THE INITIATIVE: the fruit basket

DRAG AS AN ART FORM HAS BEEN UNDERGOING A CULTURAL RENAISSANCE IN SINGAPORE RECENTLY.

-  KENG YANG SHUEN

BARS AT WHICH DRAG PERFORMANCES ARE THE MAIN DRAW AND NOT A NOVELTY ACT, SUCH AS SALUD AND THE TUCKSHOP, HAVE POPPED UP IN THE PAST YEAR AND BECOME SOME OF THE BUZZIEST NIGHTLIFE DESTINATIONS IN TOWN. ITS FAN BASE, PARTICULARLY AMONG GEN ZERS AND MILLENNIALS, HAS LIKEWISE SURGED IT'S APPARENT IN NOT ONLY THE STEADY CROWDS THAT TURN UP AT DRAG-RELATED SHOWS THESE DAYS, BUT ALSO THE NUMBER OF NEW PERFORMERS HITTING THE SCENE. LAUNCHED IN 2022, THE FRUIT BASKET, AN INCUBATION PROGRAMME STARTED AND SELF-FUNDED BY SINGAPORE DRAG AND BURLESQUE PERFORMER LYCHEE BYE TO TEACH THE CRAFT AND CULTURE OF DRAG TO NEWBIES, HAS UNDOUBTEDLY HELPED FUEL THE MOMENTUM. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEING WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE PRESS.

"THE FRUIT BASKET IS A PASSION PROJECT FOR ME. I WANT TO SEE MORE TWISTS ON DRAG CULTURE, MORE DRAG KINGS, MORE BURLESQUE PERFORMERS, AND MORE QUEER TALENT BEING GIVEN A PLACE TO GROW AND THRIVE. IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A SACRIFICE. IT FEELS LIKE AN INVESTMENT."

HI, LYCHEE! TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THE FRUIT BASKET.

“The Fruit Basket (TFB) started back in 2022 because I realised that it’s pretty hard to get started as a drag performer and break into the scene if you aren’t a cisgendered gay man. The idea of TFB is to give performers of marginalised genders (for example, drag kings – people who perform stylised forms of masculinity and who are usually women) a chance to experiment and a stage to perform on, and to help them become part of the drag community.”

WHY DO YOU SAY IT’S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET INTO THE DRAG SCENE IF THEY AREN’T CISGENDERED GAY MEN?