Lantern - a play about Chinese New Year

Press Release – Lantern
for release 20/4/09
Celebrate Chinese New Year with the Chens

For those of you who didn’t know, Chinese New Year comes to Wellington again this week! Lantern is a new play by poet and playwright Renee Liang. It features two of NZ’s best known Asian actors, Li-Ming Hu (Shortland St) and Andy Wong (Ride with the Devil, No. 2).

It is rare enough to see Chinese actors on the stage, but Lantern goes one better - the two actors play nine characters between them, in a virtuoso performance lasting 85 minutes. “We’ve really enjoyed the challenge,” says Wong, clearly relishing the opportunity to take a leading role in a NZ play. “It’s hard work but it’s also a chance to step outside our comfort zone.”

Liang, the writer of Lantern, says that her aim in writing it was to reflect on contemporary Kiwi-Chinese experience. “It’s a play about the Chen family, set in present day Auckland,” she explains. “Although the Chens are fictional, I think people will recognize their parents, friends or even themselves in the characters! The family face the same issues any Kiwi family face – but they approach it from their background as Chinese New Zealanders.” To put the pressure on her characters, Liang places the play in the 24 hours leading up to Chinese New Year – a time when, traditionally, the whole family get together to eat and sort out any issues before entering the New Year. “Yes, there’s a lot of talk and food,” she laughs. “It wouldn’t be a real Chinese play otherwise!” The play is bilingual – although the majority of scenes are in English, there are a few lines for Chinese speakers, as well.

Lantern is both a comedy and a drama. Underneath its many lighthearted moments are ideas about family, culture and identity. As well as researching Chinese NZ history such as the old ‘Chinatown’ in Greys Avenue in Auckland, Liang also drew on events happening in her own life. “One day when I was writing the play this (white) religious lady knocked on my door and tried to speak in bad Mandarin to me,” she says. “I can’t even speak Mandarin – so I wrote the encounter into my play.”

According to Lantern’s director, Tony Forster, Lantern illustrates the universal experience of many families. “When I first read the script, I was surprised by the similarities to my own culture (Pakeha New Zealand)”, he says. “It’s an exciting play because it adds new layers to the conversation about being a New Zealander.”

Lantern, 21 April – 2 May 2009, 6.30pm
BATS THEATRE, 1 Kent Tce
Bookings: book@bats.co.nz
or 04 802 4175 | Cost: $18/13
Matinees $10

ENDS