Theater Review: A Singaporean in Paris is worthy of a standing ovation

Sing’theatre’s 2010 sold-out show, A Singaporean in Paris, is back with a bang—and this time, it promises to be better than before. 

The cast may be different (this year’s edition stars Mina Kaye, Linden Furnell, Peter Ong, Vicky Williamson, and of course, the irrepressible Hossan Leong), but the essence of the show remains the same—expect lots of rambunctious fun, with a liberal dose of French flavor and Singaporean humor. The premise of the show is remarkably simple—a Singaporean artist travels to Paris in hopes of realizing his dream of performing in a French cabaret. He then meets a host of other foreigners, each pursuing their own dreams in The City of Love. 

We reviewed the show on a Friday evening, and it was a full house—a testament to the play’s success, especially with the French community in Singapore. The cast members impressed us with their catchy song and dance routines (the “Sea Sex Sun” number was excellent), as well as their wonderfully comic expressions. The many jibes at cultural difference—while sometimes overused—also cracked us up. Our only gripe would be that there wasn’t much plot development to speak of—but then again, the show was such a lively romp that any sort of gravitas would only have weighed it down. 

Everyone in the audience definitely had a good time, judging from the number of standing ovations at the end of the show. And we’re pretty sure that you will, too. 


A Singaporean in Paris is showing at the SOTA Drama Theatre till March 23. Read our interview with Daniel Boey, the musical’s fashion director, here