how long Esplanade Theatre Studio; 75 minutes without an interval
- Tickets and language S$38 standard; Tamil with English surtitles; age six and above
Event details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Friday, 27 November | 8pm |
| Saturday, 28 November | 3pm and 8pm |
| Where and how long | Esplanade Theatre Studio; 75 minutes without an interval |
| Tickets and language | S$38 standard; Tamil with English surtitles; age six and above |
What is Today We Are Born Anew about?
The production takes its starting point from Puthiya Aathichudi, a collection of short statements on how people can live and act by the Tamil poet Subramania Bharathiyaar. Bharathaa Arts uses dance and words to ask how people respond to fear, inherited habits and the possibility of changing their own behaviour.
The show brings together bharatanatyam, poetry, music and narration. Bharatanatyam can express a thought through gesture, expression or rhythm. As you watch, consider when the movement is carrying an idea by itself and when it responds to a spoken line. You can follow the change in mood or the relationship between dancers even while you are getting accustomed to the form.
Children and adults seeing bharatanatyam for the first time can pick one thread to follow across the show. Courage is a useful example. Notice when a gesture seems tentative, when it grows more definite, and whether the music changes with it. People in the same party may remember different moments, which gives you something concrete to talk about afterwards.
Which showtime and ticket should you choose?
Friday at 8pm suits people coming after work who want to keep Saturday free. The Saturday 3pm performance is the earlier option and finishes around 4.15pm if it starts on time. Saturday 8pm has the same listed running time as Friday, with an approximate finish of 9.15pm. Check the selected date and time at checkout because Saturday has two performances.
At the S$38 standard price, two tickets cost S$76 before any applicable checkout charges. The advertised price from S$33.40 is a starting price. See which concessions, offers or categories are available for the performance you choose. Esplanade shows limited tickets for students, NSFs, seniors and persons with disabilities, with terms available from the official event page.
The event page lists SG Culture Pass eligibility and tells eligible customers to select it as a payment option in the shopping cart. If you are booking for a party, confirm which tickets and amounts are covered before you complete payment. For wheelchair seating or specific sightline questions, consult the box office ahead of the visit.
Tamil, English surtitles and the minimum age
The performance is in Tamil, with English surtitles. If you plan to rely on the surtitles and have a question about where the text appears, ask the venue about sightlines before choosing a seat. Once the performance starts, you can alternate between the surtitles and the dancers, taking in the spoken ideas alongside what you see.
Esplanade lists admission from six years old. The Saturday matinee may suit children who are more alert in the afternoon. All sessions run for 75 minutes without an interval, so consider whether your child can comfortably stay seated for that stretch. Allow time for a toilet stop before entering and tell them roughly when the performance will end.
If a child is still becoming a confident reader, you can introduce one or two themes before entering, such as what it takes to speak up or make a fresh start. They can still follow the sound and movement while reading the parts of the surtitles that come easily.
Getting to Esplanade Theatre Studio
Head to Esplanade Theatre Studio for the performance. Check your ticket, the venue guide and signs inside the centre when you arrive. Esplanade MRT and City Hall MRT are options for reaching the building, and the visitor guide provides walking routes and venue maps.
Give yourself time to locate the studio, particularly if you also have a festival event elsewhere in the complex. The Saturday Sahachara workshop meets at the Theatre Studio entrance and takes place in the Rehearsal Studio, while Today We Are Born Anew is performed in the Theatre Studio itself. Each activity has its own booking.
If you are choosing other programmes for the evening, leave a gap for the walk and the queue between venues. Look up the same date on the Kalaa Utsavam timetable so you can see which public programmes fit before or after the ticketed show.
Questions and answers
Is the show suitable for someone who does not speak Tamil?
Esplanade lists English surtitles for the Tamil-language production.
Is there a Saturday matinee?
Yes. Saturday, 28 November has shows at 3pm and 8pm.
Is this the same event as the Sahachara workshop?
They are separate festival events. Sahachara is a participatory family workshop. Today We Are Born Anew is a staged Bharathaa Arts production.