Singer tunes in to a life on the stage

Singer-songwriter Pong Nan, who will next week star in Springtime Productions' musical about the late Teresa Teng Lai-kwan, is lined up for a starring role in another theatre performance later this year.

Although he was guarded about his autumn performance, Nan (right) said he was pleasantly surprised by his popularity among theatre directors. 'I don't really know what they see in me - I've never been an actor as such,' he said. His role last year alongside Gigi Leung Wing-kei and Jim Chim Shui-man in Edward Lam Dance Theatre's The Great Entertainer was well received.

With the release a fortnight ago of his second album, Almost Happy, Nan, 28, can now devote more time to acting.

Almost Happy is relatively free of fiery, angst-driven songs and consists mainly of more tender pop numbers. The album is a more 'succinct' record than Unadorable, Nan said. The former employee of public relations firm Burson-Marsteller is now a regular at TVB Jade, providing live musical backing for It's Show Time, the channel's preposterous talent contest.

Although he declined to comment on whether he finds it artistically satisfying to improvise music for a chef cutting cucumbers in record time or a dog showing off its dexterous skip on stage, he's positive about some of the things he's achieved.

'Almost Happy is an album that speaks more about what I'm thinking now - my standpoints on different issues,' he said.