THEATRE
By
Anchuli Felicia King, by Melbourne Theatre Company
At Southbank Theatre, The Sumner, until Sept 14, 2019
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ****
This review NOT published in Herald Sun Arts, but only on this blog. KH
 |
| Sophie Ross, Yuchen Wang, Nicholas Bell, Fiona Choi, Yi Jin -pic Jeff Busby |
In
Golden Shield, playwright Anchuli Felicia King, courageously and successfully
tackles risky global, political and personal issues facing the lawyers and
their respective clients in both China and the US.
King’s
writing is intelligent, exceptionally well-informed, sensitive to the range of
issues, and often very funny as it provides insight into the foibles - both
dangerous and innocuous - of the characters.
The
determined lawyer, Chen, engages her sister, Eva (Jing-Xuan Chan), as her translator in this risky,
international legal battle, and they must confront not only the corporate,
legal minefield, but their own fractious and fractured past.
Sarah
Goodes’ production, is imaginative, evocative and beautifully paced, and is
staged on a brutal, grey, monumental set (The Sisters Hayes) reminiscent of a soaring, corporate building
that accentuates the unemotional territory of corporations, the law, the
internet and the Chinese government.
The play explores issues
of communication, not just in relation to digital technology, but communication
between siblings, husband and wife, lawyers within the justice system, corporate
colleagues, and between foreign cultures.
The translation and
interpretation of verbal and non-verbal language is crucial throughout the
play, and Yuchen Wang as the Translator, provides intelligent, humorous and
often poignant interpretations and observations on these convoluted and
emotionally charged inter-relationships.
The
story of Li Dao (Yi Jin), the dissident who was imprisoned for five years, is
fascinating and horrific, while the relationship between Eva and the Australian,
human rights activist (Sophie Ross) seems to be bolted on and unnecessary.
Josh McConville is suitably smug, driven and
unfeeling as the chief engineer and architect of the firewall, who he becomes
an unwitting but ruthless, cunning and amoral villain as he strives to create a
perfect digital world with no concern for human consequences. Meanwhile, Nicholas Bell captures the
cool, insensitivity and obsession with profit of Larry, the corporate boss.
Had
the play stopped with the revelation of the outcome of the court case, it would
have had a much more satisfying ending. However, King chooses to tie up all the
relationships in a series of short scenes that drive the play slowly past its
climax, denouement and obvious ending. This leaves us with an unsatisfying,
unnecessary and anti-climactic final 15 minutes.
However, Golden Shield is
a challenging, provocative production that leaves the audience with much to
think about. It is timely and deeply disturbing, given the circumstances currently
unfolding in Hong Kong with the Chinese government stopping protests and
stamping on democratic rights.
by Kate Herbert
Cast:
Nicholas Bell
Gabrielle Chan
Jing-Xuan Chan
Fiona Choi
Yi Jin
Josh McConville
Sophie Ross
Yuchen Wang
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