In the lead-up to National Day 2024, danamic. is spotlighting the lives of Singaporeans with unique perspectives. This is the story of Kumar, one of Singapore’s most well-known entertainers.
Get ready to laugh till your sides ache, your abs hurt, and your mascara runs because Singapore’s comedic gem, Kumar, is about to take the stage with her no-holds-barred and unbelievably hilarious new season of Kumar Uncut! If you thought you’d seen it all, think again. Kumar is back, and she’s bringing the house down with humour that’s as real, raw, and unhinged as ever. From 10 to 28 July, Kumar Uncut is here to slay, and we can’t wait to see her do what she does best!
In a country where stress is an undeniable part of us, laughter is the universal currency, and sass and sarcasm are the coping mechanisms of the masses, there exists a legend that needs no introduction. But let’s give her one anyway. Ladies and gentlemen, how well do we know the story and journey of the queen that’s bestowed upon us unfiltered entertainment with a knack for turning everyday absurdities into comedic gold?
We had a delightful chat with the queen and uncovered the deeper, more serious side of the person who’s been a pinnacle of comedy in Singapore. As we gear up for the show that will have the country collectively erupt in laughter, we’d like to share Kumar’s story. And it’s just as real and raw as her show promises to be…
Start in Comedy
We all know and love Kumar for her excellent comedic timing and razor-sharp wit. But how did this journey to become one of the biggest comedians in the country even begin? Funnily enough, it was an accident. Kumar wasn’t necessarily drawn to comedy or was a natural at it who immediately hit it off with the audience. Oh, no. She worked hard. She put in the work to create that spark.
Earlier on in her career, her job as a singing waiter at Cheers! The Fun Pub at the Novotel Orchid and then as an entertainer at Haw Par Villa were merely attempts to make a living. In her words, she wasn’t drawn to these entertainment forms but rather was “drawn to the money”, as we all are!
But when did this stop becoming an endeavour for cash and turn into a passion that fuelled Kumar? The year was 1993. Five months after joining Boom Boom Room, Kumar achieved a breakthrough. She finally connected with her audience and made them laugh the way she had hoped to see.
She shared, “It makes you feel good because, you know, you only have to make ten people laugh, not the whole audience. And I think if you have achieved that, you have achieved quite a bit, especially those days because Singapore was very conservative.”
This turning point in her journey transformed how she looked at comedy and entertainment. Saying that “it was tears of failure to tears of happiness” echoes the sheer impact of this moment on Kumar and just how much this must have fuelled her passion to keep making more people happy.
But despite this massive moment in her career, there still came doubts. When there were more hecklers in the audience laughing at her than with her, and others who didn’t see eye-to-eye with her comedy, she didn’t know whether this was the right path to walk. That’s when she told herself, “It’s either you swim or you drown”. And with that, she powered through with a fierceness and relentless force that has brought her to this exact moment that she’s at today.
Throughout her journey, even when her crown threatened to slip, she never faltered and kept going. She started to love every moment she was on stage. But she didn’t just love what she did; she also felt inspired by the impact she left behind as she waltzed off the stage – “When I go and perform, it’s my happiest moment of the day because I’m on stage and making people laugh, and it’s really a wonderful feeling.”
She’s had people come up to her to tell her how she had gotten them through some of life’s darkest moments, with her comedic gold being the light that illuminated their world and laughter becoming the only medicine that could heal them.
“There was a lady who had a stroke, and she was on a wheelchair, and she came to see me also. And she said, while I was having my stroke, my daughter showed me your TikTok videos and I wanted for my birthday to watch you live. So this is all inspiring. Makes you moved, you know?”
Despite how tough it is sometimes to go up on a stage, where you feel like you’re under a microscope for people to scrutinise you and tear you apart, she feels empowered by the impact she can have on her audience. She echoed how you never know what people are going through, and if she can make even one person in her audience of thousands truly laugh wholeheartedly and forget the worries that plague them, that’s good enough for her. It’s all about spreading positivity in this dark, cruel world. It’s something we can all learn from her.
But it’s Kumar’s incredible comedic style — packed with relatability and phenomenal delivery — that makes her shows such a treat. She has a flair for infusing current affairs, everyday news, and stories at home with comedy and humour, making her jokes and one-liners hilarious but also relatable.
In fact, we were shocked to learn that our comedy queen actually doesn’t watch comedy shows at all! She’s more of a horror freak, loving horror films like The Conjuring and The Nun movies. But something that’s always turned on at home is the news channel. She’s always keeping up with the biggest and smallest headlines and bringing them to her audience, cleverly disguised in comedy are messages lurking between the lines for them to go home and ponder about.
