By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)
Growing up together doesn’t guarantee growing old together.
That thought lingers throughout 3 Queens, The Necessary Stage’s latest production. Bringing together actresses Munah Bagharib, Siti Hajar Gani and Siti Khalijah Zainal, the new play follows three women whose lifelong bond begins to shift as careers, family responsibilities and personal convictions pull them in different directions.
At the centre of the story are sisters Bedah and Zeina, alongside their close friend and neighbour Aida. Having spent most of their lives side by side, the three women have built the kind of friendship that feels impossible to break. But adulthood rarely follows the script we imagine.
Zeina walks away from a successful business to become an activist during a global crisis. Bedah puts aside her dream of building a career in the film industry to care for their ageing mother. Aida finds herself caught somewhere in between, trying to navigate her own challenges while watching the people she loves drift further apart.
Written by acclaimed playwright Haresh Sharma and co-directed with Adib Kosnan, 3 Queens explores how love, loyalty and shared history are often tested by the realities of everyday life. Rather than searching for easy heroes or villains, the production leans into the uncomfortable moments that many families and friendships eventually face.
The play also shines a light on the lived experiences of contemporary Malay-Muslim women, touching on expectations around family, faith, ambition and identity with empathy and nuance. These conversations emerge naturally through the characters’ lives, making them feel personal rather than performative.
That authenticity comes from the way the production was created. Instead of beginning with a completed script, Sharma spent months developing the work alongside the cast through conversations and improvisation, allowing the characters and their relationships to evolve organically.
It’s also a rare opportunity to see Munah Bagharib, Siti Hajar Gani and Siti Khalijah Zainal share the stage in the same production. Each brings a distinct presence shaped by years of work across theatre, television and film, creating a trio that feels both believable and emotionally layered.
For nearly four decades, The Necessary Stage has built its reputation on telling stories that reflect Singapore’s evolving social landscape without losing sight of the people at the heart of them. 3 Queens continues that tradition with warmth, humour and honesty, reminding us that the strongest relationships are not the ones that never falter, but the ones willing to face difficult truths together.
3 Queens runs from 3 to 13 September 2026 at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Wild Rice @ Funan. Tickets are now on sale, with early bird discounts available until 31 July. If you’re looking for a local production that pairs thoughtful storytelling with three outstanding performances, this is one worth catching.
