★★★★★ Review: White, All White by The Necessary Stage

Deonn Yang rises to the occasion and comes into her own in this heartfelt play about forgiveness and family. As much as we hold the concept of family in high regard in Singapore, family has also always been a complex affair. Amidst the comfort family brings, there is almost always the pressure of ensuring that we do the best we can for them, lest we … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: White, All White by The Necessary Stage

Preview: 2025 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival to tackle themes of displacement across seven local and international works

The annual Singapore Fringe Festival, organised by The Necessary Stage (TNS) has become an institution for independent theatremakers both locally and internationally to present their work, providing a platform for them to stage provocative, cutting-edge performances that deal with pertinent discussions in society and about those on the margins. Now in its 21st edition, watch as Fringe 2025 tackles the theme of displacement, from people … Continue reading Preview: 2025 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival to tackle themes of displacement across seven local and international works

The Necessary Stage calls for urgent donor support to continue annual Singapore Fringe Festival in 2026 and beyond

Each year, The Necessary Stage has been consistently curating and bringing together a plethora of local and international fringe performance work that becomes the Singapore Fringe Festival, calling to attention urgent issues affecting community and society. After a successful 2024 edition, the 2025 edition of the Singapore Fringe Festival will mark M1’s final year as its dedicated donor, after 20 years of support. The Necessary … Continue reading The Necessary Stage calls for urgent donor support to continue annual Singapore Fringe Festival in 2026 and beyond

White, All White: An Interview with writer/director Deonn Yang and cast member Koh Wan Ching on care and growth

Beyond her formal arts education in LASALLE College of the Arts, theatremaker Deonn Yang is also a self-proclaimed graduate of the ‘School of The Necessary Stage (TNS)’, beginning with an online playwriting workshop conducted by Haresh Sharma in 2020, during the COVID era. That led to her applying for Playwrights’ Cove in 2022, also by TNS, before presenting her show Why Be Good When You … Continue reading White, All White: An Interview with writer/director Deonn Yang and cast member Koh Wan Ching on care and growth

Preview: Playwrights’ Cove 2024 by The Necessary Stage

Race and religion. Love and death. Community and loneliness. These are just some of the thought-provoking themes explored in a series of bold and promising works-in-progress by the participants of The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) Playwrights’ Cove 2024, to be presented as dramatised readings from 21 to 24 November 2024. This iteration of Playwrights’ Cove is the company’s third iteration of the much sought after playwriting … Continue reading Preview: Playwrights’ Cove 2024 by The Necessary Stage

Preview: White, All White by The Necessary Stage

This October, get ready as The Necessary Stage (TNS) presents White, All White, a new play by TNS Associate Artist Deonn Yang, who also directs. Marking TNS’ first main season production helmed entirely by Deonn, White, All White is a life-affirming play that delves into the joys and tensions of family and personal dreams, giving audiences a glimpse into the quiet lives of a family … Continue reading Preview: White, All White by The Necessary Stage

★★★★☆ Review: Hi, Can You Hear Me? by The Necessary Stage

Hell lies somewhere between a bar and a breakout room. Considering that we live in a world ravaged by war, beset by pandemics, and face unprecedented climate change that brings with it the assurance of disaster, it’s not entirely surprising that something eventually breaks inside us from how overwhelming it can all be. But when faced with such existential anxiety – do we end up … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Hi, Can You Hear Me? by The Necessary Stage

Of Disasters and Carrying On: An Interview with co-directors A Yagnya and Alvin Tan on The Necessary Stage’s ‘Hi, Can You Hear Me?’

There are days the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a distant fever dream, a time where everyone was touting the ‘new normal’ when it seemed we would never wake from it. But as suddenly as it came, everything seemed to disappear again when we opened up to the world again, and we entered a new era of chaos. Previously glued to our phones, we saw countries … Continue reading Of Disasters and Carrying On: An Interview with co-directors A Yagnya and Alvin Tan on The Necessary Stage’s ‘Hi, Can You Hear Me?’

Preview: Hi, Can You Hear Me? by The Necessary Stage

A mysterious tiger who runs a bar in limbo. Guan Yin caught in a loop of death and rebirth. A man whose memory fails him while being taken care of by an AI. Post-traumatic boredom, and uncontrollable life within a hotel room. These are just some of the strange characters and phenomena that inhabit The Necessary Stage’s latest play, Hi, Can You Hear Me? Written … Continue reading Preview: Hi, Can You Hear Me? by The Necessary Stage

The Necessary Stage announces two additional Associate Artists for 2024, with A Yagnya and Lim Shien Hian

In April 2023, The Necessary Stage (TNS) launched a new iteration of its Associate Artists Programme (AAP) , featuring two young Associate Artists — theatre – makers Sindhura Kalidas and Deonn Yang — who have been attached to the company since then. The company has now announced two more new Associate Artists joining its team: theatre – makers A Yagnya and Lim Shien Hian. All … Continue reading The Necessary Stage announces two additional Associate Artists for 2024, with A Yagnya and Lim Shien Hian