The Necessary Stage

For Faith (Hossan Leong) and Hope (Kumar), the New Year is just another day. But when an old friend shows up suddenly, their lives are turned upside down. They find themselves embroiled with spies, childhood trauma and GENDER PRONOUNS.It's been almost 20 years since the gang met up. Will they be able to let go of the ghosts from their past? Will they be able to identify as ELDERLY? What world is this where the GAYBOURS are banging, the Health HOMOTION Board speaks the truth and MINISTRY OF NUCLEAR FAMILIES 

Old Gaze (2023)

Set Designer

Mental illness does not discriminate. Although there is more access to information, many still suffer silently or face stigma when they come out with their illness. What is this experience like for actors in Singapore? Are they expected to just deal with their mental health issues because they are seen as ‘tortured artists’ and ‘so full of drama’?&nbsp;In 2019, as part of The Necessary Stage's developmental platform The Orange Production, the company presented&nbsp;Acting Mad, a verbatim play based on inter

Acting Mad (2022)

There is no past without colonisation,&nbsp;and there is no future without it.

As we commemorate the bicentennial of the founding of Singapore, let us take a moment to express our gratitude to our founding father/s for their foresight in transforming Singapore from a small fishing village to a global metropolis. We are civilised!

Let's marvel at how, all over the world, our land has been plundered, our laws kept archaic and our freedoms curtailed by those in power. Let us honour our pursuit of economi

Civilised (2019)

Drama Box

In 2016, Drama Box and The Necessary Stage presented the groundbreaking sold-out production&nbsp;Manifesto, that delved into the relationship between art and politics.

This year, the two companies collaborate once again on a brand new work that explores poverty, inequality and human dignity in Singapore.

Underclass&nbsp;tells the story of Xinyi, who finds herself in a downward spiral after losing her job and her flat. When she moves into a rental unit, she meets Johari, and they strike up an unlikely 

Underclass (2018)

A terminally ill woman hires a digital legacy company to record video greetings for her children to watch long after she is gone.

In our technologically accelerating world, this scenario of social media legacy planning has become a reality. In the digitised future, memories can be made immortal. Our data can be turned into bots. Protests can happen from the comforts of our own homes. Humans, androids and robots are all adrift in cyberspace.&nbsp;

The Necessary Stage continues its 30th anniversary seas

Sanctuary (2017)

In 2013, award-winning actress Siti Khalijah Zainal brought The Necessary Stage's&nbsp;Best Of&nbsp;to life, playing the role of a young Malay Muslim woman going through divorce.&nbsp;

Now, accomplished TV and stage actor Sani Hussin takes the stage as the husband to share his side of the story in&nbsp;Best Of (His Story),&nbsp;written by Haresh Sharma and directed by Alvin Tan.&nbsp;

What happens when the estranged couple reunite at the Syariah court? What does he say to a wife seeking divorce? What 

Best Of (His Story) (2016)

The Necessary Stage's latest production by Alvin Tan and Haresh Sharma grapples with the issue of road rage.&nbsp;

A unique production involving social media interaction,&nbsp;Poor Thing&nbsp;will invite audiences to watch a video clip of an accident before they enter the theatre to catch the 'live' action on stage.

During the performance, more clips will be posted online which audiences can view and comment on.

Poor Thing&nbsp;challenges you to explore what drives road rage in Singapore.&nbsp;


Poor Thing (2014)

On the cusp of Japan's surrender during World War II, a Japanese general suffers a stroke and is tended to by a Malay gardener. As they spar, having heated debates about the war, the present is revealed: a Japanese man in a relationship with an Indian woman in Kuala Lumpur; his ex-wife coming to grips with an astrologer's predictions; their son, studying in the United States and confronted by his classmates about Japan's past.&nbsp;


Mobile 2: Flat Cities (2013)

October&nbsp;takes a look at the lives of a group of elderly people, all living in a small neighbourhood that is undergoing upgrading. Into this scenario comes a young and ambitious property agent looking for prospective sellers. As their paths cross, they each find new sources of strength for renewal, regeneration and rejuvenation.&nbsp;


October (2012)

Crossings&nbsp;is a multidisciplinary collaboration between artists from Singapore and Croatia investigating the coexistence, understanding and mixing of different cultures. Join them in this performative piece as they question the issues of home, homeland and belonging while exploring multiculturalism, and the similarities and differences between the 2 countries.

