PETALING JAYA, Aug 16 — Many may not be aware of it, but the star of the recently-concluded musical Your Lie In April based on a manga in London’s West End is Malaysia’s very actor Zheng Xi Yong, born in Miri, Sarawak but who grew up in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
His first time cast as lead, the 29-year-old told The Star he had previously only been in ensemble, smaller, and supporting roles.
“Playing the lead came with significant pressure, as it demanded a lot of stamina and a high level of skill,” he said.
“It was the only show so far that required me to use all four of my skills: singing, acting, dance, and piano. It has been a lot of fun.”
Your Lie In April is a romantic drama based on Naoshi Arakawa’s beloved Japanese manga and its popular anime adaptation, which tells the story of Kosei Arima, a young piano prodigy who loses his ability to hear music after his mother's death.
His world is transformed when free-spirited violinist Kaori Miyazono inspires him to return to his musical passions.
The musical featured compositions by Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award nominated Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn, known for Broadway’s Jekyll & Hyde.
Directed by Nick Winston, the production initially started as a concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in April.
Due to positive reception, before it was extended into a full production at the Harold Pinter Theatre from July 28 to August 11.
Your Lie In April was distinguished as the first full West End production based on a manga and the first musical with a 100% Asian and Southeast Asian cast, celebrating its Asian heritage.
To prepare for his role, Yong watched the anime, then read the manga.
““Wildhorn’s songs brilliantly fused contemporary pop with classical music, and besides being catchy, they accurately expressed the feelings of the characters. It was a joy to sing them in every show.”
Possessing a Bachelor’s degree in Law from King’s College London and a potential legal career, Yong pursued his passion for musical theatre, earning a Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London and embarked on his journey over a decade ago.
Starting with private lessons from vocal coach Kevin Fountain, who encouraged him to take musical theatre seriously, his career in Britain began in late 2017 with the musical Miss Saigon, which toured six British cities and later Germany and Switzerland.
The pandemic posed significant challenges for the creative industry, but Yong adapted by teaching singing online.
Juggling his acting, he also teaches singing and drama in London and works as a business operations analyst for a tech start-up.
As a Malaysian in the British arts scene,Yong acknowledges some progress in diversity and inclusion but believes more work is needed.
“We are still consistently overlooked when it comes to leading roles, especially when the character isn’t specifically written for our heritage. So we continue to fight and make sure every audition we do is top-notch.”
Yong’s theatre credits include The Tempest (2023), Spring Awakening (2021), and Assassins (2019).
He has also appeared in films such as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) and is a series regular in BBC Three’s Boarders. Upcoming projects include a role in Universal Pictures’ Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy and the international TV series Sandokan, both set for release in 2025.
Though he tries to visit Malaysia annually, Yong’s last performing arts work there was in 2019 with his short piece Pisang Goreng for Don’t Let Usman Awang Know.
“I’d love to do more work back home when the right job and the right time comes. There’s a lot of talent back home that I’d love to work with and also to perform to my people,” Yong said.
“My goal now is to continue to work and take on more and more challenging roles, be it stage and screen, and to remember to enjoy the journey, despite it being such a tough one.”
