Acclaimed La Mama production, Porcelain by expatriate Singaporean playwright Chay Yew, opens in Street Two from 3 November 2009 for five nights of thought-provoking drama about cultural divisions, sexual politics and discrimination.
The Street Theatre welcomes artists from interstate and the play’s director, Beng Oh, and all male cast of Keith Brockett, Paul David-Goddard, Leon Dürr, Colin MacPherson and Nick Barker-Pendree to the Made in Canberra season.
Winner of the London Fringe Award for Best Play (1992) and a 2008 Green Room Award nomination for best direction (independent theatre), Porcelain is an intense race drama of love, identity and sex in public places.
Porcelain made its premiere at the Etcetera Theatre in London in 1992 by the Mu-Lan Theatre Company and the play continues to see audiences on the edge of their seats as they come face to face with a killer and delve into his mind.
Set in the UK, the story deals with a young Asian man, John Lee, who shoots and kills his white lover in a public toilet. Through a series of interviews with a psychologist and various flashback scenes, the audience is taken on a journey in an attempt to discover why this murder took place.
Director Beng Oh stages the play simply with the actors seated on chairs facing the audience. The minimalist and elegant setting supports the swiftly unfolding drama as the actors play a range of characters and voices in 30 short scenes. Oh states that, “It’s a compelling play not just because of its depiction of what it is to be young and gay; but, by making John the perpetrator and not the victim it runs counter to Western stereotypes of Asians.”
Keith Brockett takes on the challenging role of John Lee and is acclaimed for his sensitive portrayal of the young killer. Brockett attended the National Theatre Drama School and is known for his role as Ky in ABC TV’s The Librarians.
Porcelain critical reviews continue to regard this production as an intriguing and fascinating play with The Age describing it as a “A keen and dramatically accomplished work”; the Herald Sun as “A harrowing but extraordinarily impressive production” and Arts Hub as “A slick and thought provoking production, beautifully directed and acted”.
Bookings (02) 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au.
