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Every day, we are inundated with dire consequences of the climate emergency.

In the face of this threat to humanity, what do we do? Recycle? Switch to environmentally-friendly products? Be a vegan? Stop having children? What can we do—and do our actions even matter?

Why do we have such different responses to climate change? What makes one a denialist, or another to commit acts of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice?

Can we as individuals, and collectively, affect change? Or will politics and profit dictate the fate of this planet—our only home?

A ground-breaking interdisciplinary collaboration with artists from Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, The Year of No Return by Singapore theatre company The Necessary Stage seeks to unravel the complications and contradictions in humanity’s responses to climate change. This hybrid production incorporating live performance and video presentation seeks to question whether we live in an age of despair—or one of hope in the dark.

The Necessary Stage’s (TNS) developmental platform, The Orange Production, is back for a second instalment.  For 2019, two brand new full-length works will be featured: We Were So Hopeful Then, written by up-and-coming theatre practitioner Ellison Tan Yuyang and directed by Alvin Tan, and Acting Mad, with text by Haresh Sharma and recent School of the Arts graduates Harris Albar and Maryam Noorhimli, and directed by Sharma.

Other creative personnel involved include Lighting Designer for both productions Stella Cheung, Dramaturg Melissa Lim and Multimedia Designer Yusri Sapari, the latter two for We Were So Hopeful Then.

Interestingly, both works within 2019’s The Orange Production cast the spotlight on issues within the theatre industry that are not often discussed.

We Were So Hopeful Then is set in 2025 during a fictitious Singapore Theatre Icon Awards, which aims to pay tribute to industry personnel that remain backstage and are not adequately acknowledged. It seeks to ask how much we care about invisibility in our work environment, as well as implicit biases entrenched in public accolades. The play features Henrik Cheng, Myra Loke, Sindhura Kalidas and Zaaki Nasir.

Acting Mad looks at mental illness and stigma within the theatre industry, and specifically for actors, and explores whether theatre-making can serve as support for these individuals. The work is based on verbatim texts of interviews done with local actors who have experienced or are experiencing mental health issues. The play features Al-Matin Yatim, Andre Chong, Karen Tan and Masturah Oli.

The Orange Production is a brand new exploratory platform created by The Necessary Stage (TNS) as part of its 30th anniversary in 2017. Through this platform, the company collaborates with new artists on smaller, portable works, presented in its black box theatre.

For 2017, The Orange Production features a double-bill of works:

- Drip, written by Nabilah Said and directed by Haresh Sharma, and;
- Whale Fall, written by by Faith Ng and directed by Alvin Tan.

The Necessary Stage celebrates its 30th anniversary with the return of Those Who Can’t, Teach!

First staged in 1990 and subsequently in 2010 to full houses at the Singapore Arts Festival, Those Who Can’t, Teach is a Singaporean theatre classic by Cultural Medallion winners Alvin Tan and Haresh Sharma.

Set in a secondary school, the play looks at the madcap lives of teachers and students—with often hilarious results. As the teachers struggle daily to 'nurture and groom', the students prefer to hang out and chill. In the meantime, they all have to deal with the dreaded 'parents'.

With upskirting and texting, teaching and politicking, school has never been the same. Join the rambunctious cast of characters as they struggle to prove that Those Who CAN, Teach.

Ryan, Farah and Wee Kiat are best friends in school. When the principal assigns them a special project to explore and research Singapore's maritime industry, they take it in their stride. However, they later discover they have to make a presentation to the whole school. Can they rise up to the challenge? Will their friendship be tested by THE PROJECT?

Join these friends as they go on a fun and crazy adventure – unearthing secrets of Singapore's maritime past; going behind the scenes to explore world trade, meeting seafarers and storytellers...

The Project is an entertaining and educational play that will bring audiences on an unforgettable journey.

Seniors take centre stage! Join us as we present an afternoon of interactive theatre where you, the audience, get to participate. Two topical issues will be covered in this forum theatre production, The first is divorce amongst seniors. In recent times, more couples are seeking divorces in their old age. Why is this the case? The second is abandonment of the elderly. Why do some families leave their elderly family members at the void deck while they are away to work? How can we help them?

The format of forum theatre includes a performance of the play; followed by audience interaction.