Theatre’s hottest duo is back at Belvoir. Written by Michelle Law and directed by Courtney Stewart – whose previous collaborations include Top Coat (STC) and Single Asian Female (Belvoir) – Miss Peony dives into the modern experience of Australia’s Chinese diaspora with tremendous and heartfelt passion. Miss Peony overflows with big personalities, laughter and a yearning for family and community.
Stephanie Jack plays Lily, granddaughter to Gabrielle Chan’s spirited Adeline (‘poh poh’ in their native Cantonese) a many-time beauty pageant queen. Poh poh’s dying wish (which she continues to advocate for as a tortured ghost for most of the play) is for Lily to carry on her legacy by entering and winning the prestigious Chinese community beauty pageant, Miss Peony.
Miss Peony might be Law’s...most joyful portrait of why Asian representation matters.
Lily initially rejects the pageant, which stands for everything Chinese that she spurns as an independent Australian Chinese woman: modesty, devotion to family and a husband, a traditional career, and being part of a supportive (yet often gossipy and boisterous) community. Lily expresses a relatable second and third generation immigrant experience of feeling displaced, and even ashamed of associating with the broader Chinese community, whose values and expectations feel unrealistic and irrelevant in a western context.
However, at times Lily’s character feels overwrought – with numerous whiny outbursts about almost every single issue in the show, from the Chinese stereotypes she hates, feeling like she isn’t enough for her Chinese family, to whether or not to honour poh poh’s wishes. Some things might have been better left unsaid with this character, in order to accentuate the importance of her burgeoning relationships with the other characters besides poh poh, in light of the play’s overarching community spirit.
It is a difficult balance to strike in how much a playwright may show versus tell, especially when narrativising the stories of an ethnic minority to a wider audience. Overall, Law approaches this with delightful and easy flair, partly through her deft handling of genre. Miss Peony speaks the language of a romantic dramedy with a splash of musical theatre – combining the spirit world with beauty pageants, karaoke and sisterhood. Be ready for a nostalgic pop soundtrack, endless entertainment, and surprises – watch out for Charles Wu’s smooth vocal chops and dance moves as Zhen Hua, Miss Peony’s producer and host.
In spite of Lily’s discomfort, Miss Peony is indeed a community tale. Not only does it centre around a local beauty pageant that brings together Chinese diaspora, but it is performed and captioned in three languages: Cantonese, Mandarin and English. This trilingual production (the first of its kind on a mainstage in Sydney) welcomes all with open arms, most of all an audience which might not have attended the theatre in Sydney before.
Eventually, Lily forms a bond with three other contestants, each of them based on caricatured cultural stereotypes. There’s oddball Joy (Shirong Wu) who is hoping to find a romantic partner through Miss Peony, Marcy (Deborah Faye Lee) is completely devoted to her family’s business and it’s success, and Sabrina (Mabel Li) is outrageously hilarious in her portrayal of Western Sydney’s ethno-Australian centric attitude – “Do you even speak Mando bro?”
They switch from girlish and performative pageant mode to their normative selves, leaping off the stage with huge personalities, and inciting laughter from almost every second line. These characters humorously illuminate the contradictions of being both Australian and Chinese as they slide between personas to adapt to situations. Law writes for her Chinese Australian community and adds another level of tongue-in-cheek entertainment through providing each character with regionally specific as well as universal Chinese stereotypes. For example, they make lighthearted jabs at Taiwan’s self-deterministic desires, and reenact the typical Chinese battle to foot the bill after eating out, a common act of generosity and politeness (with a potential to turn into an outright battle).
It is heartwarming to see the contestants form genuine friendships despite their stark differences. They band together in a supportive sisterhood, showing female friendship at its best: mutually admiring, receptive, and encouraging each other to succeed.
Female and Asian solidarity is a recurring theme in Law’s work – prominent in her previous two plays. While Top Coat sheds critical light on Australia’s racist and whitewashed media landscape, Miss Peony earnestly illuminates the importance of Asian representation in the media. Sabrina’s exuberant facade falls away as she passionately describes how, growing up, seeing people on TV in Miss Peony who looked like her was inspiring.
Representation gives people of colour visibility in Australian society, and the opportunity to be heard on their own terms. Cultural identity is reclaimed and shared, contemporaneous with its time and place, to empower and unify coming generations. The only thing missing from this commentary was insight into Zhen Hua’s experiences as a Chinese man. Albeit charming and rivetingly entertaining, his character deserved a bit more depth as part of the same diaspora community.
Reservations aside, Miss Peony might be Law’s biggest celebration of the Chinese Australian community yet, and her most joyful portrait of why Asian representation matters. This is high quality comedy brought to life by a notable cast, each of whom are sure to go far. Their casting, and mesmerising performances, are an inspiring ode to the dynamic, fearless new generation of Australia’s Chinese diaspora.
Miss Peony plays at Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills, from July 8-30 (the season was originally due to open from July 1, but was delayed due to cast illness). Tickets are $68-$88 and you can get yours over here.
