#54: Nathania Ong: First Singaporean to Lead the West End, And She Almost Gave Up

Nathania Ong is the first Singaporean to lead both Les Misérables and Hamilton on London’s West End. But before any of that, she was 18, alone in a foreign city, rejected by every drama school she applied to in a single week. This is a story about the years nobody sees.. the flight home after every door closes, and the quiet season where you have to decide: Do I keep going, or do I let this go? In this conversation, Nathania opens up about: the rejections that almost broke her the stage fright she developed after going viral ⁠the best friend who talked her back from the edge and the philosophy that has carried her through every closed door since “Sometimes it’s not no. Sometimes it’s not yet. And what is for you will not pass you by.” Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:29 Meet Nathania Ong: From Singapore to the West End 00:02:35 Growing Up in a House Full of Voices 00:07:11 The First Win That Changed Everything 00:10:00 Losing Singing — and Finding Herself Again 00:13:57 Five Rejections in One Week 00:18:00 “I Almost Gave Up” 00:19:47 The Second Chance She Almost Didn’t Take 00:25:55 Her Greatest Triumph Wasn’t Success 00:28:10 What Keeps You Going When Nothing Does 00:29:18 Why Rejection Feels So Personal 00:32:22 Becoming Éponine — And Redefining the Role 00:37:00 When Success Brings Fear 00:38:28 Stage Fright, Anxiety, and Finding Ground Again 00:41:04 Pre-Show Rituals & Becoming the Character 00:42:04 Creating Something Honest for Herself 00:43:33 What She’d Tell Her Younger Self 00:45:11 Advice for Anyone Chasing a Dream 00:45:38 Final Reflections Follow Rachel here:  https://www.instagram.com/ms_rach/ Follow Nathania Ong here: https://www.instagram.com/nattyong/ Write in to the team at [email protected].