Choy-Ping Ní Chléirigh-Ng 吳彩萍 (they/she) is a Hong Kong-Irish writer, director and designer whose work explores heritage, language and queerness. They create their own sets, costumes and video to bring a distinct visual style to their work.
Born and raised in Enniskerry, Wicklow, Ping studied English Literature and Sociology at Trinity College Dublin. They completed an MA in Performance Design at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and won both the Linbury Prize and John Elvery Prize upon graduation.
Their theatre work includes WHERE ARE YOU FROM? (2019), presented at the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre, and by Dublin Theatre Festival at Electric Picnic. WINDOW A WORLD (2022) was co-produced by Dublin Theatre Festival and Kunstencentrum BUDA as part of the EU’s Be SpectACTive! project. More recently, THE MADONNA OF ASIA, inspired by Hong Kong cinema, had a sold-out run. MY LITTLE CHINA GIRL (2017) was a nine-hour piece examining representations of East Asian women in Western media. Their projects often involve collaborators without formal arts experience, with the aim of making participation more accessible.
Their upcoming theatre projects have been supported by Arts Council Project Awards, Rough Magic’s Rough Ideas and Pan Pan’s International Mentorship programme with Susanne Kennedy. They are currently in post-production for their first short film as writer/director, Another Christmas, which was selected for the First Credit Scheme from the National Talent Academy for Film & TV.
Alongside their own practice, Ping works as a designer across theatre, dance, film and opera. Their work has been presented at the Abbey Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Singapore Repertory Theatre and Cork Midsummer Festival. They have toured designs across Ireland with Boyfriends by Ultan Pringle and Tearmann Aiteach / Queer Sanctuary by Isabella Oberländer and Fearghus Ó Conchúir. They have also worked as an associate and assistant to several designers, including Sabine Dargent, Nina Dunn and Vicki Mortimer on the West End.
Ping is currently a Rough Magic Fellow at the Trinity Long Room Hub and a member of Irish Theatre Institute’s Diversity and Access Council. In 2023, they were named in the Irish Sunday Times’ Ones to Watch and received the three-year Propel Programme Award with Strollers Network, a partnership of ten arts centres across Ireland. In 2022, they received the Arts Council of Ireland’s Next Generation Award. They have participated in The Next Stage, MAKE Residency Programme and Irish Theatre Institute’s Six in the Attic.
Ní Chléirigh-Ng is pronounced: nee clair-ree ng, like the end of “ring” or “sing.”
Photograph: Owen Clarke
Calligraphy (on mobile): Chi Wai Ng 吳子威
Agent: Holly Carey: holly@sovrancarey.com
hello@choyping.com