Singapore’s conservative culture transcends generations but the creative boundaries of the Little Red Dot are being pushed through the art of local theatre. Dennis Sofian, who is establishing a formidable acting career in Singapore, is becoming a familiar face for theatregoers.
Born in Jakarta, Sofian moved to Singapore at the age of four due to the May 1998 Indonesia riots. He went on to study in Singapore before leaving for London in 2015 to study acting at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for three years.
Sofian has since starred in The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged), written and performed a rap version of Macbeth, took on the role of Fish in The Cat In The Hat, lent his talent to local productions including The Hawker, and more.
Most recently, Sofian shocked audiences (including Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat) by simulating oral sex with his on-stage boyfriend in Joel Tan’s take on French playwright Molière’s Tartuffe.
Speaking to Resonate, Sofian reflected on his career in Singapore thus far and how the local industry is on a quest to embrace creativity.
R: Tell us a bit about your upbringing and how you developed an interest in acting.
DS: I started acting when I was 12-13. I never thought I would get into something like that. I was always incredibly shy in primary school and didn’t have many friends, and my CCAs (Co-Curricular Activities) were Scouts and football My parents sent me to Julia Gabriel( an enrichment centre that teaches communication through drama) for a few sessions during this time to help me with expressing myself in front of people.
From what I remember it wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed at the time, but I did enjoy going to the library after each class and picking out a book to read. My first taste of anything acting-wise came after the PSLE (Primary School Leaving Exam), which is the first major exam we take when we transition from Primary school to Secondary School.
Read more: How This Singaporean Clown Performer Won Theatre Awards in Canada For Her Human Trafficking Play
My grades weren’t good enough to get into the schools I wanted to at the time and my Dad happened to find a DSA (Direct School Admission) open call into ACS (Barker Road) through drama. He suggested I give it a shot and somehow I passed the audition (which was mainly improv-related exercises) and got into the school. That was really the first time I had fun doing something performative and felt I could get pretty good at it.
More importantly thought, I had a great teacher through my secondary school years and that was the late Ms. Sheila Gregory – She always gave us the freedom to play and encouraged whatever wacky ideas a bunch of 13 to 16-year-olds had on stage. She really fueled my love for acting early on and I always think of her before going on stage in the productions I do now.
R: Tartuffe was your latest production at Singapore’s Wild Rice. What drew you to the play?
DS: Joel Tan’s writing, in short. He is an incredible playwright and with this text especially, he’s created a punchy, raucous and contemporary version of this 360 year-old text that still carries weight in its message. And it’s just really fun to perform with the cast!
R: Your character in Tartuffe is quite a complex one. How did you prepare for it?
DS: Well I’ll compare this to the first time we did the show in 2022. It was more caricatured and campy then and we played into the archetypes of the period more. This time we anchored the world of the play more in naturalism and gave more brevity and weight to the circumstances our characters were put in. So for myself, I leaned in more to the stakes and what my character had to lose in the story.
R: There are some rather R21 scenes in Tartuffe, including one of you performing oral sex on your secret boyfriend. How did it feel performing that not only in Singapore but in front of the Little Red Dot’s Deputy PM?
DS: Oh that was great. Our Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat was in the audience the night you were there. I heard beforehand that he might be there and I just relished that scene even more! Giving head in front of the DPM is going on my CV!
R: How has the play been received?
DS: Very well I believe! We did this play 2 years ago for the first time and it was always a joy to perform because the feedback was so instant and clear with the laughter from the audience. We still got that in this second version with people saying it was better than the first time! We also had a couple of nights where people left early, but for me, that is expected with the touchy subject of the show, and if we pushed a few buttons that does come with the territory.
R: What are the challenges of Singapore’s acting scene? And how can it improve?
DS: I think our shortcomings/challenges come in the form of censorship and funding. We have had to be ‘creative’ to skirt around the guidelines of what can be said or can’t be said, but the creativity we employ is more to align with the bureaucratic policies rather than anything artistic. And with funding, there tends to be a willingness to provide any sort of funding to those who ‘have a name’.
Read more: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Stage Musical in Development with Jon M. Chu Directing
And so those just starting out have an added hurdle to even try to ‘make a name’, and this catch-22 situation occurs. I think if the organisations that provide these funds take more of a chance on newer artists and riskier work, the arts industry as a whole would be more bustling.
R: What’s the biggest struggle of an actor in Singapore? It’s not a conventional career path as per Singapore culture? Are times changing?
DS: I guess like most acting industries, especially when you’re just starting out, it’s about carving your path in the industry and dealing with the many uncertainties – when the next job is, rejection, being scrutinized often. I suppose one difference in Singapore is the lack of a Union. I know the UK has an actor’s union and they serve to protect the rights/working conditions of actors.
Here we don’t have that so we always have to fend for our rights and take extra care that we aren’t taken advantage of. This especially if you’re not a ‘household name’. I believe more people, especially around my age, are getting more into pursuing an artistic career path. I have many wonderful peers who have started their own collectives and are doing great things. Things are moving forward slowly, but surely. We’ll see where things go!
R: Who are your acting idols? Where do you see your career taking you?
DS: I’ve always loved Robin Williams growing up. And then when Steven Yeun was on The Walking Dead, it was the first time for me seeing a male, East Asian face in a mainstream series that I was binging so that was big for me, and of course he’s fantastic.
Then when I went to the UK, Lucian Msamati and Stephen Graham – both because they’re men of smaller physical statures (like me) but have incredible presence on stage/screen and are just stellar actors. I do see myself exploring different parts of the world and doing work there. As for specifically where/when, I’m just gonna put myself out there and go on this journey to find out.
Read more: ‘Kim’s Convenience’ Makes UK Stage Debut Inspired By Netflix Sitcom
R: Any exciting projects coming up?
DS: For now I’m just doing some hosting for events, and will be returning to London for a brief period to touch base with people and reconnect with the place I learned a lot from before stepping into the industry.I know I’m privileged to do what I do, so I’m just looking to do this for as long and as best as I can and see where the adventure will lead!
