‘I’m not adapting, I’m just performative in a second language.’
The twisty maze of immigration paperwork comes to life in this surreal play from Treetrick…
Qiuqiu finds herself in a strange ‘afterlife’ after dying during her visa application; welcomed by ‘God3456’ and a robotic entity named Barbara, Qiuqiu must earn credits to return to her native China by doing drudge work. This involves sorting through the Department of Unanswered Letters, some of which are in Chinese and some in English, addressed to a mysterious Lihua. The more she digs through the pile, the less she seems to remember of her mother tongue…
Zoe Rowe is delightful as Qiuqiu, by turns witheringly sarcastic, anxious, and pensive. Rafi Essex is a great God barely holding his grin on, while Naomi Crosby as Barbara channels the unhinged joy of Janet in The Good Place. Indeed, there’s flashes of that show here, such as the swearing ban leading to creative use of cutlery words!
The theme of feeling othered runs through Dear Lihua; Qiuqiu doesn’t feel Chinese enough, but she’s often reduced to a set of national stereotypes. Her belief in a global future is eroded by the bureaucratic system, but ultimately there’s hope in the words of others. Each seat in the theatre has an envelope, and I recommend opening it after the show for maximal emotional impact.
Dear Lihua is a sharp, funny, tender exploration of identity, migration and the power of language as a tool for agency.
*****
Dear Lihua is at theSpace Triplex from Aug 24-29 at 11:05