Theo feels pretty… sometimes.
Theo feels ugly… a lot.

That push and pull between confidence and self-doubt, between wanting to be seen and wanting to hide, is the central concern of Pretty Ugly, an intimate cabaret performance coming to Singapore this January as part of *SCAPE’s Comma Festival.

Performed by musical theatre artist Theo Chen, Pretty Ugly is what happens when that inner voice gets a little too loud, and Theo has decided that enough is enough. Over the course of an hour, he blends live musical theatre favourites with personal storytelling, unpacking the quiet, persistent demons that tell us we’re not attractive enough, not successful enough, not enough at all.

Set in a close, conversational cabaret format, the show aims to feel more like a night spent swapping stories over drinks. Theo shares honest, unvarnished anecdotes about growing up in Singapore, navigating self-image, and learning to sit with discomfort. The songs, which would be instantly familiar to musical theatre lovers, take on new meaning when heard through the lens of lived experience, their lyrics reframed by vulnerability rather than spectacle.

Theo Chen may be early in his career, but he’s already made his mark on Singapore’s theatre scene. He recently made his professional debut in Pangdemonium’s Kimberly Akimbo (2025), and has worked with companies including Wild Rice, The Theatre Practice, and T:>Works. A recent Cambridge University graduate and former president of the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society, Theo has also founded and led several independent initiatives: Playwrights Commune, which has supported over 100 playwrights; A Mirage, Singapore’s first pub theatre; and Critics Circle Blog, a growing platform for emerging performance critics.

That love for community and intimacy carries directly into Pretty Ugly. Inspired by bar nights and cabaret settings, Theo relishes the freedom to interpret songs as himself without the constraints of a larger production. “The intimacy of being so close to the audience and sharing the stories of these gorgeous songs with them,” he says, “is such an unbeatable feeling.”

The show is directed and produced by Lim Shien Hian, whose experience across the Edinburgh and Australian festival circuits helps shape a tight, heartfelt hour that gently reminds today’s busy youth of the power of live performance: simple, present, and human.

Pretty Ugly promises warmth, to be reflective without being heavy, and funny without being flippant. If you’re looking for a chill night out that offers music, stories, and just a bit of inspiration, this is very much that kind of evening. With 2026 just beginning, it’s a fitting way to start the year: by sitting with our insecurities, laughing at them a little, and leaving feeling less alone than when we arrived.

Pretty Ugly runs from 16th to 18th Jan 2026 at *SCAPE, L5 Gallery. Tickets are on sale here
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