Thomas Lim is a writer, director and arts educator based in Singapore.
His works span across genres and languages, including plays, musicals, exhibitions and short films that have been performed in Teochew, Mandarin, Malay, Bahasa Indonesia, English and Pig Latin.
Thomas made his professional debut as a playwright and director with Grandmother Tongue, a semi-autobiographical tribute to his Teochew-speaking grandmother. Subsequent writing credits include Supervision, Straight Acting and National Day Charade. Thomas also makes theatre for families, such as musical pantomimes like Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens, Pinocchio, and shows for young audiences like Red Riding Hood and There’s A Dinosaur In The Concert Hall.
Education is at the heart of Thomas’s artistic practice. He enjoys teaching, collaborating and co-creating with students and young people. He is the co-programme director of the Singapore Youth Theatre and teaches theatremaking and playwriting in secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
At LASALLE, Thomas’s research set out to investigate the ways that playwriting pedagogy and the practice of collective playwriting can challenge the dominant structures that influence how plays are produced and valued in Singapore.
Past recipients
Chin Yuqin
