Darren Yap

Darren Yap is an Australian actor and director based in Sydney, Australia.

Family and education He was born in Sydney and grew up in the South Western Sydney suburb of Cabramatta. He was the third child of a Malaysian-born father and his third-generation Australia-born ethnically Chinese mother. His father, Robert Yap, was a medical practitioner in the western suburbs of Sydney, his brother is a pharmacist in the inner eastern suburbs of Sydney and his sister is a medical practitioner in Victoria.

Yap was educated at Newington College (1980–85).

He initially applied to do the stage management course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) but he was not accepted. When the degree course in acting at University of Western Sydney's Theatre Nepean was first offered he chose to do that. Following UWS, Yap graduated from the director's course at NIDA.

His life partner is the composer Max Lambert.

Career Yap has a successful career in acting and directing theatre.

Directing

Theatre Year Title Role Type 1998 The Boy from Oz Resident Director World Premiere 2005 The Admiral's Odyssey Director Action Theatre, Singapore – World Premiere 2006 Dick Lee’s Man of Letters Director Singapore Repertory Theatre – World Premiere 2006–08 Miss Saigon Associate Director Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manchester, Dublin & Edinburgh with Cameron Mackintosh 2009 I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change Director NSW regional tour with Seymour Centre & Kookaburra Musical Theatre & Singapore with Mediacorp VizPro International 2009 Steel Magnolias Director Seymour Centre with Blackbird Productions 2022 Yong Director Sydney & Victoria with Monkey Baa Theatre 2023 Tim Director Glen Street Theatre, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta & NSW regional tour with Christine Dunstan Productions 2023 Clyde's Director Ensemble Theatre 2024 Zombie! The Musical Director Hayes Theatre David Williamson’s The Great Man Affiliate Director Sydney Theatre Company Katherine Thomson’s Navigating Affiliate Director Sydney Theatre Company Miracle City Affiliate Director Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

Events Year Title Role Type 2000 2000 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony Associate Director Homebush Stadium, Sydney 2006 15th Asian Games Closing Ceremony Segment Director Doha, Qatar 2006; 2007; 2010 NSW Premier's Gala Concerts Director Sydney Entertainment Centre with Venables Entertainment 2008; 2009 Chinese New Year Parade Director City of Sydney 2011 SpongeBob SquarePants Parade Director Sea World for Gold Coast for Nickelodeon 2015 Opening of the National Gallery & Art Carnival, SG50 Celebrations Artistic Festival Consultant & Art Carnival Director Singapore 2016 NSW Premier's Gala Concerts Director Allphones Arena, Sydney with Venables Entertainment 2016 Cairo MISR Pre-Show Celabrations Associate Director Cairo with World Events 2019 Abu Dhabi 48th National Day Celebrations Associate Director Abu Dhabi with Betty Productions Red Sea International Film Festival Director Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2020 World Expo Dubai 2020 Staging Director Al Wasal Plaza, Dubai with Artists in Motion

Acting

Theatre Year Title Role Type 1989 Anything Goes John Hayden Attractions 1990 Shadow and Splendour Mori / Local Policeman / Mozart Singer Queensland Theatre 1990 Capricornia Cho Sek Ching STCSA 1991 Chess Ensemble Victoria State Opera 1992 Cockroach Opera Roima Belvoir Street Theatre with Company B 1993 M. Butterfly Song Liling Melbourne Theatre Company 1994 The Wedding Song NIDA 1995 Miss Saigon Thuy Capitol Theatre, Sydney for Cameron Mackintosh 1995 The Quartet from Rigoletto Ensemble Theatre 1995 Sydney Stories Various characters Sydney Theatre Company 2003 Songket Koua Neng Vang Griffin Theatre Company 2006 Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset Hop Lee Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre 2019 Aladdin Disney Theatrical Productions

Television Year Title Role Type 1988 Mission: Impossible Quon TV series, season 2, episode 5: "Countdown" 1988 Richmond Hill TV series 1989–92 Tanamera - Lion of Singapore Paul Miniseries, 7 episodes 1991 Embassy Hung TV series, season 2, episode 3: "The East Wind Blows West" 1992 Bony Chang TV series, season 1, episode 1: "Bird in the Hand" 1993 G.P. Jimmy Lee TV series, 2 episodes 1993 The Leaving of Liverpool Dave Miniseries 1992 Children of the Dragon Miniseries 1994 Heartland Dr Nguyen TV series, 2 episodes 1994 Over the Hill Kevin TV series, 1998 A Difficult Woman Dr Wei Miniseries, 3 episodes

Film Year Title Role Type 1996 Floating Life Lone Feature film 2007 The Home Song Stories Adult Tom Feature film

Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Category Result 1999 The Boy from Oz (world premiere) Green Room Awards Best Re-Staging by a Resident Artist Diving for Pearls BroadwayWorld Regional Award Best Director of a Play Miracle City Glugs Theatrical Awards Outstanding Mainstage Musical Diving for Pearls Glugs Theatrical Awards Outstanding Mainstage Production 2022 Monkey Baa Theatre Company's Yong Sydney Theatre Awards 2024 Zombie! The Musical Sydney Theatre Awards Best Direction in a Musical