★★☆☆☆ Theatre Review: SG Insecure by The Necessary Stage

TNS’ attempt to subvert the SG60 celebrations is a patchy collection of stories about government surveillance and control that instead reveals its own insecurities. If there’s one thing Singaporeans crave, it’s control, whether over order, and how we’re seen by others. SG Insecure, The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) latest work, sets out to question that national impulse. Framed as a subversive take on the SG60 celebrations, … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Theatre Review: SG Insecure by The Necessary Stage

The Necessary Stage presents ‘From Forum Theatre to Devising Theatre Workshop Showcase 2025’

Can happiness be measured as a KPI? Will a father’s grief be assuaged by an impassive cyborg? Is there love after loss? Join us in exploring these real and fictional stories investigating the quality of life in a series of fresh and provocative works-in-progress by the participants of The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) From Forum Theatre to Devising Theatre Workshop Showcase 2025. The showcase runs from … Continue reading The Necessary Stage presents ‘From Forum Theatre to Devising Theatre Workshop Showcase 2025’

An Interview with the writers of The Necessary Stage’s ‘SG Insecure’: An SG60 play examining Singapore’s past, present and future

This October, The Necessary Stage (TNS) premieres SG Insecure, promising a bold new work about nationhood, belonging, and the contradictions that come with being Singaporean at a pivotal juncture in our history. As Singapore marks 60 years of independence amidst an era of global uncertainty, most other companies and organisations would find it a time of celebration. Instead, SG Insecure chooses to interrogate the stories … Continue reading An Interview with the writers of The Necessary Stage’s ‘SG Insecure’: An SG60 play examining Singapore’s past, present and future

Preview: SG Insecure by The Necessary Stage

This October, The Necessary Stage (TNS) premieres a brand new work on nationhood and belonging at a pivotal juncture in Singapore’s history. SG Insecure, a provocative investigation of Singapore past and present, is particularly apt as Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence, amidst tumultuous times of social and global uncertainty. Delving into stories of migrant workers through history who have and continue to contribute … Continue reading Preview: SG Insecure by The Necessary Stage

Haresh Sharma Awarded Honorary Doctor of Arts by Bath Spa University

Haresh Sharma, the Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage (TNS), has received the Honorary Doctor of Arts awarded by Bath Spa University in the United Kingdom. Responding to his being conferred the accolade, Sharma says, “I’m deeply grateful to be awarded the Honorary Doctor of Arts as a recognition of my 37 years of work and dedication to growing and developing Singapore theatre.” He also … Continue reading Haresh Sharma Awarded Honorary Doctor of Arts by Bath Spa University

★★☆☆☆ Review: No Man’s Land by The Necessary Stage

The message is lost in this uneven and confusing exploration of masculinity, its title aptly representing the wasteland and vacuum of modern manhood. In 2025, men find themselves in an interesting new era of their gender, where stereotypes and roles are being questioned, and it seems that we now need new definitions, new ways of seeing and defining where exactly masculinity stands today. Promising that … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: No Man’s Land by The Necessary Stage

No Man’s Land: An Interview with the creative team behind The Necessary Stage’s new show tackling modern day masculinity

What makes a man today? That is the central question at the heart of The Necessary Stage’s new play No Man’s Land. Co-directed by Alvin Tan and Sim Yan Ying “YY”, and written by Danial Matin, the new work is a devised, interdisciplinary production exploring the tensions, confusions, vulnerabilities, and inherited weight of masculinity; what it means, how it’s shaped, and who, if anyone, owns … Continue reading No Man’s Land: An Interview with the creative team behind The Necessary Stage’s new show tackling modern day masculinity

Preview: No Man’s Land by The Necessary Stage

Dive into a raw and unflinching exploration of masculinity in No Man’s Land, a thought-provoking devised interdisciplinary experience that sees the team at The Necessary Stage boldly ripping away the veneer of manhood, to immerse audiences in an arena where traditional masculinity collides with contemporary reality. In No Man’s Land, we are thrust into a shifting landscape where four men grapple with primal rituals, battle … Continue reading Preview: No Man’s Land by The Necessary Stage

★★★★☆ Review: I Am Seaweed by MASHH (Mm and Something Happens Here)

How much is too much when we live in a culture where exhaustion and burnout is worn like a badge of pride? In a world where we’re constantly told to work hard if we want to make our dreams come true, countless hustlers have made it their life’s mission to do all they can to make it happen, going into overdrive to work around the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: I Am Seaweed by MASHH (Mm and Something Happens Here)

★★★☆☆ Review: Eclipse (2025) by The Necessary Stage

Learning to leave history behind to find the light at the end of the trauma. For most Singaporeans, India’s Partition is stuck firmly in the past, and having taken place in a land so physically distant from our island city, seems like it would have little impact on us in the present day. But for those with relatives or ancestors living in India or Pakistan, … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Eclipse (2025) by The Necessary Stage