The Poison of Polygamy – REVIEW

What a fascinating night at the Wharf’s theatre-in-the-round!

Don’t let the title put you off. This production, which premiered in La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre in Brisbane in May, is now wowing Sydney audiences,

The piece is based on the first Chinese language novel to be written in Australia. Penned by the Christian preacher and Kuomintang supporter Wong Shee Ping, it appeared as 53 instalments in a Chinese language newspaper in 1909-1910.

In 2019, Ely Finch produced a translation that so captivated playwright Anchuli Felicia King’s attention that she wrote a stage version, admitting that she is “a promiscuous adaptor”.

The play is presented as two acts, each covering a number of verses which are clearly announced to divide the action on stage.

The narrator is a Christian preacher (played by Shan-Ree Tan) grappling with ideas of morality, the Chinese diaspora, politics, and sexual equality among other things.

To illustrate his sermon to the audience, he narrates the tale of four Chinese men who have come to the goldfields of Victoria to make their fortunes. One, named “Sleep-sick” (with Shan-Ree Tan doubling up with disarming insouciance in this role) for his opium addiction, leaves behind his devoted wife Ma (Merlynn Tong) when he receives an offer from his fellow countryman Pan (Gareth Yuen) to travel to Australia. On the boat they team up with Ching (Ray Chong Nee) and Chan (Silvan Rus).

Sleep-sick soon proves to be an immoral narcissist, outraging his friends, but his instinct for business leads him to become a rich man. Needing a woman in his life, he pays a match-maker (Hsin-Ju Ely) to introduce him to a “concubine” called Tsiu Hei (played by Kimie Tsukakoshi) whom he takes as a second wife.

From the moment Tsukakoshi takes on the role of Tsiu, she is riveting in her performance as a feminist harridan, railing against the inequality of women and the devastating effects of mining across the Australian landscape, this being, one suspects, a “promiscuous’ adaptation of the playwright, whose voice is unmistakeable in Tsiu’s.

However, taking the evils of polygamy as a metaphor for the destruction of the environment is probably drawing a long bow, and there is an irony in being lectured on feminist principles by a woman who murders Sleep-sick’s wife and newborn.

The ensemble work, with most actors playing more than one role, is fast-paced and well-executed thanks to Courtney Stewart’s direction, and the few props (James Lew), including six tall red moveable pillars, provide the colourful context for many scenes. Lighting (Ben Hughes), sound (Guy Webster) and music (Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra) all contribute to a terrific night at the theatre.

And oh, I forgot to mention, I laughed many times at the witty dialogue during this entertaining work, but at two hours fifty minutes (including interval) it was a long evening. Perhaps the second half could have been shorter.

Until July 15

Wharf 1 Theatre, Wharf 4/5, 15 Hickson Rd, Dawes Point 

www.sydneytheatre.com.au