The name Adrian Pang probably needs no introduction. The veteran thespian has been livening up Singaporean screens and stages for 30 years, propelled by, in his own words, “passion, rebelliousness and lots of luck”.
“I have always believed that if I could find something to do in my life that I am passionate about, am reasonably competent at, and can make a decent enough living doing, and which also makes some sort of positive impact on the people around me, then I would be one of the lucky ones. I’d like to believe that I am working hard to achieve that,” he says.
After shunning a law degree to pursue theatre full-time, Pang founded theatre company Pangdemonium in 2010 with his wife Tracie Pang, co-founder and resident director. His goal with the company is to “create work that makes people think, feel and challenge their understanding of their lives and the world we share”.
More than a decade on, it seems like Pang has more than achieved what he set out to do. He’s a four-time Best Actor Award winner in The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for his performances in The Dresser, Much Ado About Nothing, Rabbit Hole and The LKY Musical.
Pangdemonium has also come into its own and is known for its stellar productions of award-winning plays, the latest of which is The Mother by French playwright Florian Zeller.
Although he has plenty of love for his work to keep him going professionally, it’s those at home who inspire him to go above and beyond. “My family is the driving force for everything I do. Without Tracie, Zack and Xander (his sons), I am nothing,” he declares. And true to form, he couldn’t resist peppering this interview with humour, saying: “One of my biggest professional achievements is having Tracie direct me in numerous shows without killing me.”
