Commissioned by, and premiered at La Boite in 2017, wonderful comedy Single Asian Female returned home with the writer Michelle Law cast as Zoe Wong.
Opening with Golden Phoenix restaurant owner and Wong family Matriarch Pearl (Hsiao-Ling Tang) atop an audience-seated table belting karaoke classic I Will Survive, gave me an immediate feeling of inclusiveness into her world. Keeping her Sunshine Coast Chinese restaurant afloat, volunteering at tuck-shop, and motherhood has Pearl working long hours. Stress relief and relaxation come from singing Karaoke after her customers leave. Tonight, she has much to vent; signing her divorce papers, teenage daughter Mai (Courtney Stewart) acting out, and her adult daughter Zoe is miserable to be moving back in with Mummy.
Set/Costume Designer Moe Assaad has firmly planted viewers inside Pearl’s worn but beloved family restaurant resplendent with giant fans, red napkins and tablecloths, and kitsch porcelain décor. Above the restaurant space, two modest bedrooms separated by an ensuite provide insight into the disparate personalities of Pearl and Mai. Pearl’s domain is sparse, decorated with parental photographs and religious icons. Mei has hoarded stereotypical Asian pop culture items from her childhood including a pink Hello Kitty bed set, Pokémon stuffed toys, glitter jelly shoes, and a pink puffy bomber jacket. With school formal looming, Australian born Mei views her possessions with new eyes and ruthlessly culls; to the delight of her quirky best friend Katie (Emily Burton). Similar to the character Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life, Mei is doing her best to distance herself from her cultural heritage, much to the chagrin of Pearl who reacts by reinforcing and reminding her daily.
Into an already tenuous dynamic, independent Zoe returns home and is designated Mei’s bedroom; resulting in a hilarious slapstick style fight between the two. Under the same roof, we watch the Wong women interact within their family unit, as well as with friends and potential lovers. After several online dating disasters, mostly with pushy, creepy men with a fetishism for Asian women, Zoe meets a kindred spirit in smart, good-looking, and gentle Paul (Patrick Jhanur). Witnessing their awkward but successful first date, was a highlight.
Mei’s long-standing friendship with Katie unravels when self-absorbed mean girl Lana (Tatum Mottin) befriends them. Three is a crowd, and invariably two members become closer. Mai loses both friends but blames her heritage and her mother, rather than facing the truth.
Single Asian Female is a dramedy that satisfied its opening night audience. I loved the soundtrack! I never questioned the truthfulness of the relationship between Tang, Law, and Stewart, so comfortable they were with each other. Burton is one of our most versatile artists, and I adored her Katie. Mottin’s Lana was suitably awful and the audience hated her. A job well done! Jhanur looked relaxed and matched Law’s Zoe.
Together, Michelle Law and Claire Christianson have pulled off a sleight of hand that America’s Got Talent: The Champions winner Shin Lim would respect. The laughs are frequent and the pace moves quickly, but its shiny, fun exterior deliberately masks a darker narrative. What you take away from Single Asian Female will depend upon your own cultural and personal experiences. Grab some friends and book.
La Boite Roundhouse Theatre
16 Feb - 19 March
Lisa Bingham