Spotlight: Serene Chen on 24 Years of Stories with SRT

From Prospero’s Children to Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party, Serene Chen has taken on productions that couldn’t be more different. She’s performed for young audiences, worked in immersive theatre and intimate drama, navigated a COVID-era production, and now finds herself in the world of dinner theatre and corporate workshops. Now performing in Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party under Dick Lee’s direction, Serene shares some of the stories and experiences that have shaped her time with SRT.

1. It’s a while back, but what do you remember from your first show with SRT, performing in The Little Company’s (TLC) Prospero’s Children back in 2002? What was it like being in TLC in its early days?

Time flies! When I look at TLC's work and audience now, I am amazed at how far the company has grown. I got to work with Director Guy Holland and learnt how to perform for an audience who does not react in the same way as the adult audiences I was used to. We did not have a very lavish set, but I recall a visit to the beach for rehearsal and a photoshoot. Pre-schools did not really have an expectation of bringing their little ones to the theatre. Would the kids cry? Would they misbehave? Understand Shakespeare? 

Prospero's Children was, after all, an adaptation of The Tempest! But those who came paved the way for today where the TLC shows are very well attended. The company has opened the doors of the theatre with a lot of care and consideration, from little red booster seats for the little ones to have a better view, to material that teachers can go back and quiz them on! In 2002, I wasn't married yet. Since then, I've had 3 kids and every single one of them has come to watch at least 2-3 TLC shows in their growing up years. In both English and Mandarin, because the TLC repertoire has grown too. 

2. You’ve since performed in Caught (2019), The Sound Inside (2021) and more recently, Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party (2025 and 2026) on SRT’s main stage. What’s it been like being part of such different productions with the company?

Variety is the word. Caught was staged at an art gallery and directed by Ed Iskandar. It was so enjoyable as a process and as immersive shows go, so different from performing on a traditional stage. The Sound Inside was a COVID staging. It was tough on everyone, but the themes were pertinent for those times. 

Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party is dinner theatre, and it's been wonderful to see how the Head Chef and, the ground managers are as invested in our content as they are in the quality of the food and service. Not many people know this, but writer Thomas Lim and the first director [of last year’s staging], Danny Yeo, went through 7 drafts of the script for the first iteration to integrate everything! Crazy or not?  

And this time, working with Dick Lee is a bit of a return to my roots. My very first musical as a 19-year-old was his Kampong Amber where the song Bunga Sayang originated. Really special to be able to revisit this show in a few different ways. 

3. With Dick Lee himself directing Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party this year, what feels different about stepping back into the show under his direction?

There is quite a difference because every creative person has their own style and origin story. Dick's music has always been very catchy. And he is quite a good storyteller. As he directs, he will tell us stories of how he started writing his songs, how they got banned for use of Singlish, and how he started his music career with a message that seemed to suggest "Singlish is bad." It must have been quite crushing to think that when he was a budding songwriter [at the age of 18, 19], he needed to rethink his identity and heritage in his music. And of course, the reality is never binary: Singlish is not just good or bad; it is all the nuances and our collective culture in between! It's been interesting to watch Dick negotiate this over the years and in the rehearsal room. And he is still creating in his milestone year - he just turned 70!

4. You’re also bringing your theatre experience into SRT’s Centre for Creative Learning, through corporate workshops. How do the skills you’ve developed as a performer come into play when working with corporate teams?

Listening and building with fellow actors is very key to intense performance schedules. This is how we continue to have live-ness and playful connection on stage as opposed to being on auto-pilot. I think this is a very transferable skill to the corporate setting which can get repetitive. I am often asked how I remember my lines. There is the hard work of continuous, repetitive rehearsal, AND there is actual sense-making and listening so that the body reacts to what is being given by another actor in the moment. Occasionally, I also meet corporate people who have either seen the show(s) and they appreciate what I'm sharing OR they become very intrigued and want to come to the theatre. That's always a bonus.

Catch Serene Chen in Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party, running now till 11 Sep 2026 at the Paradox Singapore Hotel. Book your tickets here.