IT MAY be hard to imagine controversial playwright Alfian Sa'at penning a child-friendly, sentimental Christmas pantomime. But not any longer.

Known for his gay-themed plays - his last was Happy Endings: Asian Boys Vol 3 in 2007 which explored the politics of queer identity in Singapore - the 30-year-old is taking on the children's classic, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, this festive season.

But expect the Christmas pantomime, staged by local group Wild Rice from next Wednesday to Dec 20, to come with a modern update.

Helmed by stand-up comic Hossan Leong making his directorial debut, this version's Queen (played by Sebastian Tan, best known for his role as Broadway Beng) is a devotee of plastic surgery and forces everyone in her kingdom to undergo 'enhancement' at 18.

To escape from the legions of gloved plastic surgeons, Snow White (Elena Wang, previously in Beauty World) runs away to the edge of town, where she finds a group of outcasts and misfits - the seven dwarfs.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times' Life!