Post by joem on Aug 1, 2016 15:41:08 GMT
This was my first visit to the Finborough, which is almost worth going just to see the building which houses it: some kind of circular folly which looks as though its been left marooned by the ebb and flow of London's architecture.
An interesting new play which focuses on the merits and evils of cultural tourism whilst exploring what it is that makes us tick - ambition, self-improvement, financial gain and so forth. A region in Yunnan has been named Shangri-La to exploit the western myth of the "blessed realm" and encourage anyone with hopes of seeing a levitating John Gielgud in the flesh.
The play follows the story of a young girl, Bunny (Julia Sandiford) from the Naqi tribe in Tibet as she discovers herself through photography. But her family, shamen by tradition, suffer in the process and the clash between tradition and modernity leaves her with a dilemna which is exacerbated by her relationship with her well-meaning Chinese boss Nelson (Kevin Shen) and the sharp and mercurial Karma (Andrew Koji) who's always ready to charm the tourists with fake miracles and is either a Chinese informer or a visionary seeking to improve his homeland... or both. Rosie Thomas is the deus ex machina, playing the dual roles of an Irish photographer and American Mrs Moneybags, she is the outside world which impinges on the locals with dreams of Shangri-La, bringing opportunities and threats to them and their way of life.
The constant back and forthing in time could be a problem but is smoothly dealt with through costume and accents and ends up being more effective than if the story had been portrayed in a linear manner. The cast are very good and give strong and credible performances. The Finborough Theatre has a very small acting space, and few frills, so to have the audience believe the cast are often in the Himalayas is a credit to their efforts.
I might have stressed the turning point of the play a little more but won't go into it as that would entail spoilers. Kudos to Amy Ng for giving us this entertaining but thought-provoking piece of work.
Well worth a visit.
An interesting new play which focuses on the merits and evils of cultural tourism whilst exploring what it is that makes us tick - ambition, self-improvement, financial gain and so forth. A region in Yunnan has been named Shangri-La to exploit the western myth of the "blessed realm" and encourage anyone with hopes of seeing a levitating John Gielgud in the flesh.
The play follows the story of a young girl, Bunny (Julia Sandiford) from the Naqi tribe in Tibet as she discovers herself through photography. But her family, shamen by tradition, suffer in the process and the clash between tradition and modernity leaves her with a dilemna which is exacerbated by her relationship with her well-meaning Chinese boss Nelson (Kevin Shen) and the sharp and mercurial Karma (Andrew Koji) who's always ready to charm the tourists with fake miracles and is either a Chinese informer or a visionary seeking to improve his homeland... or both. Rosie Thomas is the deus ex machina, playing the dual roles of an Irish photographer and American Mrs Moneybags, she is the outside world which impinges on the locals with dreams of Shangri-La, bringing opportunities and threats to them and their way of life.
The constant back and forthing in time could be a problem but is smoothly dealt with through costume and accents and ends up being more effective than if the story had been portrayed in a linear manner. The cast are very good and give strong and credible performances. The Finborough Theatre has a very small acting space, and few frills, so to have the audience believe the cast are often in the Himalayas is a credit to their efforts.
I might have stressed the turning point of the play a little more but won't go into it as that would entail spoilers. Kudos to Amy Ng for giving us this entertaining but thought-provoking piece of work.
Well worth a visit.
