Nora Samosir has been active in theatre since 1979. She has acted with Cake Theatricals, TheatreWorks, Wild Rice, The Necessary Stage, GenerAsia, The Theatre Practice, Teater Ekamatra, Singapore Lyric Opera, Singapore Repertory Theatre and other theatre companies.

She has also worked in film and television, most notably as Lilian in Masters of the Sea seasons 1 (1995) and 2 (1996), Mrs. Fernandez in Ah Girl seasons 1 to 3 (2001-2002) and Pauline in A Quiet Taste (2021). She has been in more than 100 stage productions including no there there at NAFA Studio Theatre (2024), Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral (2015), White Rabbit, Red Rabbit (2014), LIFT: Love is Flower The (2013), Casting Back (2012), Temple (2008), Doubt (2006), Asian Boys Vol. 2: Landmarks (2004), Proof (2002), Asian Boys Vol.1 (2000), Ah Kong’s Birthday Party (1998), Beauty World (1998, 1992), Lao Jiu (1997, 1994), and Trojan Women (1991).

Since 2018, she has an ongoing practice research project with Bharatanatyam dancer Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara as the duo ‘Wandering Women’, based on the lives of Draupadi and Mary Magdalene. They have presented three works-in-progress, Wandering Women – Water (2018), Wandering Women: From Kurukshetra to Magdala (2019), and Wandering Women: Sites (2024) at LASALLE’s Creative Cube. 

Her professional career in both education and theatre began in tandem in 1984 as a teacher in a junior college and as an actor in the Singapore Festival of Arts’ production of Bumboat. This double life has since continued with the odd breaks spent overseas - a six-month theatre fellowship in England, a year teaching in Jakarta, and a year pursuing a postgraduate diploma in London.

She has taught at primary, secondary, post-secondary, and tertiary levels; prior to LASALLE at the National Institute of Education from 1998 to 2005 and the National University of Singapore from 2005 to 2020. She has been an actor, director, dramaturg, and voice coach.