The vibrant port cities of Singapore and Croatia's Rijeka will be sources of inspiration and dialogue for the artists, creating a new work whi

Crossings (2012)

How do we connect with one another whilst acknowledging and appreciating our differences?

A woman who is a victim of a social scandal proves her fidelity by passing a test. Yet her society does not believe her. She is exiled by her husband who is dedicated to serving his people and so has to listen to their discernment to remain in power. Will she sacrifice for the larger good and suffer the unjust allegation to be with her husband or will she walk?

Based on Asian myths,&nbsp;Crossings&nbsp;takes us o

A layered and moving exploration of power, sexuality, spirituality and survival in the post traumatic world, this multimedia, multiracial and multinational romp is interwoven with the stories and emotional landscape of its characters.&nbsp;godeatgod&nbsp;is an intimate, personal and at times funny exposition about trying to live a better life; a take on censorship in the context of art; and an examination of love and grief.


godeatgod (2012)

3 stories are intertwined in this brand new play about human enhancement.

The first is about a couple, Melissa and Joe, who takes the Youth Fountain serum. Can the couple live to the age of 200 years?

The second story features a shop at the market which sells stem cells and the unlikely friendship that develops between seller Sam and Gina.

In the third story, a young husband and his mother visit Designer Babies, a new centre which creates perfect babies through genetic modification.

Light-hearte

Future Perfect (2012)

Kartini and Juliana are not your typical mother-daughter pair - one loud and overbearing, the other straitlaced and on the threshold of entering politics. Together, they are Gemuk Girls and proud of it. When they receive shocking news that Kartini's father had been detained in the 1960s, the floodgates of the family's past are thrown open. Can a family survive as they struggle to reconcile the past with the present? Will Kartini and Juliana continue to be Gemuk Girls?&nbsp;


Gemuk Girls (2011)

Examine contemporary Singapore with The Necessary Stage as the company revisits historical characters, merges fact and faction, and have them interact in real and imagined events. Looking at the themes of migration, harmony and identity,&nbsp;SINGAPORE&nbsp;probes deeply into a country's past and the psyche of the people. Featuring a 'politically correct' multi-racial cast, the play is seriously funny and deceitfully truthful.


SINGAPORE (2011)

A foreign journalist is taken to task after writing some objectionable articles. A university exchange student tries to organise a forum on campus and encounters obstacles.&nbsp;

The lives of these unlikely individuals meet and intertwine in The Necessary Stage's latest production. Characters clash, tensions run high, and truth is questioned. Can we turn back time and return to a harmonious past?

Who is allowed to speak out for what they believe? Do we welcome the views of foreigners? Or should they '

Balek Kampong (2011)

Those Who Can’t, Teach is a classic of The Necessary&nbsp;Stage, first staged in 1990 as part of the Opening of&nbsp;The Substation.&nbsp;20 years later, the original creative team of director Alvin&nbsp;Tan and playwright Haresh Sharma, will revisit, revive and&nbsp;revamp the play into a contemporary classic.&nbsp;Set in the backdrop of a secondary school, the play&nbsp;looks at the madcap lives of teachers and students,&nbsp;with often hilarious results.&nbsp;As the teachers struggle daily to ‘nurture an

Those Who Can't, Teach (2010)

It is the story of the man's girlfriend, an Indonesian maid who wants to get married and become a Singapore citizen. It is the story of the MP's wife, who tries to cope with her husband's injury and the media spotlight. It is the story of the maid's employer, who is also struggling with her own tragedy.

