No Man's Land Interrogates Modern Masculinity

A quartet of inter-disciplinary artists with a shared curiosity about masculinity are collaborating for a live performance in six acts.

- Shawn Hoo

The Necessary Stage's No Man's Land, which plays at the Esplanade Theatre Studio from June 12 to 15, is a devised work incorporating theatre and dance elements. It follows four men as they navigate the landscape of contemporary manhood.

The four actors reflect a diverse range of bodies and experiences, as co-directors Alvin Tan and Sim Yan Ying (also known as "YY") insist that "meaningful change requires multiplicity".

One of the cast members is 76-year-old actor Michael Tan, who plays a paternal role in the show and expresses a form of emotional repression in his relationship with his son. Sim says of Tan's role: "Though mostly a wordless role, his presence brings out the weight of a father's expectations on his son."