British East Asian Plays

Yang Mai Ooi, Daniel York Loh, Stephen Hoo, Amy Ng, Joel Tan, Jeremy Tiang, Lucy Chai Lai-Tuen, Amanda Rogers, Ashley Thorpe, Cheryl Robson

• Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
• Print ISBN: 9781912430086
• eBook ISBN: 9781912430079
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

First collection of full-length plays from British East Asian playwrights

Playwrights: Yang Mai Ooi, Jeremy Tiang,Lucy Chai Lai-Tuen,Amy Ng, Stephen Hoo, Joel Tan and Daniel York Loh.

Selected and Edited: Cheryl Robson, Dr Amanda Rogers and Dr Ashley Thorpe. With an introduction: Dr Amanda Rogers and Dr Ashley Thorpe

A landmark collection of contemporary full-length plays by British East Asian writers. Exploring subjects such as cultural identity, the fragmentation of communities, tradition, invisibility and discrimination, these plays are ideal to perform.

With an introduction by academics Dr Amanda Rogers and Dr Ashley Thorpe which sets the plays into context and explores the hidden history of theatre from BEA theatre-makers.

This is a timely collection, being published within months of the opening of three plays by British East Asian playwrights in the UK, and a growing awareness in the mainstream press that that East Asians in British theatre are under-represented.

As Daniel York Loh writes:

"British East Asians were effectively side-lined in any debate on diversity in theatre where the general establishment view tends towards a binary black/white… which seems to exclude large swathes of the Asian continent."

As Kumiko Mendl of Yellow Earth theatre writes:

"There is an abundance of talent and experience to be found in the UK, and it's time that the rest of Britain woke up to the diversity of artists and practitioners around them – those that know their Kuan Han-ching as well as their Shakespeare."

The seven plays in the anthology are:

Bound Feet Blues by Yang Mai Ooi

The Last Days of Limehouse by Jeremy Tiang

Conversations with my Unknown Mother byLucy Chai Lai-Tuen

Special Occasions by Amy Ng

Jamaica Boy by Stephen Hoo

Tango by Joel Tan

The Fu Manchu Complex by Daniel York Loh

"Ooi has some unsettling examples of how, even today in the West, daintiness in a woman is often celebrated and a `beauty is pain' culture still exists." --The Stage "The Last Days of Limehouse is a finely balanced, well-written and superbly acted play that's well worth seeing." **** - --everything theatre "...a devilishly ironic spin on Sax Rohmer's classic novel that will leave you in hysterics...wildly satirical and steeped in sexual innuendo... the atmosphere created on stage is alluring." - --The Upcoming

TANGO

JOEL TAN

Tango was commissioned by Pangdemonium Theatre Company in Singapore, and was first performed at the Drama Centre from 19th May to 4th June 2017. The play was directed by Pangdemonium’s Artistic Director, Tracie Pang; set design was by Kwok Wai Yin; lighting design was by James Tan; sound design was by Jing Ng; costume design was by Tracie Pang; the stage manager was Leah Sim.

This play was inspired by the Blog ‘4 Relative Strangers,’ written by Ed and Mark Koh-Waite.

Characters

KENNETH WOON-BUTLER
LIAM WOON-BUTLER	Kenneth’s husband.
JAYDEN WOON-BUTLER	Their adopted son.
RICHARD WOON	Kenneth’s father.
ELAINE NARANDRAN	Kenneth’s friend.
LEE POH LIN	A waitress.
BENMIN LEE	Poh Lin’s nephew.
ZULKIFLI BIN RAZAK (ZUL)	Benmin’s lover.

Cast

Koh Boon Pin	Kenneth
Emil Marwa	Liam
Lim Kay Siu	Richard
Lok Meng Chue	Poh Lin
Karen Tan	Elaine
Benjamin Chow	Benmin
Ruzaini Mazani	Zulkifli
Dylan Jenkins	Jayden

Notes

There are several split scenes in this play. Life goes on in these split scenes as attention is diverted to another, sometimes they overlap.

Each scene should only be partially realized: some furniture and props to suggest a much larger piece, when at any one time the audience only sees a slice of it.

The time-frame of the show is about three months from start to finish. Time jumps happen in sections marked by playbacks of snatches from news reports, Internet chatter and social media.

Dialogue markings

Slash ( / ) Indicates the point of overlap with the start of the next line.

Double slash ( // ) Used at the start of a line and the subsequent one to indicate that they play simultaneously.

Dash ( – ) Indicates an abrupt interruption.

Ellipsis ( … ) At the end of a line, indicates trailing off. Ellipsis used in place of a line indicate a silent reaction.

Backslash ( \\ ) In split scenes, these are used to distinguish between strains happening in different scenes.

ACT ONE SCENE ONE

A Chinese restaurant. Singapore. Elaine and Kenneth at a table for five.

ELAINEHer lipstick matched her red Lexus. I know ’cuz I was so stunned I just kept staring at her lips moving. “Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh, lesbian lesbian lesbian, nyeh-nyeh-nyeh”.

KENNETHOh my god.

ELAINEShe’s basically screaming at me. “Oh… kids won’t understand that Chloe has two mums, how can I explain to my daughter…” And...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Copyright
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Bound Feet Blues – A Life Told in Shoes
• The Last Days of Limehouse
• Jamaica Boy
• Special Occasions
• Conversations With My Unknown Mother
• Tango
• The Fu Manchu Complex
• Back Cover