Porn star Annabel Chong Shakes up

Porn star Annabel Chong Shakes up Singapore

Theatre-goers in Singapore have given positive reviews to a play about a local-born porn star who had sex with dozens of men, in a sign that the conservative city-state may be loosening up.

'251: Welcome to the Intimate Life of Annabel Chong' opened to a full house on Thursday, and all 14 performances of the 90-minute play at the swank, bayfront Esplanade arts centre are already sold out.

"I thought it was a progressive step in stage performance in Singapore. I think that anything that involves pushing boundaries is progress in Singapore," 28-year-old managing consultant D. He told AFP after the premiere.

"I think it was a subject that was often shoved under the carpet and it deserved some time in the light," he said.

Annabel Chong Ñ whose real name is Grace Quek Ñ was born to middle-class teachers in the city-state, attended top schools and was awarded a scholarship to read law in London.

But shortly after, she moved to Los Angeles to enrol in a gender studies undergraduate programme and there, her porn career began.

She once had sex 251 times with 70 men in less than 10 hours, a marathon session chronicled in the 1995 US film 'The World's Biggest Gang Bang'.

"Annabel Chong, whether we like it or not, is a controversial figure who we just don't want to mention. Once the gates are open and when Pandora's box is open, there's so much interest," the play's director Loretta Chen told AFP.