Haresh Sharma
Encyclopedia
Haresh Sharma is a Singaporean
playwright
. To date, he has written more than fifty plays
that have been staged all over the world, including Singapore
, Melbourne
, Glasgow
, Birmingham
, Cairo
and London
. Sharma has a BA from the National University of Singapore as well as an MA in Playwriting from the University of Birmingham, obtained in 1994 on a Shell-NAC Scholarship. He has also been awarded fellowships and grants by the British Council and the United States Information Service, and was conferred the Young Artist Award in 1997. His play, Off Centre, was selected by the Ministry of Education as a Literature text for ‘N’ and ‘O’ levels, and republished by The Necessary Stage
in 2006.
In August 2007, a new volume of Interlogue: Studies in Singapore Literature, was published with a focus on the works of Haresh Sharma. Interlogue is a series published by Ethos Books and edited by A/P Kirpal Singh that aims to bring critical focus on the works of Singapore writers in English. Previous editions of the series included one each on fiction, poetry, drama and interviews with local writers, as well as one dedicated volume on Singapore playwright Robert Yeo. The publication, written by Prof David Birch and edited by A/P Kirpal Singh, was an extensive investigation into Sharma's development as a writer; the themes and issues he grapples with; as well as his vision and practice of theatre within and outside his work at The Necessary Stage. While Interlogue itself was not published by The Necessary Stage
, the company assisted with the provision of archival material for Prof Birch's research.
In 2010, The Necessary Stage
published a new anthology of Haresh's plays entitled "Trilogy", including the scripts and production notes of our three award-winning words, Fundamentally Happy, Good People and Gemuk Girls. Most recently in 2011, a collection of early short plays by Haresh Sharma entitled "Shorts I" was published by The Necessary Stage
. The script of "Those Who Can't, Teach", which was restaged as part of the 2010 Singapore Arts Festival, has also been published in May 2010 by Epigram Books
.
Haresh Sharma is also responsible for the Singapore's National Day Parade 2011's Fun Pack Song, a song that modified the lyrics of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance', which drew much criticism for its modification.
n parents, Sharma attended Tanjong Katong Secondary School
, Temasek Junior College
, as well as the National University of Singapore
, where he majored in English Language and Literature. It was also at the National University of Singapore in 1987 where he met Alvin Tan
, then a fellow undergraduate and founder of The Necessary Stage. He soon became involved in productions - first doing backstage, publicity, sound, and the occasional acting - then eventually moving on to scriptwriting when one of his plays won the NUS-Shell Short Play Competition in 1988.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. To date, he has written more than fifty plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
that have been staged all over the world, including Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Sharma has a BA from the National University of Singapore as well as an MA in Playwriting from the University of Birmingham, obtained in 1994 on a Shell-NAC Scholarship. He has also been awarded fellowships and grants by the British Council and the United States Information Service, and was conferred the Young Artist Award in 1997. His play, Off Centre, was selected by the Ministry of Education as a Literature text for ‘N’ and ‘O’ levels, and republished by The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status in Singapore. Formed in 1987 by current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage has been identified as one of the Major Arts Companies by the National Arts Council. The company is also the organiser and curator of the...
in 2006.
In August 2007, a new volume of Interlogue: Studies in Singapore Literature, was published with a focus on the works of Haresh Sharma. Interlogue is a series published by Ethos Books and edited by A/P Kirpal Singh that aims to bring critical focus on the works of Singapore writers in English. Previous editions of the series included one each on fiction, poetry, drama and interviews with local writers, as well as one dedicated volume on Singapore playwright Robert Yeo. The publication, written by Prof David Birch and edited by A/P Kirpal Singh, was an extensive investigation into Sharma's development as a writer; the themes and issues he grapples with; as well as his vision and practice of theatre within and outside his work at The Necessary Stage. While Interlogue itself was not published by The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status in Singapore. Formed in 1987 by current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage has been identified as one of the Major Arts Companies by the National Arts Council. The company is also the organiser and curator of the...
, the company assisted with the provision of archival material for Prof Birch's research.
In 2010, The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status in Singapore. Formed in 1987 by current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage has been identified as one of the Major Arts Companies by the National Arts Council. The company is also the organiser and curator of the...
published a new anthology of Haresh's plays entitled "Trilogy", including the scripts and production notes of our three award-winning words, Fundamentally Happy, Good People and Gemuk Girls. Most recently in 2011, a collection of early short plays by Haresh Sharma entitled "Shorts I" was published by The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status in Singapore. Formed in 1987 by current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage has been identified as one of the Major Arts Companies by the National Arts Council. The company is also the organiser and curator of the...
. The script of "Those Who Can't, Teach", which was restaged as part of the 2010 Singapore Arts Festival, has also been published in May 2010 by Epigram Books
Epigram Books
Epigram Books is a Singapore-based independent publisher that publishes fiction and non-fiction with a focus on Asiatic themes and a strong emphasis on design. They also produce commemorative books and coffee table books for galleries, corporations and other institutions.The company was established...
.
Haresh Sharma is also responsible for the Singapore's National Day Parade 2011's Fun Pack Song, a song that modified the lyrics of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance', which drew much criticism for its modification.
Early life
Born in Singapore to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n parents, Sharma attended Tanjong Katong Secondary School
Tanjong Katong Secondary School
Tanjong Katong Secondary School, affectionately known as TK, is an autonomous co-educational school located in Katong. Before its autonomous status, the school was named by the Ministry of Education as the 'Best Non-Independent and Non-Autonomous Secondary School' in Singapore. TK was presented...
, Temasek Junior College
Temasek Junior College
Temasek Junior College is a prestigious junior college located in the Eastern region of Singapore and is considered as one of the top five colleges in Singapore....
, as well as the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, where he majored in English Language and Literature. It was also at the National University of Singapore in 1987 where he met Alvin Tan
Alvin Tan
Alvin Tan is Founder and Artistic Director of The Necessary Stage and co-Artistic Director of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. Under Alvin, TNS has grown from a society in 1987 to one of Singapore’s most prominent and respected theatre companies...
, then a fellow undergraduate and founder of The Necessary Stage. He soon became involved in productions - first doing backstage, publicity, sound, and the occasional acting - then eventually moving on to scriptwriting when one of his plays won the NUS-Shell Short Play Competition in 1988.