KUMAR STANDS UP FOR SINGAPORE by Dream Academy

The Ha-Ha Show? Not Quite.

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 22 April 2015

I have to be honest that I came to this show with gargantuan expectations, having watched prior runs of Kumar’s stand-up comedy shows a number of years ago.

And it certainly looks promising.

As you make your way into the theatre, you are greeted by red and white ribbons adorning the corridors (akin to an SG50 or National Day Celebrations event) and the theatre is swathed with bright lights and atmospheric (euphemism for grandiose) music once you enter. In fact there is even a photo booth with props outside the theatre for you to take fun shots with your company for the night and even chances to take part in a lucky draw by completing an online survey. All very fun and carnival-like.

But it stops there.

Once the show proper gets underway, you are reminded how the meat of any comedic performance must be the material. And this is when all the superficial facade of the glitzy performance starts to crack. A lot of the material is really quite hackneyed: digs at local politicians, national campaigns and businesses, foreign nationals and even our silly Singaporean antics. Granted, nothing is sacred because Kumar will take on anything regardless of race, language or religion. But this was a vegan roasting at best.

The show takes a risk with an audience interaction segment in the middle of the show. This is often tricky as audience reaction is unpredictable. Nevertheless, Kumar is in his element and deals with everything thrown at him and milks it for all its worth. It is during times like these where you see glimpses of Kumar’s brilliance as a comedian – his ability to find and create humour from the ad-lib moments instead of adhering to a set script.

The show can do with tighter direction to avoid coming across as overly-kitschy. To be perfectly honest, what is the point of the different voiceover effects? And getting Kumar to lip-sync to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Roar?

Aesthetically, there are (few) hits and (many more) misses. Kumar looks elegant in all his dresses, sari and Wonder Woman outfit. However, the set design is sparse and largely unimaginative. The audience, fully aware of the five-star motif and theme of the show, is presented with – yep, you’ve guessed it — five huge LED-lit stars emblazoned across the otherwise deserted Esplanade Theatre stage. Oh yes, did I forget to mention that these stars yoyo up and down in between scenes and provide a convenient screen for Kumar to perform one of his many costume changes? To be fair, the final scene did introduce a shiny, shimmering curtain as the backdrop in addition to the stars but this is yet another distraction. Ultimately, there are few things that added a purposeful dimension to the performance – which unfortunately is an apt description for the entire show.