Chae Lian initially trained as a performer, first at La Salle-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore, and later in the USA, receiving her Honours degree in Drama (Acting) from Carnegie Mellon University. Returning to Malaysia, she spent two years as a Malaysian TV series regular in Ramona Rahman’s sitcom Life's A Pitch! and Othman Hafsham 's sitcom All Mixed Up with Joanna Bessey, Rashid Salleh and Manesh Nesaratnam.

In 2000, she started work as a theatre producer under the guidance of producer-director Dato’ Faridah Merican. The production was an adaptation of the 1892 British farce, CHARLEY'S AUNTIE!, now re-set in Malaysia circa 1965. One of the first shows in Malaysia to run for three weeks, the comedy at The Actors Studio Theatre was a sell-out success. Shortly afterwards, she co-founded Gardner & Wife Theatre with Richard in 2001 and over the last six years, they have developed it into Malaysia’s busiest commercial theatre company. Chae Lian has produced over 20 local and international productions, developing extensive experience in dealing with multiple government agencies with regards to censorship, permits, taxes and immigration matters. However, she much prefers managing audience development, media relations, and marketing!

In 2006, Chae Lian became the first South-East Asian recipient of the Fellowship Programme in Arts Management at the John F Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, the national institution for arts and culture of the United States of America . She is currently in Washington DC for her 10-month residency and will return to Kuala Lumpur in June 2007.

Richard started life as a professional actor, combining his two passions of travelling and theatre by working in the theatre in London, Madrid, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Houston and Los Angeles. Relocating to Los Angeles, he started writing and directing among other things, the stage play Pacific Palisades, episodes of Fox TV's Small Wonder, and the film Sherlock: Undercover Dog for Columbia-Tri-Star.

Here in Malaysia, he has directed the stage productions of the Alan Ayckbourn play RELATIVELY SPEAKING, the musical comedies NUNSENSE and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, as well as both productions of CHARLEY'S AUNTIE! In Singapore, he recently directed SYLVIA. He has also written and directed several episodes of the RTM sitcom All Mixed Up!

Richard was born in England, trained as an actor at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and educated in the U.S. with a degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In a former life he was a member of British Actors' Equity Association, American Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) and is a current member of the Film Workers' Association of Malaysia - Persatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Filem Malaysia (PPFM).