These three women may mean nothing to each other, but they need one another to survive.&nbsp;

The maid, the employer and the MP's wife. Are they all model citizens?&nbsp;


Model Citizens (2010)

Inspired by the title of a poem by Australian writer Henry Lawson, Past Caring is an interdisciplinary theatrical collaboration involving artists from Singapore and Australia. Urgent issues of adoption, displacement, family, land and journey will be weaved together into a complex and contemporary presentation of text, music, multimedia and movement. In a year-long process, the project involved artists making field trips, conducting interviews and creating and presenting nascent works in Singapore and Melbou

Past Caring (2009)

The Necessary Stage celebrates the award-winning collaboration of Director Alvin Tan and Playwright Haresh Sharma with a provocative new work.

Kartini and Juliana are not your typical mother-daughter pair - one loud and overbearing, the other straitlaced and on the threshold of entering politics. Together, they are Gemuk Girls and proud of it.

One day, they receive shocking news about Kartini's father who has been arrested and detained in the 1960s. Suddenly the floodgates of the family's emotional pa

Gemuk Girls (2008)

To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, The Necessary Stage presents a brand new play that deals with the issue of living, dying and pain in between.

Set in a hospice, Good People is about the ups and downs of the relationships between Miguel, the new Medical Director; Yati, the jaded nurse; and Radha, the terminally ill patient addicted to marijuana for pain relief.

As the three get to know each other, complications arise. If Radha gets caught, will she be given the death penalty when she has only a few m

Good People (2007)

First staged in 1993 to critical acclaim, Off Centre is recognised as a landmark play in the history of Singapore theatre, best remembered for bringing mental illness and its patients' plight to the attention of the media and general public in Singapore. The play traces the friendship of Saloma and Vinod and the hurdles they have to overcome, including social stigmas, prejudices and personal conflicts. Off Centre has also been selected by the Ministry of Education as the first Singapore play to the offered 

Off Centre (2007)

Eric, a 30-year-old social worker, returns to his childhood neighbourhood and looks for the home of his old neighbour, Habiba. He finds that the couple are still living there, older and with children. As Eric and his old neighbour Habiba reminisce "the old days", a shocking secret is revealed--one that would forever change their lives.

A restaging of The Necessary Stage's recent success,&nbsp;Fundamentally Happy&nbsp;takes an unflinching look at the personal and emotional issues surrounding paedophilia, 

Fundamentally Happy (2007)

Eric, a 30-year-old social worker, returns to his childhood neighbourhood and looks for the home of his old neighbour. He finds that the couple are still living there, older and with children. As Eric and his old neighbour Habiba reminisce 'the old days', a shocking secret is revealed - one that would forever change their lives.

Fundamentally Happy takes an unflinching look at the personal and emotional issues surrounding paedophilia, without judgement or blame.


Fundamentally Happy (2006)

A layered and moving exploration of power, sexuality, spirituality and survival in the post traumatic world, this multimedia, multiracial and multinational romp is interwoven with the stories and emotional landscape of its characters.

Writing in response to 911, playwright Haresh Sharma excavates the tragedies that surfaced - dishonesties, power struggles, corruption and egos - which have made the world an elimination platform dominated by the powerful.

godeatgod&nbsp;is an intimate, personal and at t

godeatgod (2006)

It has been forty years since the separation of Singapore from Malaysia. In addition to the annual fireworks, watch sparks fly as Malaysia's Dramalab and Singapore's The Necessary Stage come together to parade characters in Malaysia and Singapore over the past four decades. Join in the fun as we present an intimate and humorous spotlight on people and situations in the context of Singapore and Malaysia.


Separation 40 (2005)

godeatgod (2005)

The Tsunami tragedy on Boxing Day 2004 was one of the most traumatic crises in recent human history of natural catastrophes.

The Necessary Stage, with our history of engaging society and reality, will present a look at human behaviour in the aftermath of last year's tragedy.