We all know that Kumar’s jokes have always been raw and risqué, particularly bringing in politics, race, and sex. These are topics that most might be afraid to delve into for fear of censorship. But how does Kumar toe that line? How does she bring such topics to the stage with the same boldness she’s iconically known for while being mindful of the sensitivities that come with an audience as diverse as Singapore’s?
The simple answer, ladies and gentlemen, is that she plays it supremely smart. Part of doing comedy and speaking on such topics that might be deemed a tad more sensitive is knowing your content and the rules well enough to carry out the balancing act. It’s knowing that you’re walking the fence and playing around the loopholes to bring across important messages and that it needs to be done tastefully with the use of facts that can’t be denied.
“Now, for example, I say things like the government is extending our retirement age to 67 next year onwards. Because they say, Singaporeans are dying later, right? Yeah, but whose fault is it? You’re asking us to live healthily, and then we leave healthily. We die later, now our fault.”
A Look At Kumar Uncut!
With this intelligence, unbelievable wit, and spectacular sense of humour, Kumar has reached this moment in her career, where she brings us a brand new season of her show, Kumar Uncut! But this time, there’s something more. The queen seats herself on the director’s chair and takes ahold of the directorial reins, calling the shots and bringing her vision to life as best as she can. Ladies and gentlemen, this might just be the best one yet!
We asked her for a little sneak peek into the show, and we heard that it would be bigger and grander with new jokes created using the same formula that Kumar’s entire career was built from! Since Kumar’s well in her fifties, she brings us new jokes from her vantage point in life, with humour for and about those above 50, like dating apps for this specific demographic, men facing erectile dysfunction (that’s gonna be something!), and so much more! There will also be jokes about CDC vouchers and, of course, all the races. No one will be spared!
Kumar’s bringing along her fellow drag queens, who will be lip-syncing to all the music world’s greatest legends. She shared how it was crucial for her to create a safe environment for her queens and team members so that everyone could enjoy the experience. With Kumar at the helm as the director, we can definitely expect the unexpected, the uncensored, and the unbelievably funny as she brings her vision to life!
We’ve seen Kumar’s incredible journey progress from humble beginnings to queendom and superstardom in our entertainment realm. When we asked about her aspirations for the broader entertainment industry in Singapore, she said she hopes to see that ‘One Singapore’ vision come true, where Singapore stands united and division has no place in our midst.
But she said we, Singaporeans, have too many stressors in our lives that create the very division that can become our biggest enemy in achieving this goal. She said, “Singaporeans should learn to be like me, debt-free! That’s your number one stress. Don’t have credit card, don’t have all that. Don’t have debt. I think you’ll be happy. I think we need to. That’s my future for the people that they need to be happier, you know, doesn’t mean you drive your car, you are successful; you know, but are you satisfied?”
Ultimately, Kumar dreams of a happiness-filled future for us, with lots of contentment and peace. As she said herself, “Just find peace within yourself”. Amen, sister!
As the curtains prepare to rise on what promises to be the comedy event of the year, one thing is certain: Kumar Uncut is set to leave you in stitches and begging for more! So, mark your calendars, gather your friends, and brace yourselves for an evening with Singapore’s comedy royalty. From 10 to 28 July, Kumar brings us a show where anything goes, and everything is on the table.
As we await the comedic storm, let’s all embody Kumar’s drive to make people laugh and find our own peace and happiness. As for her bright and incredible dream for the future of Singapore, we really hope we’ll see that vision come to life, especially with Kumar leading that change the way she already has.
Thank you for making Singapore laugh, Kumar. Here’s to a jillion more jokes and a gazillion times more laughter.
Kumar Uncut
🗓️Date: 10 to 28 July
📍Location: Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands Singapore, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956
⏰Time:
- Off-peak Pricing – Wednesday and Thursday: 8pm
- Peak-Pricing – Friday: 8pm, Saturday: 4pm and 8pm, Sunday: 4pm
💲*Price:
- Uncut VIP: S$128 onwards
- A Reserve: S$88 onwards
- B Reserve: S$78 onwards
- C Reserve: S$68 onwards
- A Reserve Dress Circle: S$88 onwards
- C Reserve Grand Circle: S$68 onwards
- D Reserve Grand Circle: S$58 onwards
- Uncut VIP Box (4 Seats): S$512 onwards
- A Reserve Box (4 Seats): S$352 onwards
*Prices excluding booking fee
Get your tickets now on the Marina Bay Sands’ official website or from the SISTIC website! For more piping hot tea on the slayerism of the production, stay tuned to Ra Ra Kumar’s Instagram page or Kumar’s Instagram and TikTok pages!
Visuals courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia.
