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Trilogy is a collection of three plays by Haresh Sharma that explore the fundamentals of text and realism by scrutinising pressing issues that affect contemporary society.

Written between 2006 and 2008, the plays – Fundamentally Happy, Good People and Gemuk Girls – feature simple but powerful narratives that question personal, social, cultural and political convictions.

These award-winning plays represent some of The Necessary Stage’s most critically-acclaimed works in recent years and are set to be contemporary classics of Singapore theatre.

After the successful launch of Trilogy, The Necessary Stage returns with another collection of plays, Shorts I by Haresh Sharma.

This collection of 6 plays contains some of Sharma’s best and most popular early works. 3 of them, Lanterns Never Go Out, Still Building and More have been published in a previous collection, but which is no longer available.

The other 3 plays, Hope, Talk I and Talk II have never been published before.

The collection also contains an introduction by Alvin Tan as well as notes to each play by Sharma.

Interlogue is a Series which brings into critical focus the works of Singapore writers in English. The Series aims for stimulating insights presented in a refreshing manner through sustained engagements with a variety of approaches, themes and perspectives. The first 3 volumes concentrate on fiction, poetry and drama. The contributors range from established scholars to new, young researchers in the field. All offer essays which serve to extend and enrich current understanding of the literature. Later volumes focus on individual authors and texts. Interlogue is designed to put Singapore Literature on the world map so that it will get the attention it deserves.

This volume in the Interlogue Series examines in detail Haresh Sharma’s extensive body of work, beginning with his very early writing and ending with his 2006 work. Prof. David Birch tries to paint a large social, political, economic and cultural landscape of Sharma’s writing and theatre since 1988, within and outside of his work with The Necessary Stage. He poses some key questions about Sharma’s development as a writer; the themes and issues he engages with and his vision and practice of theatre.

Language: English/Malay
Subtitles: English/Malay
Total Duration: Disc 1 (125 min), Disc 2 (49 min)
Colour Stereo 4:3
PAL
Zone: ALL

First staged in 1993 to critical acclaim, Off Centre is recognised as a landmark play in the history of Singapore theatre, best remembered for bringing mental illness and its patients’ plights to the attention of the media and general public in Singapore.

The play traces the friendship of Saloma and Vinod and the hurdles they have to overcome, including social stigmas, prejudices and personal conflicts.

Off Centre has also been selected by the Ministry of Education as the first Singapore play to be offered as a GCE ‘O’ Level literature text from 2007, and has been republished by The Necessary Stage.

This special two disc set includes interviews with playwright Haresh Sharma, director Alvin Tan, and members of the cast

Off Centre was first staged by The Necessary Stage in 1993, under the direction of Alvin Tan. Despite some controversy on funding and censorship, the play was eventually performed to public and critical acclaim.

Over the past 13 years, Off Centre has been made into an experimental feature film, published as part of a one-play series, adapted into a television movie, given a full reading in the UK, taught at a University in Kuala Lumpur and translated and staged as Otak Tak Centre in Kuala Lumpur. As one of The Necessary Stage’s landmark works, Off Centre is part of the Singaporean canon of literary works, and now and “O” and “N” level Literature text. Off Centre is also the first ever Singapore text to be offered at “O” levels.

The creation of Off Centre owes much to a methodology and process that allowed a group of dedicated and passionate artists to research into matters beyond their life experiences, to build a body of emotional and psychological knowledge to draw from, and sufficient time to nurture the maturity of character, relationships and themes.

Student Edition also available.

A publication for the purposes of corporate promotion.

Can Singapore - a nation driven by the politics of economic development - see the Arts as more than just cultural enterprise contributing to the country's GDP? With the new focus on theatre as business, what is the impact on socially-engaged and experimental theatre?

This volume of commentaries and critical essays, contributed by renowned practitioners and critics, tracks the achievements of social theatre in the past two decades through a detailed study of The Necessary Stage. Dealing with censorship, cultural bureaucracy, and evolving arts policies, they propose alternatives to the prevailing official discourse, and call for a re-thinking of art and culture as an enterprise that encompasses both social conscience and profitability.

Erika calls the dolls....they come.

Dolls and Dolls by Natalie Hennedige was created as part of The Necessary Stage's Playwright Cove.

It's first public reading was presented at the Asian Civilisation Museum on 9th February 2002.

 

You'd think it would be easy enough to get into a classroom on your first day as a teacher. Maybe you could even teach a lesson... But in this satirical farce, newbie Philip finds that school ain't what it used to be since the System took over.

School Rules by Tom Thawnely was created as part of The Necessary Stage's Playwright's Cove.

It's first public reading was presented at the Asian Civilisation Museum on 9th February 2002.

Ian is picked on a bulled in school. One day, he tells his classmates that they should leave him alone because he is special. Because he has a secret power: to walk on barren soil and make it flower again at his feet. No one believes him, of course. It's all just make-belief, they say. He doesn't think so. He doesn't want it to be so.

Special... by Kenneth Kwok was created as part of The Necessary Stage's Playwright's Cove.

It's first public reading was presented at the Asian Civilisation Museum on 9th February 2002.

 

2 people on a holiday. Boy likes girl. Girl doesn't like boy at all. Isn't this classic?

Journey Through 12 Scenes by Darren Chiam was created as part of The Necessary Stage's Playwright's Cove.

It's first public reading was presented at the Asian Civilisation Museum on 9th February 2002.