With/Out By Loo Zihan

PUBLISHED January 2nd, 2015 03:45 pm | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am

In May 1999, The Necessary Stage worked with Paddy Chew to stage a monologue titled Completely With/Out Character at the Drama Centre at Fort Canning Hill. The docu-theatre piece records his experience as the first person in Singapore to come out publicly with his HIV-positive status. Unfortunately, Paddy passed on in August 1999, a few months after the production’s conclusion.

Today, AIDS is no longer perceived as a terminal disease; HIV-positive individuals can lead a relatively normal and healthy life with the aid of advances in medication. In part, this is due to the roads paved by individuals and researchers who came before us, individuals like Paddy, who defied convention and conservatism to tell his story at a time when there was still much ignorance and prejudice surrounding AIDS.

With/Out is a faithful interpretation of Paddy’s monologue of his experience as the first person in Singapore to come out publicly with his HIV-positive status. Through the use of multi-media, video documentation and other archival material, Loo Zihan will re-construct the production as an extension of his research into performance re-enactments, the mediation of a ‘live’ presence via the use of technology, and the re-visioning of queer histories in Singapore.

Please note that there will be no fixed seating for With/Out.

With/Out is happening from Wednesday, 14 January to Sunday, 18 January at 8pm at Centre 42’s Black Box/Rehearsal Studio.

For ticket details, please click [here](http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/m1sff2015e).