A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical

by Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders
music by Henry Allen

Singapore Fringe Festival 2026

(organised and curated by TNS)
Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore

The Singapore Fringe Festival is back! After losing its title sponsor of the past two decades and very nearly facing closure, the indie festival organised by The Necessary Stage has received a new lease of life following an outpouring of support from the community. This 22nd edition is a smaller, leaner affair, featuring just four shows and two panel discussions.

Kicking things off is this sweet, sassy celebration of queer love. Written, directed and produced by Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders under the banner of their company Woody Avenue and featuring original music by Henry Allen, it's a small musical with a big heart. Protagonist Charlie (Natalie Yeap) wants to write a glittering musical about lesbians that draws from her life, roping in gay best friend Chris (Mitchell Fang) to help her put pen to paper. Yet, even as she recounts her heady romance with the charming Zo (Coco Wang Ling), she finds herself quietly unravelling as she battles personal demons. Will Charlie find her love story?

It's a short, simple musical and while there's nothing especially groundbreaking here in terms of character development or themes, perhaps that isn't the point. The energetic performances and raucous songs will have audiences swept up. A particularly memorable sequence depicts the minefield of online dating and the many strange people one tends to meet online. Elsewhere, cheeky inside jokes about lesbian culture draw knowing giggles from the crowd.

At the end of the day, A Lesbian Love Story reminds us that not everything in life needs to be perfect. One's found family, the community that rallies around an individual and sticks through their highs and lows, could be the real love of one's life. 

There have been precious few plays in Singapore over the years that have centred the lesbian experience and it's wonderful to see this show so proudly and warmly hold space for the community. And judging from the completely packed audience who were laughing, sighing and gasping throughout, they definitely felt seen. That's a love story we all need.

The Crystalwords score: 2.5/5