Single Asian Female

This play was written for the BrisAsia Festival and opened at the La Boite Theatre, Brisbane, exactly 12 months ago, with one change to the 5w/1m cast. As noted at the time, it crackles with authentic Asian flavours, and Michelle Law’s sharp dialogue contributes to a work of significant cultural value.

As directed by Claire Christian, on an event-packed setting by Moe Assaad, the play found a raucous, noisy audience on its opening night in Sydney. When Hsiao-Ling Tang as Pearl, owner of the Golden Phoenix Restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, enters in satin-print cheongsam, the backing track is raised to Full. She gives us ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ and ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, and the Belvoir crowd are ready for action. 

It takes some time for them to realise they’re actually watching a clever situation comedy about a fatherless family. At each turn of the plot Pearl and her two daughters, 29-year-old Zoe (Alex Lee) and 17-year-old Mei (Courtney Stewart), have to grapple with generational and cultural barriers.

Mei has two of her white school-leaver friends with her, Katie (Emily Burton) and Lana (Lucy Heffernan), and Zoe finds herself in earnest conversation with hunk Paul (Patrick Jhanur). All bring enthusiastic support – especially Emily Burton, whose wiry presence is to the fore in all her scenes, especially when she plays Aussie men in a couple of bad dates endured by poor Zoe.

The Asian elements are perfectly presented. Slippers must be worn inside the house behind the restaurant. And Mei’s dress, which she plans to wear at her school leaving do: ‘A white dress!’ says her mother. ‘Are you going to a funeral?’

As the play is coming to its end, the fusion of music and cabaret returns. Nothing can stop Mum and the Girls climbing on the table and giving us a musical blast of their united love.

Frank Hatherley

Photographer: Daniel Boud

PREVIEW AND BUY THE SCRIPT HERE.