A full house at the Esplanade Theatre sees Kumar at peak comedic glory.

Over the years, Kumar has worked his way to the top and become a household name, synonymous with the Singapore drag scene and local comedy. By now, one does not simply enter a Kumar show without knowing what’s in store, and having built an entire career around his unfiltered, no holds barred style of observational comedy, Kumar’s has built a reputation that almost always draws in the crowds in droves.

In his latest outing, Kumar opened for the Esplanade’s 2023 edition of Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts, to a magnificent full house at the Esplanade Theatre, from the stalls to the highest circles. In The Great Indian Mix, Kumar is armed with new material co-written by Sharul Channa, Vadi PVSS and Jaya Rathakrishnan, and this time around, uses his comedy with a specific purpose in mind – to expound upon the Indian experience, and of course, the many encounters and adventures in his own life.

With any Kumar show, beyond the jokes, artistry and choreography almost always come into play, and The Great Indian Mix is no different. The show opens dramatically, with dancers from Royalusion gracing the stage with an upbeat remix of Lil Nas X’s ‘Industry Baby’, mixing the contemporary with traditional Indian dance as they step and spin, their skirts circling them. Kumar himself eventually arrives to applause from the entire audience, joining in the dance while dressed in a sari and lehenga, wrists and head adorned with jewelry. As the dancers move to give him the spotlight, Kumar proves that he too has the moves to match and keep up with these younger performers, all eyes on him.

With a quick pause to catch his breath, Kumar returns to the stage, still looking ethereal, and with nothing but a spotlight, begins his set. The Esplanade Theatre feels like the perfect venue for Kumar, spacious yet intimate enough for Kumar to connect to the audience and doing what he does best – crowd work. Kumar picks up on the energy quickly, and with such a large audience, plays off the warmth and hunger to give us exactly what we want, heckling the latecomers, or questioning the non-Indians as to why they’re coming to watch the show, always, he carries himself with confidence.

In terms of the material, The Great Indian Mix is fresh from the oven, with plenty of jokes that deal with some of the most famous Indians in Singapore, including our new president. In an almost meta-theatrical moment, he laments how the show’s emphasis on education, and inserts a number of facts about the Indian subcontinent and diaspora, before it’s back to business as usual. His jokes land hard and fast, hitting out at everyone regardless of race, and he captures the rhythm of the delivery in a matter of moments, the crowd constantly responding earnestly.

Come the second half, Kumar changes into something more comfortable – a silver dress with a high hemline, and an auburn bob. This is where the show really finds its stride where the material is anything goes, with most of his jokes surrounding his world tour to London and Australia and the Philippines. From talking about a love for Tupperware, to drinking at a bar down under and meeting the local men, to a strange experience about working on a duck farm and the way one checks the fowl’s country of origin. Kumar in this segment feels infinite, totally in control and absolutely in his element, with good material made even better through his banter and ability to riff off the crowd’s energy, and this is one of his strongest shows yet.

Thinking back to the show’s theme, both at the start and after intermission, we watch a video showcasing a number of interviewees sharing their own interpretations of what it means to be Indian. From cringey responses about head-nodding to more heartfelt, sincere thoughts about the beauty of the culture, it’s a video that serves to show how non-Indians still have a long way to go in terms of bridging the gap and clearing up misconceptions.

Does Kumar do that? Not exactly, but it really doesn’t matter when he’s the best proponent for equality and understanding there is – everyone is fair game for humour, and all it takes to nail it is to take a moment and listen. Ending on his usual positive note, Kumar reminds us that every problem has a solution, and happiness is a direction, and going home with a belly full of laughs, it’s clear that Kumar remains one of the best, with an absolute serve of a show.

Photos Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay

The Great Indian Mix – Kumar Spills The Tea played at the Esplanade Theatre for one night only on 24th November 2023.

Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2023 ran from 17th to 26th November 2023. Full programme and more information available here

Production Credits:

Creative Director Kumar Producer Manju Balakrishnan Written by Sharul Channa Contributors Vadi PVSS and Jaya Rathakrishnan