The Necessary Stage

Alvin Tan will share his experiences on the effective use of community theatre. He will discuss ​The Necessary Stage's devising and collaborative methodology, using some plays to illustrate how The Necessary Stage negotiates​ multiple cultural sensibilities, and the need to educate themselves before embarking on the artistic journey of theatre-making.

One of the plays include Off Centre, a play on mental illness and the field research conducted during the process of creating the work. Another play, Completely With/Out Character, is about Paddy Chew, the first Singaporean who came out with his HIV status. Paddy had approached The Necessary Stage to create a play about living with HIV in Singapore, and it took a year to interview and prepare him for the stage.

Other international collaborations such as Mobile and Mobile 2: Flat Cities, involve multiple partners from Japan, Thailand and the Philippines, showcases The Necessary Stage's application of an intercultural approach that has ​its genesis from working in multicultural Singapore for twenty-seven years.