Performance has been in Nathania Ong’s blood since young, when she sang at church as a pre-teen. Now, her on-stage presence lasts long after the curtain has fallen—the true sign of an immaculate professional.

Like most local creatives, Ong understands that the road to stardom is often paved with disappointment. After bouncing between applications and rejections—and a year at Lasalle College of the Arts—she finally attended London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. And the rest is history. The same year she graduated, Ong made her West End debut as Jenna Rolan in Be More Chill. Shortly after, she was cast as Éponine in the historic musical Les Misérables, a role that she recently reprised in the play’s 40th-year anniversary world tour.

⁠What drives you as a changemaker?

I think, as a change maker, what drives me is love. I’m so fortunate in my life to be able to do what I do because I love performing. I also love interacting with people and making those human connections with some of my cast members, co-actors and even backstage crew. And so I do feel incredibly privileged at this point to have these kinds of opportunities.

Les Misérables is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. What are the most important lessons we can learn from the play in 2026 as well as from your character, Éponine?

There’s a lot that can be learnt from Les Mis. It’s a story about love, hope and redemption, which are beautiful things. The world needs more love, we need to care about each other a lot more. One thing that unites us as human beings and keeps us going is hope. And at the end of it all, there’s hope that there is forgiveness and redemption for us.

When it comes to Éponine, she obviously feels very strongly for Marius and she meets her end by protecting him. That takeaway, the idea of placing someone’s needs above my own, has really resonated with me and is something I want to aspire more towards as well.

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their craft out of love, but who also have to be practical about putting bread on the table?

It’s important to love what you do, but you also have to recognise the practical side of things—you need to earn enough money to eat (this is very important because I love food!). I’m not going to lie, the industry is not the easiest. You have to grow incredibly thick skin because struggle in life and this industry is universal. The rejections are real. Sometimes you think there’s a dream job but it’s just not for you. But sometimes it’s a ‘no’, sometimes it’s a ‘not yet’.

Just be sure that this is what you want to do. You should give yourself a time frame for how long you want to try performing because it is such a competitive industry with so many talented people. Of course, that doesn’t diminish you or your talent because sometimes it is a matter of being at the right place at the right time. So if you love acting, go for it, but proceed with caution. And if you have decided that this is what you want to do for your forever, then give it 150 percent.

Also, cast your net wide. Try and go as international as you can. It helps to have Singapore as a home. When I returned, I had an entire country of people behind me to return to, who support me to this day. And you’re not alone. There are more of us out there, especially in the UK. Shout-out to Rachel Clare Chan, Victoria Chen and Kevin Tristan!

What parts of Singapore’s creative scene are you most proud of ‘exporting’ overseas?

It can be a bit daunting to represent some aspects of local culture and creativity on the international stage. But I’d say, as a Singaporean actress, one thing that I love championing is food. We had a random double show the other day and I did a big order of kuih. I feel that kuih is something that I enjoy, and that my family and friends enjoy, and so I wanted to share a little bit of that Nyonya, Singaporean culture. The act of sharing food is something I enjoy bringing with me, even if it’s not specifically local food. Singaporeans just love food!

⁠⁠⁠Looking forward, what change are you most excited to see in the theatre industry and how can we get there?

I’m most excited to see new works being created. Realistically, without them, we actors get fewer jobs. Of course, there’s still a place for the classics like Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera. But do not despise those from humble beginnings—everyone has a story. I’d love to hear more and more of these stories being written and told. We also have some wonderful local shows (I’m gutted I missed the run of Hotel because I wasn’t in the country!). That’s just one indication that we have good writing and talents. At the end of the day, it’s about having the platform and the audiences, in Singapore and across the region, to support us.

One way that we can get there is through initiatives like the SG Culture Pass. That’s been a massive game changer for local productions for getting recognised, with some shows getting sold-out. As Singaporean theatre-makers and actors, we also need to make sure that we’re creating quality works and putting as much of our passion and time into these projects as we can. And, hopefully, the local audiences will in turn discover their passion for watching theatre as well.