In fame, popularity and looks she is nothing compared with Stefanie Sun, Zoe Tay or Fann Wong.

But there's something frail-looking local comedienne Abigail Chay has over those household names.

Her colourful life has become the inspiration behind a new Hong Kong stage musical titled I Am What I Am.

The production - which runs over four nights in January - will cover her childhood, sex reassignment surgery and tumultuous love life.

Hong Kong actor Angus Chan will play Chay both before and after her sex change, while Hong Kong-based Singaporean Garrick Wong portrays one of her boyfriends.

The duo are also the scriptwriters, directors and executive producers of the musical, which will feature homegrown hit songs like Qing Chun 123 and Guan Huai Fang Shi.

The Cantonese version will run on Jan 7 and 8 and the Mandarin version on Jan 14 and 15.

All shows will be held at The Sheung Wan Civic Centre Theatre in Hong Kong.

In an interview with The New Paper yesterday, Chay, 52, said the production will stick closely to the facts and refrain as much as possible from exaggerating or sensationalising her life for dramatic effect.

She said Wong has been a friend for 15 years and is very touched by her life story, which was first depicted in the MediaCorp programme Life Story in 2006.

So when he suggested doing a stage production revolving around her, she felt honoured.

"It's a dream to have a musical about myself, to have different songs portraying my life. After all, life is like a musical. When you are happy, you sing a happy song," said Chay, who's also a host and an English speech and drama teacher.

She hopes I Am What I Am will inspire people to take on their problems as a challenge, and to always have a remedy in their heart that will help them be happy in life.

Despite having a self-deprecating sense of humour even after experiencing personal tragedies, Chay - who was born Caesar Chay Tuck Kwong - became teary-eyed when she recounted how she had hurt her parents deeply when she went for a sex change at Thomson Medical Centre at the age of 22.

Apologised to parents

"It's not a pleasant experience to know your parents suffered because of your decisions. They felt it was unjust," said the only child, who had knelt down before her parents and apologised.

"The person I feel most sorry about is my mother. She wanted a son so much... In the past, she had reminded me, you got your (sex) change, but how happy are you?"

Although they were hurt, Chay said her parents still paid for the $7,000 sex change operation and and gradually accepted her.

Chay's late mother, Madam Yau Chung Chii, best remembered by Singaporeans as the "McDonald's granny" in the fast food chain's TV commercial, died in 2002.

Chay now wants to treasure her days with her 85-year-old father.

One source of comfort after her operation was Chay's "open-minded" late maternal grandmother, who was in her 80s then.

Said Chay: "She told me cheerily, now that I'm a girl, I must behave like one. She was also very happy to meet my then-husband."

Chay had met her ex at a modelling class before her surgeryand they registered their marriage two months after the operation.

However, the marriage ended a year later.

Many heartbreaks later, Chay said dreamily that she fantasises about meeting Mr Right at the I Am What I Am shows in Hong Kong.

But she added she doesn't cry over love any more. She said: "I have transferred my love for wanting a husband to a love for my parents."

Still, every once in a while, she can't help the pangs of loneliness from settling in.

Occasionally, she also wonders about what more she could have done those 30 years ago.

"If I could turn back time, I would have prayed more for God to turn me into a real man, and not a woman inside a man's body - so my parents wouldn't be hurt," Chay said solemnly.

"I had prayed for a miracle to happen that would make everyone happy, but it didn't happen... I believe our life is pre-destined, so I have no regrets about my sex change."

This article was first published in The New Paper.