COLOURED ALIENS
Coloured Aliens is a romantic comedy about art, ethnicity, cultural baggage, societal expectations and space pirates. Mai Nguyen, an Asian-Australian playwright, is trying to make her way but feels trapped into writing “ethnic” plays about her Vietnamese heritage. At the same time her Anglo boyfriend, Kevin, is determined to make her successful, whatever it takes. This play on race and identity was given a post-racial frame, with the actors swapping ethnicities, the better to see things afresh and to hear things anew.
La Mama Theatre
5 to 16 April 2017
Nominated 2018 Green Room Award for Writing (Independent Theatre)
Developed through the Lotus Playwriting Project, an initiative of Playwriting Australia and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.
Supported by Creative Victoria and the Girgensohn Foundation.
“What makes this play rib-ticklingly funny is the cross-racial casting. Under Beng Oh’s direction, Annie Lumsden’s performance is so far beyond fearless, it’s practically kamikaze. Likewise, Kevin O’Sullivan, from Tipperary, is played by John Marc Desengano. He’s about as Irish as banh mi … [Chi Vu’s] collaboration with Beng Oh, one of the more reliable and imaginative mid-career directors, and eye-popping designer Eugyeene Teh, was productive indeed.“
Chris Boyd
The Australian
“The direction is strong, as are the performances. Lumsden is fantastic to watch, holding the space easily. Desengano is thoroughly entertaining, his brilliant physical comedy buoying the show. Beng Oh keeps the story tight and the energy high”.
Theatre People
WRITER
Chi Vu
DRAMATURGY
Patricia Cornelius
Jane Miller
DIRECTOR
Beng Oh
SET AND COSTUME DESIGN
Eugyeene Teh
LIGHTING DESIGN
Matthew Barber
SOUND DESIGN
Tom Backhaus
STAGE MANAGER
Claire Shepherd
VIDEO
David Meagher
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jave Lee
CAST
John Marc Desengano
Annie Lumsden
Steve Gome (voice over)
Troy Larkin (voice over)
Glenn van Oosterom (voice over)