Adam has lived in Sengkang his whole life, and things don’t really change around here. Except nothing is quite the same anymore.
The indomitable Sengkang Squad—Adam, Rian and XY—have split up into different secondary schools, and it’s been pretty hard making new friends (they’re betas with no rizz?). K-pop stan besties Arissa and Maya have found community in the huge online fanbase, but somehow nothing’s as lonely as real life. With mounting pressures from parents, friends, school and their own expectations, they don’t feel like children any longer—but also no closer to being grown-ups. What exactly is this limbo stage called teenagehood?And where is the tutorial for being an adult?
A love letter to the perennial task of growing up and navigating the world, Hard Mode is essential for anyone who has ever struggled with adolescence. Take a deep dive into the world of Gen Alpha, where the beautiful messiness of youth and friendship is embraced with understanding and sensitivity.
Winner of Best Original Script at the Straits Times Life Theatre Awards 2025, Hard Mode is written by critically acclaimed playwright Faith Ng, the brilliant mind behind The Fourth Trimester (2025 and 2022; Winner of Production of the Year and Best Original Script in 2023) and Normal (2017 and 2015).