Kuo Jian Hong

By adelyn-1800, 20 April, 2021
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Black and white shot of Kuo Jian Hong seated on the floor in front of window shutters, smiling with her arms around her knees.
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Artistic Director of The Theatre Practice (Singapore), award-winning theatre director, lighting and set designer, and independent film-maker, Kuo has always taken on multi-faceted creative roles within the arts. Her extensive career spans over three decades, making her one of the key contributors to the development of the Singapore arts scene.

In terms of her artistic portfolio, she is best known for critically acclaimed local productions including Four Horse Road, If There‘re Seasons..., Lao Jiu: The Musical and Liao Zhai Rocks!. These phenomenal works have brought new audiences to the theatres and nurtured a talented group of professionals involved both onstage and behind the scenes. Meanwhile, her passion for musical theatre and advocacy for the development of theatre for young audiences have led her to direct award-winning works such as Day I Met the Prince and The Wee Question Mark series. This has also led to her spearheading The Nursery Rhymes Project – a three-part initiative that seeks to rejuvenate the love for Mandarin nursery rhymes amongst children today. Kuo’s repertoire also includes experimental ventures. Her work Blank Run was invited to the World Stage Design in Taipei. In 2018, she led a team of artists across the Chinese diaspora for I came at last to the seas, a meditation on the fluidity of Chinese cultural identity. This was the first-ever full commission undertaken by a local theatre company for the Esplanade Theatre at Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts. More recently, her work Liao Zhai Rocks! was invited to the Shanghai International Musical Festival.

As the Artistic Director of Practice, Kuo’s vision has allowed Practice to evolve with the times and emerge as one of the most progressive theatre companies in Singapore. Under her grassroots leadership, Practice continues to be a vital and relevant voice in the local arts scene, while charging ahead in its mission to always be a voice for the underdog.

Last Updated: April 2023 

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