Selena Tan
| Selena Tan | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Singapore |
| Born |
 Singapore |
| Occupation | Executive producer, director, writer and performer |
| Spouse(s) | John Pok |
| Children | 1 son |
Selena Tan is a Singaporean executive producer, director, writer and performer. She is best known as one of the cabaret trio, the Dim Sum Dollies.[1][2] In 2000, Tan founded Dream Academy, which has since produced a variety of locally flavoured shows.
Early life
Selena Tan studied at Fairfield Methodist Secondary School, Raffles Junior College and graduated with a law degree from National University of Singapore.
She started acting at age 14 and was taught by the late theatre actress and director Christina Sergeant.[3]
Tan also appeared in school productions and community theatre pieces until her undergraduate years. She also acted in plays and performances while working full-time as a general litigation lawyer.[4]
Career
Tan left the legal profession in 1997 to fully immerse herself in the local arts and entertainment scene. She decided to venture full-time into acting and comedy as she loves to make people laugh.[5]
In 1998, Tan staged her own standup with Selena Exposed! [6] Theatre company Action Theatre subsequently restaged Selena Exposed! for its comedy festival in 1999 and reinterpreted her piece as Broadway Baby Kailan. Dr Low Guat Tin, then a teacher-trainer director with the National Institute of Education (NIE), was so impressed with Tan's performance in Broadway Baby Kailan that she invited Tan to stage a show for Teachers' Day – The Other Side of the Teacher's Table. The three-night show was a box office success.[7]
In 2000, Tan utilised her life savings to set up Dream Academy, an independent arts and entertainment company. Dream Academy has since produced the Crazy Christmas series, Happy Ever Laughter, Broadway Beng, Meenah and Cheenah, The Hossan Leong Show, Kumar's standup comedies at the Esplanade and of course the Dim Sum Dollies.[8]
Filmography
Movies and TV appearances
- Rogue Trader (1999)
- Under One Roof (1999)
- I Not Stupid (2002)
- Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd (2002)
- I Not Stupid (TV series) (2003)
- Homerun (2003)
- Living with Lydia (2005)
- I Not Stupid Too (2006)
- Just Follow Law (2007)
- Gone Shopping (2007)
- Money Very Enough 999 (2009)
- Rojak (2016)
Plays written
- Selena Exposed! (1998)
- Broadway Baby Kailan (1998)
- The 2nd Broadway Baby Kailan (1999)
- The Other Side of the Teacher's Table (1999)
Musicals
- Chang & Eng (1997 premiere)
- Into the Woods (2011)
Talk shows
- Tonight With Gurmit
- Najip Ali|Upfront with Najip Ali
- Alien Asian
References
- ↑ A blast from the past for the Dim Sum Dollies
- ↑ Model child
- ↑ Mayo, M. (2013, February 23). http://m.todayonline.com/blogs/forartssake/drama-teachers-group-hold-memorial-christina-sergeant Drama teachers group to hold a memorial for Christina Sergeant]. Today Online
- ↑ Kwok, Y. (2005, March 28). Laws of attraction. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
- ↑ Yong, S. C. (2002, July 30). A flair for transformation. The Straits Times, p. 25, Retrieved from NewspaperSG
- ↑ Chia, C. (2006, July 31). Selena exposed. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
- ↑ Oon, C. (2000, January 26). The world's now her stage. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva.
- ↑ About us. Dream Academy website