Writer: Hongwei Bao
Director: Namoo Chae Lee
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Warm & Personable“
3 / 5
Covid-19 lockdowns are finally over, and international travel has resumed, so Tao has returned home for his first visit since he moved to London.
Catching up with his closest University friends is at the top of his list, and what better way to do so than over hot pot, sharing both food and stories about their lives, before he heads back. A lot has changed since they went to school together – Mei (Shin-Fei Chen) is in a senior position at a popular magazine, exuding class and professionalism the moment she enters the room, and Ming (Struan Davidson) is equally as successful at a party newspaper, married with two children, he has followed the blueprint of life’s expectations. Lin (Michelle Yim) and Tao (Windson Liong) have taken a slightly less traditional approach to life. Lin is single and childless, writing Danmei (an Asian literary genre focusing on same-sex romance) despite the political pressure to conform. Tao is in a relationship with a man, frowned upon in most of East Asia, but living freely and comfortably in the LGBTQ+ friendly UK.
Bao ensures that the dynamic between the four friends is clearly divided, based on political affiliations and societal pressures, though keeps an endearing warmth at the forefront of each of their interactions. Even when judgement is passed, both implicitly and explicitly, there is a sense of their upbringing and the cultural norm behind their ideologies, rather than just completely shunning the other side, and a tenderness in which subjects are approached. Ming and Tao’s friendship is the most intriguing – the pair had a relationship during University, and only ended things because Ming didn’t want to rock the boat or deviate from the standard expectations. The layers in their relationship are shown very well by the pair, utilising flashbacks to their University days to further embed the connection between them for the audience.
Running at only 60 minutes, it’s a short show, that packs in a lot of context and ideas, without ever feeling bloated or over-explained. Occasionally the acting is a little over the top and stilted, which dilutes the gentleness within the script. Additionally some scenes such as the skewer fight or the random outbursts of song don’t feel as natural or comfortable, as the otherwise believable, more established scenes when they’re discussing their lives around the hot pot. Yim ensures that Lin’s anger towards the system is clearly showcased, Chen and Davidson both play their part well, allowing their characters to have a superiority complex, without distancing them so much that they don’t fit into the group, while Liong exudes warmth and is extremely personable, making him likeable from the very first moments he appears on stage, and ensuring he is a great choice as the central character.
Runs until 21st June 2026
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