Rather than impart a single narrative, this production will comprise voices of people affected by the Tsunami.

Texts, multimedia, sonic narrative, this production will be brought together in contemporary theatre practice, not t

Boxing Day: The Tsunami Project (2005)

Do you feel safe?
Is your school safe?
Is your building safe?

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was asked to go to her grandmother's house. Did she make it there? Or did she disappear? Was she kidnapped by someone close to her? Or did she stray from the path?

Is your home safe?
Are your friends safe?

A re-working of the Little Red Riding Hood,&nbsp;What Big Bombs You Have!!!&nbsp;is a story of imminent danger and fear that we all feel.

Is the cinema safe?
Are aeroplanes safe?



What Big Bombs You Have!!! (2005)

After a sold-out run in August 2002, this year's godeatgod is a reconceptualised version of that original staging, with a new cast including Rody Vera from the Philippines, Eriko Wada from Japan and esteemed local actors Aidli 'Alin' Mosbit and Peter Sau.

A layered and moving exploration of power, sexuality, spirituality and survival in the post-traumatic world, this multi-national, multi-media romp is interwoven with the stories and emotional landscapes of its characters.

Writing in response to 9/11,

godeatgod (2004)

Mourning is such hard work.
You want to cry but you don't want to be unglam.
And what do you wear to your friend's wake if you have to go to a club after that?

The death of someone special causes a group of friends to re-examine their lives and their feelings about death.
Fundamentally questions are asked:
Will I go to hell if I'm a bitch?
Am I spending too much time at the Gym?
Can I be gay and married?

The group of friends soon make important realisations:
That you can be married and gay
Tha

Top Or Bottom (2004)

Get your Pride Flags out!
Mardi Gras&nbsp;is back!

After a successful sold-out run last year during Singapore's PINK month - August! - this sexycrazycool play is back to make you laugh, cry and gasp!

A group of people come together to organise Singapore's first Pride Parade. They plan to hold the March at the Padang, with dykes on bikes, fags and fag hags, leathers and feathers; they want to shout out loud and be proud...

As they plan, the tension mounts; the cracks in their relationships surface.

Mardi Gras (2004)

The three main dramatic strands of the play are:

Andrian Lim and Catherine Tan meet. Adrian 'offers her treatment' for her problems. He woos her. She moves in. They marry. He abuses her. They tour their own strip and magic show. He convinces her to become a prostitute. With Cat's help he treats and abuses many other women. They abuse and kill two children. They are punished with death.&nbsp;

Brother and Sister love each other dearly. They are conjoined. They are so close to each other yet so far, as t

Such Sweet Sorrow (2004)

Drawing inspiration from Hesse's&nbsp;Siddhartha, Gibran's&nbsp;The Prophet&nbsp;and other stories of journey and search, Haresh Sharma employs techniques of storytelling, magic realism and narrative framing to create a theatrical and lyrical exploration of perspective and truth. the production also features interview footages with a 78-year-old Singaporean widow who talks about her husband, her son and herself growing up in Singapore.


koan (2003)

Mardi Gras presented as part of the necessary stage's fundraising drive.

A group of people come together to organise Singapore's first Pride Parade - Singapore's first Mardi Gras. They plan to hold the March at the Padang, with dykes on bikes, fags and fag hags, leathers and feathers; they want to shout out loud and be proud...

Excuse? Will they even get a license? Um, will we?

As they plan, the tension mounts; the cracks in their relationships surface. Jokes turn to bitchiness, which turn to clawi

Mardi Gras (2003)

Different stories are interwoven in this multi-media, multi-racial romp

TWO BROTHERS: He needs Kor Kor by his side.
HUSBAND &amp; WIFE: Someone's dying and they can't do anything about it.
PATRICIA MOK &amp; NORLEENA SALIM: They want to change the rules and no one can stop them.

