Alvin Tan

Alvin Tan (b. 1963, Singapore–) is the founder and artistic director of theatre company The Necessary Stage (TNS). He is a theatre director, arts educator and activist whose career has spanned more than 30 years.¹ Tan was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2010 and the Cultural Medallion in 2014.²

Early life, education and career
Born in 1963 in Singapore, Alvin Tan is the eldest of three children in a Peranakan family.³ Tan has a bachelor of arts degree in English literature and sociology from the National University of Singapore, a diploma in education from the Institute of Education,and a master of philosophy degree in theatre arts from the University of Birmingham.⁴ He was an English literature teacher at Raffles Institution before he quit to become a full-time theatre practitioner in 1992.⁵ In 1996, Tan was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the Tisch School of the Arts in New York.⁶

Contributions to Singapore theatre
As one of the foremost advocates of devised theatre, Tan is best known for his social anthropological approach in fleshing out characters.⁷ He highlights humanitarian and social issues in his work and offers realistic representations of Singapore society. For instance, mental illness was the focus in Haresh Sharma‘s Off Centre (1993), which Tan directed in 1993, 2007 and 2019.⁸ Tan also directed Sharma’s Fundamentally Happy (2006), a play that addresses personal, emotional and legal issues relating to paedophilia.⁹

TNS’s work champions Singaporean identity and societal issues.¹⁰ Tan has helped to spearhead TNS’s collaborative process of play-building, where original plays are created through in-depth research, intensive improvisations and input from the creative team.¹¹ Since founding TNS in 1987, he has steered TNS to becoming one of the best-known theatre groups in Singapore.¹²

Tan believes in theatre as a tool for social engagement.¹³ His theatre advocacy work has contributed to the blossoming of community theatre and brought theatre to the HDB heartlands, through events such as the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (2005), Theatre for Youth Branch (1992), Marine Parade Theatre Festival (2000) and Theatre for Seniors (2008). These events have enabled different communities to relate their tales and explore cultural identities on stage.¹⁴ He initiated publications such as 9 Lives: 10 Years of Singapore Theatre (1997), with the hope of facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge among arts practitioners and civil society.¹⁵

Selected works
Tan has directed more than 100 original Singaporean plays, many of which have garnered accolades. Some of these include Still Building (1992−94), Off Centre (1993, 2007, 2019), Completely With/Out Character (1999), Those Who Can’t, Teach (1990, 2010), Mobile 2: Flat Cities (2013) and godeatgod (2002, 2004, 2005). The latter was restaged with 7:84, a Scottish theatre company, and toured to international theatre festivals in Hong Kong, Romania and Hungary.¹⁶

Tan has directed international collaborations such as Mobile (2006) and Mobile 2: Flat Cities (2013) with Singaporean, Japanese and Malaysian artists; Crossings (2012) with TRAFIK (Croatia); Past Caring (2009) with Tony Yap Company (Australia); and Sofaman (2009) with Theatre KnAM (Russia) in 2010.¹⁷

Mentorship and education
Tan believes strongly in advocacy, arts education and nurturing young thespians. He has mentored talented young artists such as Chong Tze Chien of The Finger Players and Natalie Hennedige of Cake Theatrical Productions.¹⁸

Tan’s trailblazing work in arts education, which started in 1992, has spurred the growth of several Theatre-in-Education and Drama-in-Education programmes. Under these programmes, plays go on the tour circuit to schools, introducing theatre to generations of students.¹⁹ In 2014, he was invited to be on the Syllabus Development Committee for the Arts Education branch of Ministry of Education, to design an O-Level drama syllabus for implementation in schools in 2017.²⁰

Tan speaks at conferences worldwide on topics such as intercultural collaboration in theatre, arts education and community development.²¹

Civil society and public initiatives
Tan was the artistic director of the theatre component of Bird People in Tanglin Halt, a project on the dilemmas of urban heritage and biodiversity.²² In addition, he sat on Singapore50 Committee, which coordinated nationwide celebrations for Singapore’s 50th birthday in 2015.²³

Selected awards²⁴
1998: Recipient of National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award
2005: Best Director & Best Production for Separation 40, BOH-Cameronian
2007: Production of the Year for Fundamentally Happy, 7th Life! Theatre Awards
2009: Production of the Year, Gemuk Girls, 9th Life! Theatre Awards
2010: Recipient of the Chevalier des Arts et Letters, Ministry of Culture in France
2011: Best Director, Model Citizens, 11th Life! Theatre Awards
2014: Recipient of Singapore’s highest artistic accolade, the Cultural Medallion Award



