The Poison of Polygamy | La Boite Theatre & Sydney Theatre Company
The Poison of Polygamy is not just the story of one man; it is the story of the development of the Chinese-Australian identity and, by extension, the development of modern Australia. The play is an adaptation of a novel by Wong Shee Ping, the earliest known novel by a Chinese-Australian, which was originally published in fifty-three instalments in a Chinese-language newspaper in 1909-1910. Despite the original story being penned in 1909, the stage adaptation by Anchuli Felicia King feels deeply relevant to modern Australia.
All images supplied by La Boite Theatre.
La Boite Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company guide the audience through the seemingly cursed life of Sleep-Sick, an opium addict who leaves behind his life in China to travel to the goldfields of Australia. Sleep-Sick is an unlikeable protagonist, and the narrator informs us of such. He constantly disregards those around him, and despite his polygamous ways, his only true love is the opium pipe. Several of Sleep-Sick’s countrymen are introduced throughout the story, whose natures and hardships are not dissimilar to many of our own. For example, there is the good-natured Chan, whose charity extends further than it should, Ching, a hardworking and reliable man, and the politically minded Pan, who calls for the better treatment of Chinese workers in Australia.
Merlynn Tong delivered a standout performance in her role as Sleep-Sick’s wife. Ma is Sleep-Sick’s first wife, remaining loyal throughout the play despite Sleep-Sick’s addiction, long periods away, and polygamous pleasures. Tong delivers a performance that can quiet a room and evoke immense empathy. Every scene with Tong as Ma was a dramatic delight, and her struggle appropriately juxtaposed Sleep-Sick’s somewhat carefree attitude toward those around him.
The story was narrated to the audience directly by the ghost of a preacher played by Shan-Ree Tan. Tan also played the main character of Sleep-Sick and showed incredible range in his ability to switch between the two ideologically opposed characters. Introduced in the second half is an additional narrator with differing ideas on how best to tell the story creating some clever and hilarious moments of disagreement.
All images supplied by La Boite Theatre.
Where the first act describes the poison of opium, the second develops the notion of polygamy. Not content with his ageing wife in China, Sleep-Sick is drawn to a young bondmaid. Tsiu Hei, played by Kimie Tsukakoshi, is a woman who has only known captivity and has become bitter and jaded. Her staunch independence irks those around her. While her story is in many ways the story of female rage at being seen as property, her mistreatment leads to her mistreatment of others. Ultimately the ‘poison’ in the story is not simply polygamy or opium but rather larger systems such as racism, colonialism, and patriarchy. The struggle against oppression detailed throughout the play creates a narrative relevant to ongoing forms of discrimination.
The unique layout of the Roundhouse Theatre was used effectively to bring the viewer into the tragic world of Sleep-Sick and those around him. The cast moved freely around the stage and into the audience, creating a stunning performance from all angles. A limited range of props was utilised to their fullest, with pillars moving freely around the stage to create both the boundaries of buildings and the undulating masts of Australia-bound ships. Further setting the scene was a soundtrack composed by Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra, a group whose work I always enjoy immensely.
Modern Australia has always been diverse, and more stories need to focus on the reality of diversity in our country, even if that is a complicated story to tell. I found the work challenging in the best possible way and felt affected by the narrative. The Poison of Polygamy is a must-see for anyone seeking relevant, high-quality theatric works.
‘The Poison of Polygamy’ plays at La Boite Theatre until 27 May 2023.
