Desert Blooms – The Dawn of Queer Singaporean Theatre by Ng Yi-Sheng makes its return after a well-received first staging in 2019. This staging will be held as part of Centre 42’s 10th anniversary fun-raising celebration, with Wild Rice as a venue partner. This showcase of the queer Singaporean theatre scene will be presented to a wider audience for one show only on 30 June 2024, 3pm at the 358 seater Wild Rice
Theatre.
Desert Blooms 2024 features the talents of Yap Yi Kai, Medli Dorothea Loo, Izzul Irfan and Coco Wang Ling as cast, with Tan Shou Chen returning to direct. Audiences will be treated to a kaleidoscopic lecture-performance that recounts the history of queer and queer-allied voices in Singapore theatre during the tumultuous decade of 1985-1995, showcasing the works of playwrights such as Eleanor Wong, Russell Heng and many more. From the first portrayals of a transgender woman’s struggles in “Lest the Demons Get to Me” to the first lesbian protagonist in “Mergers and Accusations”, Desert Blooms deftly paints the story of how these plays opened conversations for queer characters to enter society’s consciousness.
Venue: Wild Rice, 107 North Bridge Rd, #04-08 Funan, Singapore 179105
When: 30 Jun 2024, 3pm
By: Centre 42
