M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024 explores pressing social issues and the ways we relate and connect to each other

Over the years, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (M1SFF), organised by The Necessary Stage (TNS), has undergone a variety of changes to the way it’s been run, from taking on specific themes and topics, to responding to art work. But at its heart, M1SFF has always been about one key goal – to present small scale local and international work that address key social issues, … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024 explores pressing social issues and the ways we relate and connect to each other

★★★★☆ Review: Happy Indian Women by The Necessary Stage

An authentic, diverse exploration of what it means to be an Indian woman today. The Singaporean Indian identity is deeply multi-faceted. Within the community, there are already diverse languages, skin tones, religions, sexualities, family histories and rootedness to one’s culture, where every Indian person has a unique story to tell. As a minority race within the country, Indians have also faced and continue to face … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Happy Indian Women by The Necessary Stage

Brown Joy: An Interview with writer/co-director Sindhura Kalidas and the cast of The Necessary Stage’s ‘Happy Indian Women’

“Happiness is a mood, not a destination,” says Sindhura Kalidas. “That’s a quote from One Tree Hill, and I think about that a lot, and how it’s really just this fleeting emotion that comes and goes, not a constant state of mind.” That’s an important distinction for Sindhura to make, especially considering she’s directing a show called Happy Indian Women this November. Presented by The … Continue reading Brown Joy: An Interview with writer/co-director Sindhura Kalidas and the cast of The Necessary Stage’s ‘Happy Indian Women’

Preview: The Necessary Stage presents showcases for Devising with Actors and Playwrights 2023

To round off the year, The Necessary Stage (TNS) is presenting an exciting lineup of works-in-progress by the latest batch of creatives from its Devising with Actors and Playwrights (DAP) workshops. Led by Resident Playwright and Cultural Medallion recipient Haresh Sharma, Devising with Actors and Playwrights 2023 is part of TNS’ devising platform and sees 20 theatre-makers undergo an intensive training programme over a six-month … Continue reading Preview: The Necessary Stage presents showcases for Devising with Actors and Playwrights 2023

Preview: Happy Indian Women by The Necessary Stage

Following a five-star performance in Wild Rice’s Psychobitch, theatremaker and The Necessary Stage (TNS) Associate Artist Sindhura Kalidas is back this November to wrap up her 2023 with a brand new show: Happy Indian Women. Written by Sindhura, and co-directed by Sindhura and TNS Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma, Happy Indian Women is a new verbatim theatre production that questions the assumptions made about the diverse … Continue reading Preview: Happy Indian Women by The Necessary Stage

The Necessary Stage introduces new board members

The Necessary Stage (TNS) has unveiled its brand new Board composition that comes into effect from 1 April 2022. Three new board members, all women, will be joining the company, namely: Ana Dhoraisingam, Head of Institutional and Wealth Management Business, Southeast Asia CEO, PineBridge Investments; Dawn Westerhout, Head of Marketing and Communications, KPMG; and Sharanjit Leyl, Freelance Broadcast Journalist-Presenter. All three candidates bring with them … Continue reading The Necessary Stage introduces new board members

★★★★☆ Review: Opposition 对峙 by The Necessary Stage and Drama Box

Learning to accept the inevitability of change. Change has never been easy. This is especially so the longer the status quo has been in play, whether in terms of a relationship, or a place one calls home, when routines and habits so firmly set in place, the very idea of change fills one with fear at what the future holds. Yet change is inevitable, and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Opposition 对峙 by The Necessary Stage and Drama Box

Against All Odds: An Interview with Alvin Tan, Haresh Sharma and Kok Heng Leun on ‘Opposition 对峙’

In any arts scene, you’re bound to find a sizeable number of big personalities, with headstrong artistic directors and scriptwriters who believe themselves the best and insist on a ‘my way or no way’ approach. It is for that same reason that collaborations between companies tend to be complicated affairs, and require not just a common vision, but also an open-minded creative team willing to … Continue reading Against All Odds: An Interview with Alvin Tan, Haresh Sharma and Kok Heng Leun on ‘Opposition 对峙’

Preview: Opposition 对峙 by The Necessary Stage and Drama Box

Over the last few years, local theatre companies Drama Box and The Necessary Stage (TNS) have been closely collaborating with each other, resulting in two critically-acclaimed productions – 2016’s Manifesto and 2018’s Underclass. Now, the two companies are set to present the final show in their trilogy of collaborations, with Opposition in March. “Opposition is a fascinating blend of live and multimedia performance. The narrative … Continue reading Preview: Opposition 对峙 by The Necessary Stage and Drama Box

★★★★☆ Review: _____ Can Change by The Necessary Stage

Using theatre as a framework for diversity of thought. As human beings who have evolved and adapted to our environment over millennia, change is a constant in our lives. But as a consequence of that, should minorities then be expected change, to assimilate and bend to the majority’s will? Restaged for the first time since its premiere in 2010, The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) ______ Can … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: _____ Can Change by The Necessary Stage