In 2022, theatremakers Shannen Tan and Miriam Cheong came together from a place of pain – their shared experience with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a common yet often overlooked and misunderstood endocrine disorder that affects anywhere between 4 to 21% of women worldwide. From friendship and discussions, they decided to turn the pain into art, with the cheekily-titled Lotus Root Support Group, which played to a sold-out crowd and which we praised for how it shone a light on a rarely discussed issue in society, and suggested the need for support and hope for those suffering from it.

Two years on, and both Shannen and Miriam are bringing it back to the stage, now distinctively different from the previous iteration, and told through an autobiographical lens on their lived experience as actresses with PCOS. This production is independently produced by Adeeb Fazah and Miriam Cheong alongside presenting partner, theatre collective Impromptu Meetings. Where the previous production saw them playing fictional characters, now, both of them will be playing dramatised versions of themselves – two broke theatre-makers with many things in common. With ovaries that have more holes in them than Swiss cheese, insurance companies rejecting them for being “too high risk”, and existential crises about womanhood, Miriam and Shannen are banding together to deal with it the only way they know how: Making theatre about it.

But what if the differences they face through this are irreconcilable? What if their cyst-erhood is not as strong as they initially thought? And what does a Potato Rap have to do with all of this? Candidly discussing the struggles of living with under-researched and misunderstood chronic illness, Lotus Root Support Group affirms the importance of human connections in times of struggle, as rocky and tumultuous as they may be. Because we can’t make it through life alone.

“Lotus Root Support Group was more successful than we could have hoped for. We had an overwhelming response from our audience back then,” shared Shannen Tan, who co-produced the 2022 run. “More than just those with PCOS, women with varying chronic illnesses told us that they felt very seen and less alone, while the men in the audience said they could understand the pain of being a woman a little bit better. We had a surprising number of audiences who wrote to tell us that they suspect that they have PCOS and were now planning to go for a check-up!”

Co-creator Miriam Cheong added, “We were always interested in bringing back Lotus Root Support Group. After two years of pondering over what a reimagined version would look like, we thought now was a good time to bring it back but we wanted it to reflect our evolution as people and artists.”

Lotus Root Support Group derives its name from how ultrasound image of PCOS ovaries look like lotus roots. According to a 2022 study published in The Annals of the Academy of Medicine, most Singaporean doctors who took part in the study were unable to identify the clinical features of PCOS correctly and the psychological complications of PCOS were also not well-appreciated. Those with PCOS may also struggle with their physical appearance, sense of self-worth, social relationships and sexuality, and they may experience anxiety and depression.

The co-creators shared that in the process of working on and creating the 2022 show, their friendship strained under clashing views over body image and health. “Creating Lotus Root Support Group was meant to be an act of solidarity between us, but that came to a head when we realised that we had very differing views on how we coped with PCOS and we fundamentally disagreed with each others’ coping mechanisms. We fought in the rehearsal room and cried on our rides home,” shared Shannen.

“The new show cannot run away from that. While the previous show spoke through different characters, this refreshed iteration honed in on our authentic selves and as friends.” According to Miriam, “The new show is less about the ‘lotus root’ (symbolising PCOS) and more about the ‘support group’. We had this shared vision of the show being more autobiographical and we wanted the play to capture the essence of our friendship so of course we are using elements like tacky PowerPoint slides and dance.”

She added that, “Even though we still disagree and unintentionally hurt one another at times, there’s still a lot of joy, support and laughter in the friendship. It’s hard enough being an actress and an independent theatremaker in Singapore, let alone a woman living with chronic illness. We cannot make it through life alone.”

This live theatre performance will be held at 42 Waterloo Street Black Box from 28 August 2024 to 1 September 2024. Lotus Root Support Group will also be touring to the Melbourne Fringe in October 2024, which will be funded solely by any profits from ticket sales from its Singapore run as well as donations from the public. Speaking on this, producer Adeeb Fazah says, “This play will offer many universal threads for a contemporary audience anywhere in the world, touching on ideas of friendship, health and body image. Melbourne Fringe would be a good place for us to showcase the creativity that is found in Singapore’s independent scene, and position Singapore as a hotspot for innovative contemporary theatre.”

Lotus Root Support Group plays from 28th August to 1st September 2024 at 42 Waterloo Street. Tickets available at Eventbrite