Single Asian Female

Michelle Law’s Single Asian Female is a much-welcomed part of this year’s Oz-Asia Festival, one of the best of the Adelaide festivals. I am not the first critic to note how terrific it is to see a fully realised authentic contemporary Asian-Australian play; one in which all Australians can identify with and enjoy.

This play is about the importance of family, which is partly why it has a universal and popular appeal.  Pearl (Fiona Choi) is a single mother, running a Chinese restaurant on the Queensland ‘Sunshine Coast’, struggling to bring up and support her two daughters, Zoe (Juanita Navas-Nygen) and Mei (Elvy-Lee Quici), as well as dealing with her own considerable and life-changing problem. Zoe and Mei, however, have their own problems, and despite several attempts by Pearl, remain completely oblivious and uncaring to their mother’s well-being – until it all explodes in the final climatic confrontation between the three ‘single Asian females’. The selfishness of the young girls is driven home again and again. Not only are they not concerned with their mother’s feeling, but they are also insensitive to others. No spoilers - but the end of one dramatic confrontation between Zoe and her sort-of boyfriend, Paul (Alan Lyra Chang), he storms out calling her ‘Selfish!’. Mei cruelly humiliates and hurts her one true friend, Katie (Kristen O’Dwyer) in order to find favour with the ‘in-crowd’ at her school, represented by the beautiful but viperous Lana (Kathryn Adams).

This is an excellent production, directed by Nescha Jelk, with a truly magnificent set design by Alisa Paterson (who also did the costumes). This production has a heightened satiric edge, with identifiable character stereotypes – the Asian-tigress mother, brattish children, quirky friends, and Mr Nice Guy. In one highly engaging and theatrical scene we go through a montage of guys that Zoe has dated, superbly played by Kathryn Adams and Kristen O’Dwyer, until she finally meets ‘Mr Nice Guy’, Paul. The satiric edge may be a little uncomfortable and forced at time; the girls are certainly continually strident and irritating; but it all leads to this terrific climatic scene between Pearl and her daughters, in which all the veneers are dropped, and their respective secrets are revealed.

Fiona Choi is absolutely wonderful as Pearl. She is the life-force, the beating heart, of this play. Every time Fiona Choi’s Pearl appears is like ‘a breath of fresh air’, bringing strength, resilience, and hope, radiating the stage with unconditional love. The other ‘beating heart’ of this play is the single (non-toxic) male character, Paul, beautifully played by Alan Lyra Chang. They bring a warmth and an inner depth to the play and production.

Congratulations and thank you to the State Theatre of South Australia for this production of Michelle Law’s Single Asian Female. Hopefully, this will lead to more productions by Asian-Australian, and international Asian plays.

Tony Knight

Photographer: Matt Byrne