An enjoyable, funny play that interrogates the absurdities of the workplace through the notion of hiding one's true self and great physical comedyRating
Good
The Mask Policy brings to the stage a phenomenon most of us are far too familiar with; the masks we wear in order to fit in and survive. Brutal office politics meet conniving co-workers in this sharp comedy that takes a searing look at performance in the workplace.
At no fault of the actors themselves, the play started on wobbly feet. An ongoing flood of late arrivals brought much disruption to the first ten minutes, making it difficult to focus on what was occurring onstage. Remarkably, Vero April Zhou as Jade did not lose her stride and persevered throughout the disruption, never breaking character. Jade passionately relays her excitement at landing a graduate job at adult film company Yellowed. Lots of jokes about British culture, the struggles of finding a job in the current climate and navigating life as a non-native are endearing and funny, and her character is one you can’t help but warm to.
Narcissistic Crystal (Elizabeth Bell) enters to turn Jade’s world upside down when Boss (Yan Wu) visits from Taiwan. On a hilarious guide tour through London, Crystal tells faux stories of famous landmarks “more interesting than the actual history” itself. This lays the foundations for her mask of confidence that can only be typified as a professional bullshitter. Bell offers a brilliant performance as Crystal, commanding the stage and revealing her success lies within her ability to confidently lie and deceive, charming those around her, despite being completely incompetent.
Jade’s enthusiasm to put Crystal’s mistakes right backfire when HR (Christie Peto) is fed a pack of twisted lies. Jade finds herself at a junction and struggles between performing a false identity and being her true self. Masks are worn and shed off, an extended metaphor for Jade’s internal struggles. This becomes embodied by Warm-light spectre (Jonas Feind) and Cold-light spectre (Peto), the angel and devil on Jade’s shoulders. Their comedic timing is great and they manage to convey emotion through the skin tight morph suits they don. Physical comedy and witty lines are married well.
Aubergines and lube become props that locate us in the adult film industry, paired with an office setting filled with whiteboards, desks and lanyards. Props are used hilariously for bits of physical comedy. Feind as the film star performs a hilarious bit of physical comedy with Zhou, using the aubergine as an euphemism that elicits laughter from the audience. Moments of Jade breaking the fourth wall are also implemented well, whether it’s handing out CVs to the audience or performing monologues that provide insight into her characterisation.
The writing could be improved further, however, by limiting these monologue scenes, allowing for action rather than explanation. For instance, the metaphor and physical prop of the mask as a way of hiding and performing to fit in does not need to be spelled out to the audience when the action alone suffices in conveying this sentiment. More subtlety would enable the script to flow better and keep a balanced pace that is sometimes lost by such scenes.
The Mask Policy is a hilarious look at the working world, office politics and performance. Delivering a storyline that is not overly complicated, the production uses physical comedy to its advantage, providing an enjoyable evening at the theatre.
Written by Tianjiao Tan
Directed by Yi Tang
Produced by Tianjiao Tan, Ruoyang Xu and Xiaoran Li
Set design by Mingchi Yan
Costume, hair and make up design by Yuyuan Wei
Lighting design by Xiaoran Luo
Sound design by Jiaye Wang and Tianjiao Tan
Music composition by Ruijun Peng
The Mask Policy has completed its current run.
