Chinglish at Park Theatre – Review

Pros: An exceptionally executed performance.

Cons: None, really.
Chinglish at Park Theatre – Review

Summary

Rating

80

Excellent

This show will transport you to China and make you fall in love with every single character.

Oh, what a lovely surprise you get with this performance! Personally, I prefer not to know much about a performance before I sit down to watch it, a habit that has kept the element of surprise for me every single time. Chinglish is another one to add to the list, although it’s a little more special than the others.

Daniel, played by the hilarious Gyuri Sarossy, is a businessman trying to launch his enterprise in China. He does not speak the language and he is not used to the country’s customs, so good luck to him, right? He is accompanied by Peter, his translator and ‘consultant’. In his first business meeting, Daniel meets a woman who makes a significant mark on his life. Whether it is destiny or misfortune, this meeting is the start of a series of unfolding events that will keep you glued to the stage.

The Park Theatre is an exciting venue, that in the recent months has become a neighbourhood favourite. With luminaries such as Sir Ian McKellen and the late and beloved Alan Rickman among its supporters, you can only expect great things to happen here.

The auditorium has two levels (and two bars, rejoice!) and the view of the stage is pristine from every seat in the house. The most impressive part of the production is the incredible interactive wall that sits at the rear of the stage. A near identical representation of a wooden secret cube, the wall transforms from a restaurant, to a board room, an office, a bar and a hotel room. You witness the different parts of the cube pop out, with the assistance of the actors, and voilà, it is just like magic!

A special mention goes to playwright David Henry Hwag, who created an exceptional piece of theatre that is both funny and subtly romantic – the undercover love story pulled on all my heart strings and the two acts went by in what felt like a mere minute. The entire cast delivered top notch performances: Lobo Chan, with his stern, but gentle performance; Gyuri Sarossy supported by Duncan Harte, the bilingual genius; Siu-See Hung, a hilarious translator; Windson Liong as the ‘judge’; Minhee Yeo with a silent, but powerful presence; and Candy Ma, with the strongest character and most heart-breaking story.

I would definitely recommend you go and see Chinglish – grab those tickets before it completely sells out. Believe me, it will.

Author: David Henry Hwang  
Director: Andrew Keates
Producer: Tim Johanson Productions in association with Julie Clare Productions and Arion Productions
Box Office: 020 7870 6876
Booking Link: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/chinglish/about
Booking Until: 22 April 2017