Standing Kumar

Reviewer: Gan Soon Rui
Performance: 24 April 2015

If, to quote a quotable quote, “Laughter is the best medicine”, can KUMAR Stands Up For Singapore be the proverbial “all-cure” to Singapore’s problems?

Perhaps.

KUMAR Stands Up For Singapore is the latest stand-up comedy by the self-proclaimed STB (Singapore’s Top Bapok. In this installment, Kumar who, as the title iterates, stands up for Singapore by bringing up current issues of concerns. The performance is presented in five parts, each part based on one of the ideas behind each of the five stars (Justice, Equality, Democracy, Peace and Progress) on the Singapore flag.

As far as stand-up comedy goes, KUMAR Stands Up For Singapore manages to explore much of the Singapore current affairs:

The obligatory puns and innuendos about his sexuality, and the public’s “intolerance” of it?

Check.

The occasional wink wink, nudge nudge regarding the stereotypical personalities and portrayal of the four races in Singapore?

Check.

Thinly veiled pot-shots fired at the Singapore government?

Check.

Questions of the true foreigners in our country?

Check.

Recycled jokes and gags notwithstanding, the performance remains interesting and fresh. Kumar, ever sensitive to his audience and its reaction, alters his pace and angle of approach to accommodate for the “slower” audience, all the while gaining maximum mileage out of his jokes. In short, he had most of the audience in stitches throughout the entire performance. Yet, this reviewer cannot help but wonder whether if this performance does anything else besides amuse and entertain?

In this reviewer’s opinion, stand-up comedy prides itself on being able to inject critical commentary because it has license to be politically incorrect. In a carnivalesque space were everyone and everything is fair game in comedy, comedians mocks anything and anyone and consequently shed light on issues worthy of attention. Based on this criteria, Kumar Stands Up For Singapore did stir the waters in an increasing stagnant pool called Singapore, but whether this will ripple onto the audience, that remains to be seen.

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.