13 Facts About Ivan Heng

Ivan Heng is a Singaporean actor and theatre director of Peranakan descent.

Ivan Heng's background is in both Asian and Western theatre traditions: training as a director with Kuo Pao Kun of Practice Performing Arts in Singapore; ballet, jazz and contemporary dance as a scholar with Dance Arts Singapore; and training with the Peking Opera in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Ivan Heng spent a summer at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford.

Ivan Heng was educated at Anglo-Chinese School, Temasek Junior College and the National University of Singapore, where he studied law from 1984 to 1988.

Ivan Heng was admitted to practice as a lawyer until the acting bug led him to various theatres, winning many awards in Edinburgh, London, Canada and finally Hollywood.

Ivan Heng was awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's highest arts honour, in 2013.

Whilst studying for his law degree, Ivan Heng attended Kuo's directing workshop, acted with Singapore Theatre American Repertory Showcase, and directed and designed sets as a founding member of The Necessary Stage.

Ivan Heng originated the lead role of Malcolm Png in Michael Chiang's Army Daze in 1987.

Ivan Heng played Frankie Wong in Beauty World, and Song Liling in the All-Asian premiere of M Butterfly in India in 1989.

In 1990, Ivan Heng became the first recipient of the BAT Arts Scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, in Glasgow.

Ivan Heng graduated with top honours, including the Royal Lyceum Theatre Award for Best Shakespearean Performance, the Margaret Gordon Award for Best Final Year Performance, and the Dorothy Innes Prize for Best Studentship.

In 1998, after touring extensively throughout Europe, Ivan Heng decided to return to Singapore to contribute and make a difference to Singapore's nascent arts scene.

Ivan Heng was a participant at London's Royal Court Theatre 10th International Summer Residency.