Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Woody Avenue on normalising queerness and representing love in ‘A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical’

When theatre-makers Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders first started writing a musical about a woman trying to create the happiest lesbian love story ever put on stage, they didn’t realise they were also building a company. “The idea for the production came first and the company came after,” Rosie laughs. “A lot of people asked who was the company behind it, and we thought, oh, … Continue reading Singapore Fringe Festival 2026: An Interview with Woody Avenue on normalising queerness and representing love in ‘A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical’

★★★☆☆ Review: Old Gaze by The Necessary Stage

Camp take on finding one’s place in a fast-changing world loses the plot. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Haresh Sharma) 5 Script (Haresh Sharma) 5 Performance (Hossan Leong, Kumar, Rody Vera, Siti Khalijah Zainal, Liow Shi Suen, Azura Farid and Medli Dorothea Loo) 6 Lighting Design (Yo Shao Ann) 6 Multimedia Design (Brian Gothong Tan) 5 Set Design (Vincent Lim) 5 Total 32/60 (53%) … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Old Gaze by The Necessary Stage

Old Gaze: An Interview with writer/director Haresh Sharma, and cast members Kumar and Hossan Leong

In a rainbow landscape that’s constantly changing with the times, the speed at which we move forward and ideals evolve, it’s all too easy to forget the queer pioneers that were there from the very beginning, survivors and champions before some of us were even born. As we look towards a post-377A future and wonder what’s next, perhaps it’s time to turn our attention towards … Continue reading Old Gaze: An Interview with writer/director Haresh Sharma, and cast members Kumar and Hossan Leong

Preview: Old Gaze by The Necessary Stage

After almost 20 years, The Necessary Stage brings back old friends to present brand new play Old Gaze. Brash, audacious and just rollicking good fun, Old Gaze is the third and final instalment following TNS’ seminal LGBTQ plays Mardi Gras (2003) and Top or Bottom (2004). “This final installment has been written 19 years later. The three main characters played by Hossan, Kumar and Rody … Continue reading Preview: Old Gaze by The Necessary Stage

In London’s West End 2019: King’s Head Theatre’s Coming Clean at Trafalgar Studios (Review)

The lines of desire are set ablaze with this 80s drama about fidelity and the rules of engagement within (and without) a queer relationship.  LONDON – After a well-received run at London’s King’s Head Theatre, late British playwright Kevin Elyot’s debut play has received a West End transfer. Coming Clean, which premiered at the Bush Theatre in 1982, was landmark for its time with its normalization of a … Continue reading In London’s West End 2019: King’s Head Theatre’s Coming Clean at Trafalgar Studios (Review)

In London’s West End 2018: Young Vic’s The Inheritance at the Noel Coward Theatre (Review)

A moving portrayal of Howards End seen through the lens of a 21st century queer narrative. LONDON – For the generation of gay men who came after the AIDs crisis of the 1990s, how could they even begin to understand the horror of what those who came before them went through? Directed by Stephen Daldry, Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance opens on a similar note, asking not how to … Continue reading In London’s West End 2018: Young Vic’s The Inheritance at the Noel Coward Theatre (Review)

In London’s West End 2018: Sheffield Theatres’ Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at London’s Apollo Theatre (Review)

Fabulously empowering British musical for a new generation.  LONDON – Some of the greatest high school dramas originate from America, but Sheffield Theatres’ original musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie makes a strong case for joining those ranks. Inspired by BBC documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, director Jonathan Butterell brings the story of a teenager who dreams of becoming a drag queen to life with all the verve of a … Continue reading In London’s West End 2018: Sheffield Theatres’ Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at London’s Apollo Theatre (Review)

In London’s West End 2018: National Theatre’s Nine Night at Trafalgar Studios (Review)

Family drama meets funeral tradition in this scintillating debut from Natasha Gordon. LONDON – The Caribbean funeral tradition of Nine-Nights is a fascinating one – unlike the idea of mourning in so many cultures, Nine-Nights instead is a ritual of celebration. Now, that tradition has finally been given a national platform to be presented to the world, as National Theatre presents Natasha Gordon’s Nine Night.  When matriarch … Continue reading In London’s West End 2018: National Theatre’s Nine Night at Trafalgar Studios (Review)

Review: Kinky Boots presented by Base Entertainment Asia

Full of heart and high heels, Kinky Boots delivers its message of acceptance loud and proud.  It’s been a long time coming, but there’s never been a better time for multi-award winning musical Kinky Boots to have finally found its way to Singapore. With a touring cast direct from Broadway, the Harvey Fierstein/Cyndi Lauper musical is feel good entertainment at its very best, boasting infectious numbers and … Continue reading Review: Kinky Boots presented by Base Entertainment Asia

Review: Of Love and Law dir. Hikaru Toda (Love and Pride Film Festival 2018)

The trials and tribulations of a law firm run by an openly gay couple in Japan tugs at the heartstrings and leaves one with irrefutable hope for the future.  Of Love and Law opens not with a shot of our protagonists, but at a park in Osaka, where an LGBTQ event is taking place. The camera is placed at a low angle, and we see attendees … Continue reading Review: Of Love and Law dir. Hikaru Toda (Love and Pride Film Festival 2018)