Theatre performer Aaron Teoh moved to London in 2017 with ambitions of establishing himself on the international stage. The road to a career spanning the West End and beyond included various jobs, among them working as a Harry Potter tour guide at a movie studio in his early days in the British capital.
Since then, the Petaling Jaya-born Teoh has built a varied body of work across musical theatre and film, with roles that have brought both recognition and new opportunities. His credits include The King & I, Aladdin, Miss Saigon, But I’m A Cheerleader and Starry, as well as the Wicked film adaptations.
In early 2019, he landed the role of Prince Chulalongkorn in the British and Irish touring production of The King And I, giving him a taste of life on the road. He later played Avaric Tenmeadows in the movie Wicked (2024) and its sequel, Wicked: For Good (2025).
With major Broadway and West End productions seldom seen in Kuala Lumpur, Teoh’s return is notable in itself, offering audiences a chance to see a Malaysian performer whose career has largely taken shape on international stages.
Teoh, 37, is part of the cast of London’s West End Rising Stars – East Meets West In Musical Theatre, featuring songs from some of the West End’s best-known productions. The dinner show musical concert makes its South-East Asian debut at Hilton Kuala Lumpur’s Grand Ballroom on Oct 21.
Singapore-based British Theatre Playhouse, in association with Worldwide Entertainment, presents the concert, which also features Filipina-British actress and singer Christine Allado (Hamilton, The Prince Of Egypt, West Side Story and The Sound Of Music), adding to its Asian representation.The production will be directed by Miranda Wilford, a British actor, choreographer, director and West End star in her own right. In a recent interview, Teoh says he is excited to be back on the Kuala Lumpur stage for the show next month.
Looking back on his early days in the local theatre circuit, he recalls getting his first taste of performing when he was a Form Four student.
“I went to watch the Young KL Singers perform in The Actors Studio in Bangsar (I still miss that venue!), and it made me want to be up there. I auditioned and performed with them by the end of the year, and I didn’t actually consider it as a career, but my parents came to watch that performance and found a brochure for a diploma in performing arts and media and said, ‘Have you ever considered studying this?’, and that was kinda what led me here," says Teoh in an email interview.
“I now know how special it was to have my parents suggest performing arts as a career, but at the time I had no idea how much other people struggled to get their families on board with the idea,” he adds.
London’s West End Rising Stars marks the first time Teoh returns to KL with a foreign production. He is keeping the setlist under wraps, though he hints that there may be a Miss Saigon treat in store. In Britain, Teoh has been touring with Miss Saigon, making his stage debut as the Engineer in Newcastle last October.
Teoh trained at the University of Tasmania, where he earned a BA in Theatre, before beginning a career that would take him from Australia to the West End. Heading back to Malaysia for a special West End production gives Teoh an opportunity to showcase his vocal range, while the programme itself promises a selection of familiar favourites for local audiences.
In recent years, he has returned to KL for club shows and even bookshop gigs with jazz outfit WVC. Next month will be a little more special, with a private engagement at the brand new Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC), alongside the West End celebration at Hilton KL.
"A little surreal honestly! I'll be performing in two concerts. My last (major) performance in KL may have been sometime just after the pandemic? When everything was just starting up again. I'd like to think I've learnt more about my artistry and instrument since then. But it's a dream come true to be able to come back home and perform again," says Teoh, who was back in April this year for a family holiday.
"I was just in KL (in April) for my parents' wedding anniversary. Their celebration coincided with my week off from the Miss Saigon UK tour, so I managed to get a couple days off early and was home for just over a week. It was great but I wish I could've stayed longer to spend more time with friends and family, and of course to makan more," he says.
Next month looks set to give him a little more time to catch up with friends, fans and family between shows in KL.
The journey continues
As for life in London’s theatre scene, Teoh acknowledges that the journey has not been without its challenges.
"Visas have been a constant challenge over the past nine years. I have been fortunate to make my way to the UK, find work, qualify and meet the requirements to continue working here," say Teoh.
"But the increasingly demanding restrictions and costs can make it difficult for many talented people from around the world to do the same. I have also been fortunate to have the support of my wife and both our families throughout this journey, and I remain grateful for that," he adds.
Among his work in London, Teoh regards his role in But I’m A Cheerleader (2022), a coming-of-age comedy centred on self-discovery, as one of his most memorable performances."I think the role I’m most proud of would be Dolph in But I’m A Cheerleader. It was an original musical that, unfortunately, hasn't had its chance to shine, but it absolutely deserves to," he says.
Beyond the West End, Teoh has also appeared on screen, playing Shiz University student and Glinda’s friend Avaric in Wicked (2024) and its sequel, Wicked: For Good (2025). Glinda was played by pop star Ariana Grande.
“Wicked is easily the biggest production I’ve been part of so far. Being able to say I worked with giants in the industry like Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande is not a sentence I thought I’d ever be able to utter. Meeting Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh was probably the most memorable day for me on set. She was so kind and lovely,” says Teoh.
In many ways, he sees his formative years in Malaysian theatre, along with the network of creative friends he made here, as an important part of his development as a performer.
When it comes to a dream role, Teoh’s thoughts turn to the Kuala Lumpur stage, where he once performed in Merrily We Roll Along, directed by Nell Ng and staged by Pan Productions in May 2014.He would love to reprise the role of Charley Kringas in Merrily We Roll Along, Stephen Sondheim’s musical about three friends whose lives and friendship unfold in reverse over 20 years.
“I love Stephen Sondheim and have had the privilege of playing Charley in Merrily We Roll Along at KLPac. I’d love to play the role again, knowing what I know now, having lived, experienced and matured."
With more than half his life spent in theatre, Teoh finds it difficult to imagine doing anything else.
“Quite frankly, I don’t think I could ever stop doing theatre, because I don’t know what else I would do. But I know I didn’t come this far to only come this far,” he says.
Teoh does not claim to have all the answers, but he has a few thoughts to share with those finding their way in theatre.
“Do the work, never stop learning and find your tribe. Theatre, like most things, is almost never created in isolation. No one person is responsible for everything. We collaborate, we listen, we improve. So find your people, and get weird," he concludes.
London's West End Rising Stars – East Meets West In Musical Theatre will be staged at the Grand Ballroom, Hilton Kuala Lumpur on Oct 21.
