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I usually do not bother to review a performance after its run, because by then it would be too late to help attract any additional attendees. Kumar’s latest stand-up comedy, Stripped Bare and Standing Up, held most recently at the Esplanade, was different. I’ll have you know that I walked out of the theatre that evening darn proud of being a Singaporean.

For that astounding impact, our crescent and our five stars, I feel compelled to make an exception. Kumar moved me to tears, in more ways than one.

Like Russell Peters, 6-pecs-generating laughters were a given with Kumar. This undisputed drag queen of comedy has utmost precision in delivery and timing, a wealth of experience that betrays his youthful face (no I don’t get paid for saying this, I mean it) and above all, an authentic personality on a Kempeitei mission to make everyone laugh. Well, almost everyone. We can’t blame some for having slower processing speed for brains.

While I’ve expected Kumar to meet the usual expectations, I was caught offguard by how intimate the stand-up comedy was. Beyond the Kumar from the Boom Boom Room, Ra Ra Show, and that dunno-what-monkey pub at Orchard Towers, there was a side of Kumar I’ve never seen before, revealed. A side that made me thankful that I booked the tickets in time for the sold-out comedy. Kumar, that night, brought us closer to him in a level of intimacy we have not been to before. I do believe some of us might’ve grown closer to him that evening. Some of us might’ve been scared for a bit, ironically. Great job there with the script, Ben.

Eh, not used to it lah, seeing Kumar naked* for the first time. But you know what? I was moved by what I saw, and what makes it sweeter is the fact that he is every bit of a Singaporean as I am. He makes a great poster queen for Singapore Tourism Board, don’t you think?

* I really hope you realise I don’t mean this literally