SINGAPORE — Perry Chiu is no stranger to controversy. She is known in Hong Kong for her edgy — and occasionally, semi-nude — performances in theatre shows such as The Vagina Monologues, The Fire Of Desire and the lesbian-themed musical, Chopsticks. The theatre actress was also the subject of gossip in the 1990s for allegedly having an affair with Hong Kong director and now-boyfriend Clifton Ko.

Yet, Chiu, who is also founder of the Perry Chiu Experimental Theatre, considers herself much less bold than Taiwanese pop legend Teresa Teng, whom she plays in a musical tribute that will be staged here on Jan 22. (Ko doubles up as producer for the Singapore version of the musical.)

“She was sweet and gentle, and everyone still thinks of her as a traditional, conservative woman. But I think she may have been very bold, forward-looking,” Chiu said in an interview with TODAY. “You can tell from her relationships: She dated a younger French man for about five years in the 1990s. It’s quite common now, but in those days, it was a big deal.

“She also went skinny-dipping!” she added.

That boldness is what Chiu admires most about Teng, because the former considers herself the “complete opposite”.

“Many people know that I do bold things when I am on stage, but in my personal life, I am a lot more conservative,” said Chiu. “I wouldn’t dare to swim in the nude in France! On stage, however, I would be able to do it if the script required me to.”

While the Beijing-born, Hong Kong-based actress will remain fully clothed as Teresa Teng, the musical isn’t necessarily less bold than any of Chiu’s other productions. The musical, which took renowned Chinese writer Sha Yexin seven years to complete, tells the untold story of Teng, the challenges she faced in her career, as well as her relationships with actor Jackie Chan, Malaysian businessman Beau Kuok and a French boyfriend.

“There are many shows out there (with actresses who) imitate how she looked and how she sounded. Anyone can do that. But how do you allow the audience to feel that the person they are watching is Teresa Teng, to make them believe that I am Teresa Teng? You need a good script and story,” said Chiu, who has performed the role more than 20 times in Hong Kong, Genting, London and Vancouver.

She also hopes to bring the show to more cities around the world. To research for her role, Chiu also watched videos of Teng’s interviews and performances, and read various accounts of the star, who passed away in 1995.

And if Chiu has found any similarities between Teng’s and her own life, it is probably that they both found the greatest loves of their lives on stage.

“I am lucky because I knew very early on that I would never give up on theatre, and that it is my greatest love,” said Chiu, who declared several years ago that she was “married to the stage”.

“Teresa Teng once said that books were her greatest love, but singing was her life. And I think, to me, the stage is my life. I fall more in love with it every day.” HON JING YI

Teresa The Musical will be held at 8pm on Jan 22 and 23 at Kallang Theatre. Tickets from S$48 available at SISTIC.