From award-winning Chinese New Zealand writer and poet Nathan Joe comes 'Scenes From A Yellow Peril' – in its mainstage debut at Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
The smash-hit New Zealand work was reconceptualised into an Australian context by Brisbane-based independent production company The Reaction Theory.
The Australian premiere of 'Scenes From A Yellow Peril' was presented as part of Queensland Theatre’s DOOR 3 initiative last year, winning Best Independent Production and Best Ensemble and nominated for Best Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Lighting Design at the 2024 Matilda Awards.
'Scenes From A Yellow Peril' is performed as a series of 'insights', breaking from the traditions of a standard play. It provides an eye-opening look at racism and privilege, exploring what it means to live with an Asian identity in both Australia and New Zealand.
Here, writer/poet Nathan Joe pens an open letter on why you should experience 'Scenes From A Yellow Peril'.
“Dear Readers,
I’m here to convince you to come see my play. To convince you this will be money well spent. To turn you from a prospective or potential audience member into an actual ticket buyer.
Let’s start with why I wrote it.
If I dig deep, 'Scenes From A Yellow Peril' was written from a place of deep frustration. You see, growing up, I was the sort of Asian who felt both pride and disgust at being not like other Asians. The sort of Asian who had to unlearn a lot of bad behaviours. 'Scenes' was written as an exorcism of all that self-loathing, all that internalised racism.
In a long-winded way, I guess I wrote this for my younger self. I wrote this to give my younger self the sort of play, manifesto, instruction manual, he never had. I wanted to show him that Asians can be fierce and funny, loud and take up space. That there were roles other than stereotypes or that stereotypes could be made fun of. That fitting in by either being adjacent to whiteness or coveting Asian dominance are both fool’s errands. That there are better things worth fighting for.
Come to the play to remind yourself of the things worth fighting for.
If you had told me it’d resonate so deeply with audiences in Queensland, I would not have believed you. But somehow my little play from Auckland landed. I chalk that up to the amazing Australian cast and creatives. It transformed from a deeply personal story into a story of those generous enough to inhabit it.
I love this cast deeply. I met them for the first time last year when I came over to Brisbane to develop the script with them. The team was so full of the conviction and clear-sightedness that the play needed. They are also fully in-sync in a way that is so deeply satisfying. This play is not delivered with false pretence, it’s lived experience that fuels it.
Come see the play because the team is truly something special.
When we first premiered the play back in 2022, we often didn’t know how to sell it. Trying to explain what the play is about can sometimes end up sounding wishy-washy. It’s about racism! It's about being Asian in a Western context! It’s about being an Asian on land that is not yours! It’s about microaggressions! Eventually we settled on calling it something like a doom-scroll.
We saw the play as something of a disruption to conventional theatre. At the time, the sort of Asian plays I was seeing unironically cast us in stereotypical roles. Which is fine, but I didn’t see myself or my peers in these plays. I didn’t see the contemporary Asian experience. These were sitcoms of a culture better suited to television. I wanted trouble. I wanted ritualistic frenzy.
Sometimes we go to the theatre to watch people play pretend, but other times what we crave is something more authentic than that. Something full of real flesh, blood and tears. To watch something bursting with soul.
Come to the play because you like theatre that misbehaves.
Love,
Nathan”
I’m here to convince you to come see my play. To convince you this will be money well spent. To turn you from a prospective or potential audience member into an actual ticket buyer.
Let’s start with why I wrote it.
If I dig deep, 'Scenes From A Yellow Peril' was written from a place of deep frustration. You see, growing up, I was the sort of Asian who felt both pride and disgust at being not like other Asians. The sort of Asian who had to unlearn a lot of bad behaviours. 'Scenes' was written as an exorcism of all that self-loathing, all that internalised racism.
In a long-winded way, I guess I wrote this for my younger self. I wrote this to give my younger self the sort of play, manifesto, instruction manual, he never had. I wanted to show him that Asians can be fierce and funny, loud and take up space. That there were roles other than stereotypes or that stereotypes could be made fun of. That fitting in by either being adjacent to whiteness or coveting Asian dominance are both fool’s errands. That there are better things worth fighting for.
Come to the play to remind yourself of the things worth fighting for.
If you had told me it’d resonate so deeply with audiences in Queensland, I would not have believed you. But somehow my little play from Auckland landed. I chalk that up to the amazing Australian cast and creatives. It transformed from a deeply personal story into a story of those generous enough to inhabit it.
I love this cast deeply. I met them for the first time last year when I came over to Brisbane to develop the script with them. The team was so full of the conviction and clear-sightedness that the play needed. They are also fully in-sync in a way that is so deeply satisfying. This play is not delivered with false pretence, it’s lived experience that fuels it.
Come see the play because the team is truly something special.
When we first premiered the play back in 2022, we often didn’t know how to sell it. Trying to explain what the play is about can sometimes end up sounding wishy-washy. It’s about racism! It's about being Asian in a Western context! It’s about being an Asian on land that is not yours! It’s about microaggressions! Eventually we settled on calling it something like a doom-scroll.
We saw the play as something of a disruption to conventional theatre. At the time, the sort of Asian plays I was seeing unironically cast us in stereotypical roles. Which is fine, but I didn’t see myself or my peers in these plays. I didn’t see the contemporary Asian experience. These were sitcoms of a culture better suited to television. I wanted trouble. I wanted ritualistic frenzy.
Sometimes we go to the theatre to watch people play pretend, but other times what we crave is something more authentic than that. Something full of real flesh, blood and tears. To watch something bursting with soul.
Come to the play because you like theatre that misbehaves.
Love,
Nathan”
Tickets are on sale now.
'Scenes From A Yellow Peril' plays Queensland Performing Arts Centre 3-12 July.
