A masterclass in writing, this one-act play packs a punch and leaves you wanting more.Rating
Excellent!
Heading to the attic rooms of a pub doesn’t sound like the ideal activity when the thermostat is hitting 30c, but with a dose of icy wine and a play like love you long time (already) all fears of heatwaves in small London theatres are forgotten. As I wipe the tears from my eyes when I stand to leave, I wonder how this will affect my levels of dehydration, but it’s worth it.
Katie Đỗ’s play is a masterclass in capturing all the intricacies of a mother daughter relationship in just 85 minutes. It centres on the mother Mai (Tuyen Do) and her daughter Tâm’s (Molly Harris) turbulent lives, with unfaithful partners and broken hearts battling alongside the expectations from Mai on how Tâm lives her life. Most of the play is set in America, but it begins with a memory of when Mai was proposed to by Long (Jon Chew), as he left Vietnam for a new life in 1975. The challenges for an immigrant family underlie the entire plot, and the changing expectations for their lives as the years progress. Can a mother ever truly be proud of a daughter who wants to be a writer?
The emotional weight of the play reaches a climax in the last 10 minutes, and the conclusion of the story is utterly heart wrenchingly sad, particularly for audience members who’ve experienced similar situations within their own family. Đỗ’s writing manages to bring the audience into the family so effectively that the shared grief feels tangible as the audience leave.
Jennifer Tang’s direction is fuel to the fire for Đỗ’s script, with an engaging pace and wonderful staging that seems to exceed the small size of the theatre. Lighting and music choices have impact, enhancing but never detracting from the unfolding drama. The final scene uses movement, music and dialogue to create a truly beautiful finale that leaves you wanting more.
The set appears to be made from papier-mâché, muted tones depicting a living room that seems to be timeless. It’s easy to imagine it as their home in the 1970s when they first arrived in America, or the faded home of a sick parent in 2019. The time-span of the play is huge, yet somehow it works: Tâm simply has to put her hair back, and she ages 20 years, and her love interest Huy (Zheng Xi Yong) adds a doctor’s coat, and he becomes a grown man before our eyes.
The cast are flawless and a complete joy to watch. Their chemistry is so natural and the relationships so easy to believe that it’s a surprise to see them out of character in the pub afterward.
Despite the emotional climax to the plot, this is a funny play, and there are multiple lines that cause bursts of laughter throughout the theatre. It’s clear we all feel a deep love for this family that we’ve only just met, which is a tribute to Đỗ’s wonderful writing and the cast who portray her characters so beautifully.
love you long time (already) is quite a short one-act play, and the time flies by as I’m swept up in the drama. It is an incredible demonstration of the power of theatre to have such an impact in such a short amount of time. Waking up the next day, the grief still feels tangible, but I’m so glad I braved the heat of the streets of Clapham to immerse myself in their story.
Written by Katie Đỗ
Directed by Jennifer Tang
Produced by Theatre 503
love you long time (already) runs at Theatre 503 until 25 July.