Once there were two of us... and that's it.&nbsp;


godeatgod (2002)

Dreaming Up A Prince&nbsp;is a piece of interactive theatre. It takes place in two parts. The first is a 35-minute&nbsp; performance where the characters grapple with the issues of relationships and sexuality. After the performance, the audience will interact directly with the characters. They could ask them questions (hot-seating) or suggest alternative choices or decisions that the characters could have made so as to avoid their present predicament. The actors then play out the suggestions on the spot. Al

Dreaming Up A Prince (2002)

it's a jungle out there. And it's raining shit so do something dammit!

Say it: I HAVE THE POWER TO FIGHT. To KILL. To Love. To Be who I wanna Be. They can try But they can't take that away from you. they can't touch YOU.&nbsp;

Abuse suxxX!!! But you're a survivor And you're Gonna Make it!!!


ABUSE SUXXX!!! (2001)

Take a happy ride through glorious holes to experience style, phallic monsters, stardust, and macho goddesses. Like characters in a wet dream, the six-strong ensemble will play out your fantasies under the showers, at the pubs, on the net, and in the bushes - funny, thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and always haunting.&nbsp;


Asian Boys Vol 1 (2000)

Dennis Potter's deceptively simple tale relates the activities of 7 seven-year-olds (played by adult actors) at play in a seemingly idyllic and ever-youthful world. The children play, fight and fantasize. Their aggressions, fears, hostilities and rivalries, a microcosm of adult interaction. All the children gang up on the terrified "Donald Duck" who abused by his mother and ridiculed by his peers, plays his own dangerous game of pyromania which ends in tragedy.

The production, The Necessary Stage's first

Blue Remembered Hills (1992)

Technical Crew

Lights, set and sound are always part of every director's concern. These three elements can largely help to convey that final touch of mood, ambience and meaning which heighten the audience's experience of a play -&nbsp;even if it is a minimalist-type production. The actors in this production have been workshopped such that they are able to respond to different rhythms, sounds, lights and props - &nbsp;building, improvising upon the sensory input that the lighting, sound and set designers provide. In turn, 

Land of Many Voices (1992)

Front of House

Though we think that women in Singapore have come a long way--so called 'liberated' -&nbsp;we are still subjected to various conditioning and control. So when Alvin Tan of The Necessary Stage approached me to do something for Fringe '92, I thought it would be an opportune time for this play. I held a brainstorming session with six people, males and females, and discussed ideas for the play. After this meeting, I gathered three actresses to begin improvisations. We discussed our own experiences -&nbsp;growin

Circus Circus (1992)

The word 'movement' in theatre seems to scare people. "What exactly do you mean--a movement-based play?",&nbsp;ask actors when I ask actors if they are interested in participating. When asked by The Necessary Stage to direct this, I wasn't too sure myself what shape the play would take. We often take refuge in words. What the cast and I have done is to use as our starting point, not content but form--working with rhythm, sound, colours, texture, imagery to come up with movement-base improvisational pieces t

The Fig Tree (1992)

T:>Works (TheatreWorks)

What happens when a beautiful and precocious girl who weaves fanciful stories slowly begins to understand and unravel sordid family secrets embedded in a childhood memory? Mei Hua is no longer a child. She wants to destroy her family by wreaking her dead mother’s revenge upon her father and stepmother. She finds in Jen an instrument to carry out the ingenious machinations of her dark and creative mind. He loves her, but he is reluctant to do what she wants.

Story Teller (1992)

Stage Manager

“I have a story to tell you, I tell this story everyday. Sometimes, I add a little to make the story more exciting. But I always take out some parts… parts which are too painful. Sometimes I’m even not sure how the story is going to end… until I tell it. This story is about The Garden.”

With these words from the storyteller, the play and story begins. Shay, who lives on the garden becomes a victim when the garden is destroyed. Banished to the tree with the seven branches, she has to endure the darkness a

The Garden (1991)

Lighting Operator

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Vincent Lim

WORKS DOCUMENTED IN THE ARCHIVE

Vincent Lim

WORKS DOCUMENTED IN THE ARCHIVE

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