References
1. Nanda Akshita, “30 Years of Making Theatre,” Straits Times, 24 January 2017. (From NewspaperSG)
2. “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan,” National Arts Council, last updated 13 April 2023 (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore); “Backstage Pass,” Straits Times, 15 April 2010, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Andy Chen, “He Keeps Giving,” Straits Times, 5 January 2009, 42. (From NewspaperSG)
4. Hong Xinyi, “The Next Stage,” Straits Times, 4 January 2007, 42 (From NewspaperSG); Susan Tsang, “Theatre Talk: Devised Scholarship,” Straits Times, 25 January 1996, 11 (From NewspaperSG); National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
5. Tan Shzr Ee, “This Year’s Best Young Artists. Always at Play. Alvin Tan,” Straits Times, 19 September 1998, 3; Corrie Tan, “From Shakespeare to Finding a Singaporean Voice,” Straits Times, 16 October 2014, 8–9. (From NewspaperSG).
6. Tan, “Always at Play.”
7. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
8. Corrie Tan, “Classic Singapore Plays: Off Centre Put Mental Illness Front and Centre,” Straits Times, 27 January 2015,11 (From NewspaperSG); Nanda Akshita, “Off Centre is Still Spot On,” Straits Times, 11 February 2019. (From Newslink via NLB’s eResources website)
9. David Chew, “TNS’ Double Take on Paedophilia,” Today, 19 September 2006, 35. (From NewspaperSG)
10. Tan, “From Shakespeare to Finding a Singaporean Voice”; National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
11. Tan, “From Shakespeare to Finding a Singaporean Voice.”
12. Tan, “From Shakespeare to Finding a Singaporean Voice”; National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
13. Elizabeth A. Kaiden, “Nine Lives: Survival of Singapore Theatre,” Straits Times, 27 November 1997, 2; Corrie Tan, “Cultural Medallion Recipient Alvin Tan on Finding a Singaporean Voice On Stage,” Straits Times, 16 October 2014, (From NewspaperSG)
14. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
15. Kaiden, “Nine Lives: Survival of Singapore Theatre.”
16. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
17. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
18. Tan, “From Shakespeare to Finding a Singaporean Voice.”
19. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
20. “Biographies of Artists: Alvin Tan,” M1 Singapore Fringe Festivals 2015,” M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015, accessed 21 March 2024, https://www.singaporefringe.com/fringe2015/assets/live-fringe---the-necessary-stage.pdf.
21. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”
22. M1 Singapore Fringe Festivals 2015, “Biographies of Artists: Alvin Tan.”
23. Walter Sim, “Group of 10 to Show Love for S’pore in New Ways,” Straits Times, 21 August 2014, 5. (From NewspaperSG).
24. National Arts Council, “About the Cultural Medallion. 2014. Alvin Tan.”



Further resources
Singapore Drama Educators Association, Dramatise: the Singapore Journal of the Singapore Drama Educators Association. (Singapore : Singapore Drama Educators Association, 2005–). (Call no. RSING 792.07105957 D)

The Necessary Stage, Staged News (Singapore: Necessary Stage, 1992). (Call no. RSING 792.05 SN)

The Necessary Stage, Focas: Forum on Contemporary Art & Society (Singapore: The Necessary Stage, 2000). (Call no. Serials Collection RSING 700.95957 F)

The Necessary Stage, Ephemera [Folder]: Booklets, Leaflets and Brochures on the Performances of the Necessary Stage (1991–present) (Call no. RCLOS O614)

The Necessary Stage and National Art Council, Development through Drama: Towards Providing a Holistic Education in Singapore Schools (Singapore: The Necessary Stage, 2000). (Call no. RSING q372.13399095957 DEV)

The Necessary Stage, 9 Lives: 10 Years of Singapore Theatre 1987–1997: Essays, introduction by Sanjay Krishnan (Singapore: The Stage, 1997). (Call no. RSING 792.095957 NIN)

Tan Chong Kee and Tisa Ng, Ask Not: The Necessary Stage in Singapore theatre (Singapore: Times Editions, 2004). (Call no. RSING 792.095957 ASK)

Haresh Sharma and Alvin Tan, Fundamentally Happy (Singapore: The Necessary Stage Ltd, 2006). (RSING S822 SHA)

The Necessary Stage, Those Who Can’t, Teach (Singapore: The Necessary Stage Ltd, 1992). (RCLOS S822 SHA)



The information in this article is valid as of January 2024 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.