Events
SECOND CLASS QUEER
Kumar Muniandy
(Germany & Malaysia)
Asian Premiere
BOOK NOW↗We are at a gay speed dating night in Berlin. Black Lives Matter and Brexit has happened. Krishna meets five men. Can he find a real connection? Each meeting makes him face issues:
- love,
- loss,
- identity,
- and a truth he never told his late mother.
Second Class Queer has been performed at many festivals and venues. It has received strong reviews. It is funny, moving, and honest. Through this powerful dialogue, the work looks at some issues. They are:
- identity,
- everyday racism,
- and the struggle to make peace with our past and ourselves.
The audience is already transfixed. This is a stunning, bold way to open a show... Kumar keeps this feeling of personal connection strong throughout.
— The Edinburgh Reporter ★★★★
His presence in the role is superbly real, real with a capital R. It made me laugh and cry. It made me feel uncomfortable and then proud. It made me want to be a better man.
— The Latest Brighton ★★★★★
Kumar is utterly believable and he brilliantly times the conversations, which is no mean feat. He gives us humanity, honesty and understanding. It's a terrific performance.
— Scene Magazine ★★★★★
Recipient of the 2025 Keep It Fringe Award for Edinburgh Fringe.
Recipient of the Brighton Fringe 2025 Mental Health Bursary.
Highly Commended for Outstanding Male Performer at the Edinburgh Fringe Asian Arts Award by Asian Art Fund Scotland in 2025.
Second Class Queer was created, directed and performed by Kumar Muniandy. Developed and premiered as part of the EXPO Festival 2022 at English Theatre Berlin, with lighting design by Christian Maith, sound and video design by Haesoo Jung, and mentorship by Mojisola Adebayo.
There will be a dialogue with the artists after the 8pm performance on 22 January 2027, with speech to text interpretation available upon request. Please email your request to info@singaporefringe.com by 9 December 2026.
Artist Statement
I set this play at a gay speed-dating event in Berlin. I want to show the tensions between Indian-Malaysian identity, grief, and the feeling of not belonging.
The play looks at some hidden issues. They are:
- class,
- colourism,
- and dislike of people from other cultures.
At the same time, it celebrates the strength found in queer stories. Closer to home, it is a love letter to the Tamil and queer communities. Their histories, including the lasting impact of British colonial laws, are rarely seen on stage. The play turns private pain into a shared space for healing.
It also speaks to a wider audience. It shines a light on queer life in both Asia and the West. These experiences are often not seen by mainstream society.
This play speaks honestly about some difficult issues that happen all over the world. They are:
- Fat-shaming,
- Dislike of Muslims,
- and racism.
It connects people through shared pain and openness. It shows the search for home and the need to be accepted are things many of us understand. This can happen no matter where we are.
Berlin. A gay speed dating night. In the shadows of Black Lives Matter and Brexit. Krishna meets five men. Does he stand a chance? Each encounter pushes Krishna to confront love, loss, identity, and the truth he never shared with his late mother.
Performed in numerous festivals and venues to rave reviews, Second Class Queer is a funny yet heart-wrenching dialogue that probes into identity, microaggressions, and reconciliation with our past and ourselves
The audience is already transfixed. This is a stunning, bold way to open a show... Kumar keeps this feeling of personal connection strong throughout.
— The Edinburgh Reporter ★★★★
His presence in the role is superbly real, real with a capital R. It made me laugh and cry. It made me feel uncomfortable and then proud. It made me want to be a better man.
— The Latest Brighton ★★★★★
Kumar is utterly believable and he brilliantly times the conversations, which is no mean feat. He gives us humanity, honesty and understanding. It's a terrific performance.
— Scene Magazine ★★★★★
Supported by the Goethe-Institut
Recipient of the 2025 Keep It Fringe Award for Edinburgh Fringe.
Recipient of the Brighton Fringe 2025 Mental Health Bursary.
Highly Commended for Outstanding Male Performer at the Edinburgh Fringe Asian Arts Award by Asian Art Fund Scotland in 2025.
Second Class Queer was created, directed and performed by Kumar Muniandy. Developed and premiered as part of the EXPO Festival 2022 at English Theatre Berlin, with lighting design by Christian Maith, sound and video design by Haesoo Jung, and mentorship by Mojisola Adebayo.
There will be a dialogue with the artists after the 8pm performance on 22 January 2027, with speech to text interpretation available upon request. Please email your request to info@singaporefringe.com by 9 December 2026.
Artist Statement
By setting this play at a gay speed-dating event in Berlin, I attempt to portray the friction between Indian-Malaysian identity, grief, and displacement.
The work aims to portray the unspoken politics of class, colourism, and xenophobia, while celebrating the resilience found in queer storytelling. Locally, the piece is a love letter to the Tamil and queer communities, people whose specific histories, including the weight of British colonial-era laws, are rarely seen on stage. It turns private struggle into a shared space for healing.
Globally, it sheds light on the queer experience both in Asia and in Western world, a reality that often remains invisible to status quo communities.
By honestly tackling universal struggles like fat-shaming, Islamophobia and racism, the work connects us through shared vulnerability. It proves that regardless of geography, the search for home and the need for acceptance is a common language.
Date & Duration
22 - 23 January 2027, 8pm
60 minutes with no intermission
Location
Practice Space 实践空间 (54 Waterloo Street, S187953)
Tickets
$38
*20% DISCOUNT FOR STUDENTS, NSF, SENIOR CITIZENS AND PWD CARDHOLDERS
Rating
To be advised
Lanugage
In English with some Tamil, with open captions in English
- Open captions in English for all performances
- Speech to text interpretation for post-show dialogue upon request