creativity
curtains up!
1976 - Present | San Francisco, Hong Kong, Lisbon
PRESENT | Lisbon 2025
Having moved to a brand new country and culture, I am taking this reboot opportunity to get back to my creative roots! I've been approached to do a cabaret in London, am expanding my Portugês language lessons with a class in fado, and have uncovered a number of scripts for sketches and scenes I wrote decades ago, so perhaps a play is waiting to be written...
CAUGHT IN THE ACT | Hong Kong 1997-2000
This small professional company was originally formed with longtime pal and talented actor, Andy Chworowsky, who came up with the company's name. Directors Hilary King flew in from France to direct "The Baltimore Waltz", and Scott Williams joined us from to direct "Ancient History".
Other plays included "Love Letters", directed by Doug Baker, "Sylvia" and "The Santaland Diaries", directed by me, and our last production "Closer Than Ever" directed by John Tustin. Check out some highlights from the performance - it's a great little show!
Actors and Musical Directors for Caught in the Act included: Wendy Mok, Andrea Miller, John Tustin, Gus Scott, Sheri Dorfman, Charles Teo, Peter Lally and Scott Gibson
BACK TO THE WALL
Philippines | Scotland | Australia | Hong Kong 1996
In 1995 I began to work on a one-woman show about Hong Kong, the city that had truly become my home. The play's action takes place on the night of the 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Britain to China but is based on an experience I had a year before I started work on the play. The piece explores the role of the visible minority and their sense of being part of a community going through dramatic change.
Back to the Wall is the theater project of which I am most proud and was made possible by sponsoring Angels: Allan Zeman, Daniel Ng and David Tang. The script was co-written with Nury Vittachi. Stage Manager, Susan Lim and I toured the production, and won a 5 star review in The Scotsmanduring our run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
HONG KONG ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS
Hong Kong 1995 - 1996
My friend Betsy Fisher , who taught modern dance at the HKAPA, introduced me to her colleagues Mandy Petty and Mohammed Drissi; they invited me to teach acting to their dance students, and suggested I direct the Dance Department's first musical production, "Bye-Bye Birdie".
The script was all in Cantonese, lyrics in English and set in a Hong Kong housing estate. Many of those amazing young dancers went on to work for me after graduating from the APA.
HARMONY & GLITZ | Hong Kong 1989 - 1993
Hilary King and I also produced and directed a Broadway revue with songs from shows including "A Chorus Line", "Little Shop of Horrors", "Hello Dolly", "Oklahoma" and "Cabaret". We opened at Hong Kong hot spot, M at The Fringe. Casts included: Lindzay Chan, Martin Clarke, Dominic Holmes, Sheri Dorfman, Beth Blatt, Jane Fondiller, Allan Seiler and yours truly. Scott Gibson was our Musical Director.
PARTNERS IN CRIME Interactive Mystery Theater
Hong Kong | Australia | Singapore 1988 - 1994
Hilary and I wrote, directed and produced seven rather psychedelic interactive mystery dinner theater productions, each culminating in either a kidnapping, theft, poisoning, electrocution, stabbing or decapitation. The evening's entertainment was an exercise in improvisational theater for the actors who dined with guests relentlessly grilling them for clues.
Too many performers and crew to list but we did gather many of them together for a Zoom reunion during Covid.
THE ACTORS' REP | Hong Kong 1984 - 1990
Founded by Seppie Hope and Sheelagh Cullen in the early 1980's, The Actors' Rep was Hong Kong's only fully professional English-language theater company.
I made my debut as a frog in a children's show and went on to feature in most of the company's productions, performing in and contributing some sketches and lyrics to a series musical, satirical revues that shocked, entertained and consistently performed to sold out audiences.
There were three in the series of "Oid" revues, and all were directed by Barry Bakker who also wrote most of the lyrics. Peter Lally composed the music and was Musical Director. Writers included Harry Rolnick, Stuart Wolfendale and Barry. The casts for the three productions included Andy Chworowsky, Jenny Tarre, Claire Vousden, Hugh Trethowan, and myself.
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA - Spring Opera Theater 1979
My first professional job in the theater was with the San Francisco Opera's spring production of "La Traviata". Quite the thrill!
Conductor Richard Bradshaw oversaw the auditions. I sang "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide and as a result was cast as a member of the chorus. I had to sneak a tape recorder into rehearsals so I could practice at home because I was the only person in the entire company who couldn't read music!
This happy experience gained me that elusive EQUITY union card, kicking off my professional career in the theater.