M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with The Necessary Stage on a new staging of Haresh Sharma’s ‘Eclipse’

Over the years, The Necessary Stage (TNS) has made a name for itself with some of the most gripping, hard-hitting plays to come out of Singapore, primarily thanks to Resident Playwright and Cultural Medallion recipient Haresh Sharma. Among these plays is Eclipse, which looks at three generations of men struggling with their dreams and their journeys, as a young Singaporean man makes a journey to … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with The Necessary Stage on a new staging of Haresh Sharma’s ‘Eclipse’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Birds Migrant Theatre on ‘The Troupe’

Comprising a group of theatre enthusiasts who also happen to be migrant workers, Birds Migrant Theatre is back for another edition of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival this coming January. Following Foreign Bodies in 2023, which we described as ‘an unflinching, objectively written story that speaks truth to the limitations of being a migrant in Singapore’, the team is back withThe Troupe, yet another original … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Birds Migrant Theatre on ‘The Troupe’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Qabilah on ‘WePushTheSky’

Friends are and have always been a key part of our lives – no man is an island after all, and more than ever, rather than seeking out tribes where we simply see the similarities, it becomes more important to make space for differences, expand our mindsets and welcome others with open arms and nuance. That is what Indian company Qabilah is doing with WePushTheSky, … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Qabilah on ‘WePushTheSky’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Ruby Jayaseelan on ‘Dancing with the Ghost of My Child’

Can the arts heal pain? In tackling issues such as vulnerability, trauma and the desire to heal, the students of the BA (Hons) in Performance Making programme at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts are attempting to do just that, in Dancing with the Ghost of My Child in January. Playing as part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2025, the devised work is led by … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Ruby Jayaseelan on ‘Dancing with the Ghost of My Child’

M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Siren Theatre Co. on ‘The End of Winter’

‘The End of Winter’ sounds like the stuff of fairytales, something that some kind of supernatural, fantastical villain plots to do away with snow forever. But the truth is, with rapid climate change and global warming, that could well be a reality before we know it, particularly in Australia, where the people truly feel the heat, with warmer and shorter winters each year. How do … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe 2025: An Interview with Siren Theatre Co. on ‘The End of Winter’

The Necessary Stage expands Associate Artists Programme with Two Trailblazing Designers for 2025

The Necessary Stage (TNS) continues to champion innovation and inclusivity in socially engaged theatre by welcoming two groundbreaking additions to its 2025 Associate Artists Programme (AAP). For the first time, the programme will feature designers, with sound designer and composer Safuan Johari and lighting designer Faith Liu Yong Huay joining the current dynamic cohort. This move marks an exciting evolution in the AAP, spotlighting the … Continue reading The Necessary Stage expands Associate Artists Programme with Two Trailblazing Designers for 2025

★★★★★ 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