His Mother's Voice
atyp selects, may 2014
“...of great importance to the landscape of our theatre scene...” Kevin Jackson's Theatre Diary
"Entrancing. A work of substance and resonance..." Deborah Jones, The Australian
world premiere
Shanghai, 1966. A young Chinese boy is secretly taught the piano by his mother in defiance of Communist Party edicts - setting in place a chain of events that leads them to the eye of the storm - and a dangerous confrontation between Shanghai and Canberra. Staged as part of the prestigious ATYP Selects season, this world premiere
production is a love story - the love of two young people from different worlds, the love that drives a mother to great sacrifice, the love of a young man for his country.
Written by Justin Fleming; Directed by Suzanne Millar;
Lighting Design Christopher Page; Sound Design James Colla; Stage Manager Andrew McMartin; Costume Design Sonia McAlpine; Producer John Harrison; Assisting Jacki Mison and Erin Taylor
Cast Alice Keohavong; Angela Tran; Arisa Yura; Dannielle Jackson; Felino Dolloso; Harry Tseng; Isaiah Powell; John Gomez Goodway; Jonathan Surjadi; Michael Gooley; Monica Sayers; Renee Lim
“Earnest, beautiful... fiercely captivating.”
“A fascinating, absorbing play that combines sweeping politics with a powerful human drama…capturing both the epic nature of the political background and the intimate personal relationships…”
“There is an overwhelming sense of unity in this production, a sense of strong belief and transformation – and this underlines bAKEHOUSE theatre’s goals of showcasing “new voices … telling new stories from new communities””
“An amazing cast and outstanding production team delivers a first class world premiere performance that does justice to Australian playwright Justin Fleming’s remarkable play… a story that touches the heart.”
“A performance that offers optimism, generosity, humanity and a unique perspective on passion, politics and parenthood. Thumbs Up!”
“A cultural awakening. Asian actors and Asian stories have a place in Australian theatre and not necessarily the fringe.”
“This engaging, exciting production by bAKEHOUSE offer the gift of diversity.”