I really enjoyed this new play by Anchuli Felicia King and was surprised that one or two members of the audience gave up on it before the end. Played energetically by a company of excellent Asian actresses, the play tells the tale of a Singapore-based cosmetics firm that sells skin whiteners to women who are never happy with how they look. The firm has hit a crisis with the release on the internet of a draft advertisement that reveals all to clearly the racist attitudes of the firm. We watch as the crisis unfolds, as well as taking a brief flashback to the year before when the firm was getting going.
The play captured perfectly the rather back seat that values take in capitalism's pure version as found in Hong Kong and Singapore. It also portrayed the disdain that different groups (Hong Kong versus mainland Chinese; Chinese versus Japanese etc etc) have for each other.
All together a very worthwhile visit to the Royal Court. The acting was excellent as was the set and stage management. I came out looking forward to a future visit to Asia and the chance to rub shoulders with some of the more pleasant characteristics encapsultated in some of the parts - especially the Japanese Ruki (Kanako Nakano), the mainland Chinese Xiao (Momo Yeung) and the Korean (Soo-Jin (Minhee Yeo).
While a few Westerners left before the end, the Asian audience members all seemed thoroughly engaged which seemed to give the evening a stamp of credibility.
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