The Necessary Stage

The Necessary Stage Formed in 1987 by our current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theat

📢 We know some of you have been waiting for this news—and we're elated to say: The Fringe will be back in January 2027!I...
30/04/2026

📢 We know some of you have been waiting for this news—and we're elated to say: The Fringe will be back in January 2027!

It was a tough three-month long crowdfunding effort with our "Stand with the Fringe" campaign. But you showed up and donated an amazing $59,592, together with numerous messages of support and shares on socials.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! 🫶🏼 We are so moved and grateful for your support.

Though we didn't manage to hit our goal of $80,000, we will keep fundraising in the coming months to see if we can hit the target. As such, we are launching a new fundraising campaign "Be a Fringe Ally" for the shortfall. Funds raised for this campaign will go towards enhancing accessibility features of the Festival, as well as for greater support for commissioned young Singapore artists.

If you believe in our work, please donate at: bit.ly/fringe27ally

You can also help us immensely by sharing this post and the link.

Donations of $10 and above still qualify for the 2.5x tax deduction, and will also be matched by the Cultural Matching Fund.



Photo credits:
1. Invisible by Art:DIS & The Necessary Stage at Fringe 2026: Tuckys Photography
2. Being: 息在 by 微 Wei Collective & Collaborators at Fringe 2022: Daniel Teo
3. The Troupe by Birds Migrant Theatre at Fringe 2025: Birds Migrant Theatre
4. The Essential Playlist by The Second Breakfast Company at Fringe 2022: The Second Breakfast Company
5. Here Where You Were by Matter.Less at Fringe 2024: Matter.Less
6. Best Of by The Necessary Stage at Fringe 2013: Alan Lim

Selamat Hari Raya to all our Muslim friends! Wishing everyone a blessed season of joy and gratitude from all of us at Th...
20/03/2026

Selamat Hari Raya to all our Muslim friends! Wishing everyone a blessed season of joy and gratitude from all of us at The Necessary Stage.

Good news!We are thrilled to share that you will be able to use your SkillsFuture credits for the Playwrights' Cove 2026...
11/03/2026

Good news!

We are thrilled to share that you will be able to use your SkillsFuture credits for the Playwrights' Cove 2026 workshop by Haresh Sharma.

If you're a creative writer who's been looking to expand your writing skills beyond the page, this intensive playwriting workshop has been specially crafted for you. This year, we're dedicating the workshop curriculum to creatives in the Literary Arts field with a focus on character-development, dialogue, structure and narrative. The workshop culminates in a reading of an original work or an adaptation of a work you've previously written so if you've been twiddling your thumbs about taking your work a step further, now's your chance to turn that into reality!

📆 Applications close on Friday, 13 March 2026. More details are available at bit.ly/PC2026-appform.

❗️ Eligible for SkillsFuture credits! All Singaporeans aged 25 and above can use their $500 SkillsFuture Credit from the government to pay for approved skills-related courses, including Playwrights' Cove 2026.
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03/03/2026

10 more days to join this year’s Playwrights’ Cove! This year, we’re keeping our eyes peeled for creatives in the Literary Arts scene. 👀 Whether you’re a poet, novelist, fiction or non-fiction writer, you’re someone we’d love to have in the class of 2026! Send in your applications by 13 March to be part of an intensive playwriting workshop that will hone your creative writing skills and bring your works from page to stage. Application details are available through the link in our bio or head over to https://bit.ly/PC2026-appform
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Good news! You can now use your $100 SG Culture Pass on both local cultural experiences as well as Sing Lit books, inclu...
02/03/2026

Good news!

You can now use your $100 SG Culture Pass on both local cultural experiences as well as Sing Lit books, including selected titles by Resident Playwright HARESH SHARMA at Book Bar, City Book Room and Books Kinokuniya.

Just look out for the "Sg Culture Pass" label on eligible titles, or approach the friendly staff for more information.

Visit sgculturepass.gov.sg to find out more!

EDUCATORS! Your students are going to absolutely relate to our brand-new co-production with Esplanade entitled ERROR 403...
19/02/2026

EDUCATORS! Your students are going to absolutely relate to our brand-new co-production with Esplanade entitled ERROR 403: This School is Mine!

Join us for an interactive theatrical experience that dives into the impact of Artificial Intelligence on learning, autonomy and our moral compass!

🗓 Dates: July 20 – 23, 2026
🕒 Times: Mon-Wed: 2:30 PM, Thurs: 2:30 PM & 5 PM
🎟 Tickets: Only $27 for schools! Enjoy complimentary teacher tickets with student bookings.

This is a must-see for all Secondary school students aged 13-16! Don’t miss this chance to inspire and engage your students. For more info and to book, contact Esplanade Box Office at 6828 8389 or email [email protected]—or just drop us a line!

Let’s explore the future together! 😎

16/02/2026

🍊🍊 GXFC to those who celebrate the Lunar New Year! Here‘s to a prosperous gallop into 2026 with maximum huatz! (And for those who aren’t celebrating, may you have a restful holiday break!)

Will you stand with the Fringe?We have been heartened by your enthusiasm and messages of support at Fringe 2026, but we ...
04/02/2026

Will you stand with the Fringe?

We have been heartened by your enthusiasm and messages of support at Fringe 2026, but we need your support to keep Fringe 2027 going.

Every dollar counts! All donations to the Fringe will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Tote Board’s Enhanced Fundraising Programme.

We have till 31 March to raise our target of $80,000 and we're still really far from reaching it. Please help us make Fringe 2027 happen!

👉👉👉 bit.ly/StandWithTheFringe

Photo credits: Crispian Chan, Tuckys Photography, Juha Hanse

Image descriptions in comments



We are very grateful for the interest and conversations that our open call for the Peranakan Devising Lab has generated!...
30/01/2026

We are very grateful for the interest and conversations that our open call for the Peranakan Devising Lab has generated! We would like to address some questions pertaining to the workshop and clarify its objectives.

Some folks have asked whether this workshop series is exclusionary or exclusive. To be clear: while priority is given to candidates who are Peranakan, we are open to applicants who are interested in the Peranakan heritage and culture.

There are also certain aspects of the workshop which are being fine-tuned so that we can widen the scope. For instance, we are hoping to engage translators with a background in other languages and patois associated with the wider Peranakan community to conduct workshops.

The intention of the Peranakan Devising Lab is to explore, preserve and celebrate our diverse SEA intercultural Peranakan heritage through training, mentorship and cultural production, and to build community and capacity together.

To emphasise this, we have adjusted our call for submissions accordingly because we want to convey the right messaging, and that this initiative is one that brings us together rather than creates insular silos.

Address

180 Paya Lebar Road, #10-06, Yi Guang Factory Building
Singapore
409032

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 - 18:00
Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 18:00
Thursday 10:00 - 18:00
Friday 10:00 - 18:00

Telephone

+6564408115

Website

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