“This is a period drama.” This tongue-in-cheek reminder pops up on a regular basis throughout Daniel York Loh’s The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience – currently running at Soho Theatre – a semi-autobiographical piece of gig theatre that investigates identity politics, ancient Chinese philosophy, and the state of the nation. Directed by Alice Kornitzer, York Loh performs alongside Melody Chikakane Brown and Aruhan Galieva.
The premise of the show is excellent; all too often, individuals are swamped by generalisations, expectations or stereotypes, so to acknowledge and explore an identity that is personal but not at all representative of an entire group of people is really interesting. It’s an important reminder that heritage or family doesn’t have to determine how one person will turn out, and that we are all mosaics – environment, timing & interests can influence us in very different ways throughout our lives. In the middle of an election campaign (in an age of intense polarisation), this is something we all have to bear in mind.
Whether it fully delivers on that, I’m not entirely sure. Though the introduction prepares the audience for a more abstract show, the suggestion that perhaps we don’t need to follow it rigidly is a little off-putting and may prevent viewers from connecting with it. At approximately two hours with a brief interval, it is a bit too long – and the lack of formal structure serves to make it feel even longer. It may benefit from a bit of trimming down and reworking into a straight-through show; this would allow it to retains its dreamlike feel, whilst having a wider impact on the audience.
The piece is varied in tone, dealing with some very dark themes (such as racism and substance abuse) – I think this unevenness contributes to some of the attempts at humour not quite landing. On the upside, the musical interludes (composed by An-Ting) inject a bit of life into the production when it’s most needed, and by utilising punk it both gives a taste of 70s England and also provides some catharsis for the performers; it’s also an intriguing contrast to the more psychedelic and philosophical episodes. The projections are excellent, and conjure up some fantastical imagery that really ties into the ethereal nature of the show.
It’s a thought-provoking show that should stimulate some important conversations. With its freeform structure, some may engage with it more than others, but it’s definitely worth seeing.
My verdict? A dreamlike gig theatre production on the nature of identity – if nothing else, go for the juxtaposition of punk and Zhuangzi!
Rating: 3*
The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience runs at Soho Theatre until 13 July 2024. Tickets are available online or from the box office.
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