By SGN | 10 Dec 2025
Some of Jennifer’s fondest childhood memories are of weekend trips to the cinema with her grandmother in Singapore.
“We’d sometimes watch two films in one day,” she recalls. “I remember being about six or seven, and I was completely captivated by the magic of storytelling, be it on stage or screen.
She went on to study Theatre Studies and Drama for her A Levels before moving to the UK for drama school, thus beginning a lifelong journey in acting, filmmaking, and theatre.
But her path has not an easy one. “During my early years in the UK, I was often cast as the token Chinese character,” she says. “My ethnicity became a signifier, and it made me question why our stories were so often told through someone else’s lens.”
That realisation eventually led her to co-found Moongate Productions, a London-based arts company that champions British East and South-East Asian creatives.
Leaping into the unknown
When Jennifer decided to move to the UK to study drama, it was a bold move for a young Singaporean.
“At the time, not many people from Singapore were pursuing the arts as a career,” she recalls. “But I knew this was what I wanted to do. I’ve always been drawn to stories and to storytelling, in all their forms.”
Her early years in the UK were a whirlwind of learning and adaptation. Her first professional role was in a German television series, where she played a Chinese woman kidnapped by gangsters. “I didn’t realise then that I’d be encountering similar tropes for years to come,” she says with a small laugh.
Her first theatre role came soon after, a three-hander with Theatre Centre, where she played a mysterious Chinese woman who appears in a young woman’s flat alongside an Irish man during the Great Famine.
“I learnt so much about history and stagecraft from that job,” she says. “The people I worked with were wonderful, but I also noticed something: I was always the only Chinese character in the play.”
It was a stark contrast to Singapore, which she describes as a true melting pot. “As a Chinese Singaporean, I had what you might call Chinese privilege,” she reflects. “So, when I moved to the UK, I felt those structural barriers quite clearly.”
Coming from a country that prizes meritocracy, she found it hard to accept why certain narratives persisted. “In Singapore, I was taught to believe in hard work and fairness,” she says. “It was difficult to understand why I had to settle for stereotypes and limited representation.”
Founding Moongate Productions
Over time, those experiences shaped her creative philosophy and strengthened her resolve to build something of her own.
In 2013, together with actor and playwright Daniel York Loh, she co-founded Moongate Productions, a London-based arts company that celebrates British East and South-East Asian creatives.
The idea took root after a controversial staging of The Orphan of Zhao by the Royal Shakespeare Company. “The year before, I had performed in Wild Swans at the Young Vic with a full East and South-East Asian cast,” Jennifer recalls. “It was groundbreaking and every show was sold out. It proved that audiences wanted to see our stories on stage.”
When the RSC’s version of a Chinese classic featured only three East and South-East Asian actors out of seventeen, all in minor roles, she felt compelled to respond. “It felt like a step backwards,” she says. “We wanted to take back agency over our own narratives.”
At its heart, Moongate reimagines who gets to tell stories, and how. “As a Singaporean living in Britain, my identity often went unnoticed,” Jennifer explains. “To most people, I was simply Chinese. That lack of understanding became even more visible during Covid, when anti-Asian hate was on the rise.”
Years of misrepresentation took their toll on her – but also strengthened her resolve. “It became essential to find common ground, challenge those old narratives, and build a more equitable space in the arts,” she says.
“The arts are about people. If my work helps even just one person feel seen or heard, then I know I’m on the right path.”
Stories that reclaim the narrative
Since its founding, Moongate has brought to life works that celebrate underrepresented voices.
Among Jennifer’s favourites is Dream of Emerald Hill, a film about Rosie Seow, one of the first Asian actresses to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Shot in Singapore with an all-Singaporean cast and crew for SG50, it remains close to her heart.
Other notable works include WeRNotVirus, a digital theatre project created during the pandemic that gave voice to East and South-East Asian artists responding to the rise in anti-Asian hate, and The Fu Manchu Complex, a sharp satire on yellowface in Western theatre.
Moongate also produced Forgotten (遗忘), a play about the overlooked Chinese Labour Corps in the First World War, and The Orphan of Zhao Redux, which reimagined the RSC production with a fully East and South-East Asian cast. “It was our way of reclaiming that story,” Jennifer says.
Beyond its productions, Moongate has grown into a creative community where artists can connect, collaborate, and support one another. Its Moongate Mix sessions are relaxed evenings of readings, food, and conversation. “We want people to feel like they’ve been invited into a living room, rather than a theatre,” Jennifer smiles.
Life in London as a Singaporean
London has been both a stage and a classroom for Jennifer.
“The UK has one of the richest theatre traditions,” she says. “So, it naturally felt like the right place to learn and grow.”
Living and working there reshaped how she saw creativity. “I’ve learnt to value process over polish,” she reflects. “People here are open to sharing ideas before they’re fully formed. There’s a generosity in that, and it’s taught me that creativity thrives in dialogue.”
“I’ve also learnt to unlearn, to let the work evolve naturally instead of forcing it into something safe or familiar.”
Though she’s built a creative home in London, Singapore remains close to her heart. She stays connected through collaborations with local theatre companies and projects like Dream of Emerald Hill.
“My work ethic and efficiency definitely come from Singapore,” she laughs. “And being bilingual helps me move between cultures easily. We’re lucky as Singaporeans to be a bridge between East and West.”
For Jennifer, home is no longer tied to one place, but forged in the communities she’s built, and the stories she helps to tell. “It’s not about choosing between Singapore and the UK,” she says. “It’s about belonging wherever your work and your people are.”
Looking ahead
In December of 2025, Jennifer performs in Mountains and Seas 山海今: Song of Today at London’s Omnibus Theatre, a bold new production that weaves together poetry, music, dance and visual art.
Inspired by the ancient Chinese text Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海經), the piece explores themes of climate crisis, activism, and existential dread. “It’s an incredibly rich and layered work,” she says. “It pushes boundaries, which is exactly what excites me.”
Beyond the stage, Jennifer is busy shaping the next chapter of Moongate Productions.
“We’re a small outfit, but I’m hoping to secure funding to grow the team and stage a new production in 2026,” she reveals. “My dream is to bring Moongate’s work to audiences in Singapore one day. It would feel like coming home.”
For younger artists hoping to make their mark, Jennifer’s advice is simple but powerful.
“Seek out the giants whose shoulders you want to stand on and then be a giant for others who come after you.”
About Jennifer
Jennifer Lim is a Singaporean theatre maker and Creative Director at Moongate Productions Limited, a London-based arts company championing British East and South-East Asian creatives. She has worked on a range of projects including Forgotten 遗忘, Dream of Emerald Hill, and more.
Connect with her here.
