Theatre For Seniors

Launched in April 2008, The Necessary Stage's Theatre for Seniors (TFS) has grown and evolved with the support from partners including the National Arts Council, Council for 3rd Age, Lee Foundation, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple and BinjaiTree.

Senior citizens were trained by professional theatre practitioners in essential skills and knowledge in theatre-making including acting, playwriting and directing, as well as administration and technical work. The ground-breaking programme provides seniors an avenue to impart their personal stories, and adds new spectrums of looking at their life history and cultural identity.

TFS has since performed for various events like PAssion Arts Month 2013 to 2015, and at community venues such as libraries, community centres and Thye Hwa Kwan moral homes. Regular public showcases by the programme's graduates, also known as the Encore series, were also organised, with the latest installation being Encore IV: Love Life (2013).

Not only is TFS regularly featured by the National Arts Council as an example of active ageing through the arts, our graduates were recognised with a nominations in the Best Ensemble category during The Straits Times' LIFE! Theatre Awards for their performance in October (2012) by The Necessary Stage and Twelve Angry Men (2013) by Nine Years Theatre.

Eight seniors were also trained to conduct a Five-Session Basic Acting Workshop, which have thus far been delivered to more than 200 fellow senior citizens in collaboration with North East Community Development Council, South East Community Development Council and National Library Board.

TFS was also commissioned to stage a successful production entitled Old Flames as part of the 2013 My Queenstown Festival, and featured at the M1 Singapore Fringe festival 2014 in Singapore's first senior forum theatre production entitled Take Me or Leave Me!. TFS' recent works include Pioneer (Girls) Generation at Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore, as part of The Necessary Stage's main season production in 2015, as well as Rise of the Phoenix at Esplanade Theatre Studio, as part of Esplanade's A Date with Friends 2015.

TFS continues to actively engage our growing population of seniors via drama. More so than ever, we look to provide opportunities for seniors to showcase their talents within and outside their communities.

For more information and queries about Theatre for Seniors, please get in touch with:
Melissa Lim
Email: melissa@necessary.org
Tel: (65) 6440 8115