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Second Class Queer

 
Olivia Thompson Review by Olivia Thompson 4 Published: 14 Aug 2025 C ARTS | C venues | C aquila Show Dates: 11 Aug 2025-17 Aug 2025

Kumar Muniandy's solo show Second Class Queer is an honest and thought-provoking exploration of life as a queer Tamil-Malaysian man in Berlin. Written and directed by Muniandy, the intimate piece moves between the challenges of being queer in Malaysia and the complexities of queer dating in multicultural Berlin, where every potential partner arrives with wildly differing experiences and perspectives.

An engaging, incisive work of new writing

The narrative unfolds through a series of speed dates, in which Krishna (Muniandy) converses, debates, and occasionally argues with a stream of men represented by disembodied voices. Krishna exudes charm and charisma, yet his partners often focus less on his conversation and more on his appearance. His ethnicity is questioned; at other times, it is his body shape. While these inquiries may be well intentioned, they reveal a deeper undercurrent of cultural insensitivity, reflecting the blunt approach to sex and dating often found in Berlin’s queer community.

Muniandy weaves a parallel story using an onstage projector. In the play’s opening, a dedication appears to an unnamed Malaysian teenager killed in a violent, homophobic attack. This figure haunts Krishna’s narrative. Alongside this, memes and images flash up, satirising attitudes toward brown people, particularly those from Muslim-majority countries, with a sharp, dry wit.

The result is a piece that is both poignant and empathetic, balancing humour with unflinching social commentary. Muniandy holds the audience’s attention with ease, delivering a script that deftly navigates intersections of queerness, race, and diaspora identity. His storytelling is confident, layered, and altogether human.

Second Class Queer offers a compelling portrait of one man’s experiences while speaking to broader truths about belonging and prejudice. It is an engaging, incisive work of new writing – highly recommended for anyone interested in theatre that challenges and connects in equal measure.

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The Blurb:

A bold, witty and moving autobiographical solo performance exploring queer identity, diaspora, racial injustice and the search for belonging. Krishna, a queer Indian-Malaysian man, attends a gay speed-dating event in Berlin. Through five-minute conversations, his regret and grief at never coming out to his late mother emerge. With raw storytelling, multimedia projection and poetic honesty, the piece weaves together personal memories, political insight and humour to challenge dominant narratives and celebrate the voices of the marginalised. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, because of their skin, sexuality, culture or class.