Theo Chen Presents Solo Cabaret Show – Pretty Ugly
Song and story blends in an intimate, conversational performance
NEWSFEATURED
T Wu
10/11/20262 min read
Pretty Ugly ©️ Lim Shien Hian
Ticket Information
Venue: Camden People’s Theatre
Dates: Wed-Fri, 14-16 Oct 2026
Time: 9pm
Tickets on sale at https://cptheatre.co.uk/whatson/Pretty-Ugly
Pretty Ugly is a cabaret performance celebrating identity and expression. Blending song and story in an intimate, conversational setting, this unique cabaret show tackles those pesky inner-demons we encounter: the ones that tell us we’re not attractive enough. The show is presented at the Camden People’s Theatre as part of their Autumn 2026 season.
Audiences can expect honest anecdotes about self-doubt told in a raw, unvarnished manner, and an eclectic array of fan favourite musical theatre songs sung live – which they might just see in a new light; their lyrics given new context in this Singaporean coming-of-age story which transcends geographical and cultural borders.
At its heart is Theo Chen, Singaporean theatre-maker currently based in London. Theo made his professional theatre debut in premier Singaporean theatre company Pangdemonium’s Kimberly Akimbo. He has collaborated with top theatre companies in Singapore such as Wild Rice, The Theatre Practice, and T:>Works. As a recent graduate of Cambridge University, he was president of the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society and Bread Theatre and Film Society, and directed a sold out production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Fairview. Prior to that, he founded and led Playwrights Commune, an independent platform in Singapore that has developed the work of more than 100 playwrights; A Mirage, Singapore’s first pub theatre; and Critics Circle Blog, a growing platform for emerging performance critics in Singapore.
On why he wanted to stage this show, Theo remarks: “I came to a point in my life where I realized that the negative self-perception I felt about the way I looked was holding me back in. Talking to people around me, including those I perceived as beautiful, I was surprised to find that they themselves didn’t think they were attractive. So, I made this show to investigate the question of: where did these feelings come from, and what can I do to change them?”
On the show’s form, Theo explains: “Cabaret is a genre that I have long been fascinated by - it feels like a very pure form of storytelling: a performer, a piano, and their voice. Most people might think of cabaret in terms of nightlife: burlesque, variety shows, and whilst those forms of it are just as fun and thrilling as live experiences, the form which Pretty Ugly takes as a cabaret is special for its intimacy. As a performer, I work hard to build a connection with every person in the audience, and I have loved figuring out interesting ways to blend songs with story, and to create an experience for the audience that transcends my own personal stories and allows them to reflect on their own relationships with their appearances, looks, and sense of self-beauty.”
The show was first staged at Cambridge University for their inaugural Cabaret series in Nov 2024, then further developed for sold-out runs at the Comma Festival in Jan 2026 (Singapore), and Camden People’s Theatre’s SPRINT Festival in Mar 2026 (London). Off the back of these successful runs, the show will make its Australian Premiere at the Sydney Fringe Festival before it returns to Singapore and London for more performances in September and October.
Direction is by Shien Hian Lim, a Singaporean director who brings his expertise working on the Edinburgh, Adelaide, and Melbourne Fringes to craft a heartfelt hour that reminds the busy youth of today of the intimacy of live performance.
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