Scenes from a Yellow Peril by Nathan Joe

An uncomfortable, playful and enlightening provocation on racism and privilege in Aotearoa.

This is a doom scroll disguised as a play: a world premiere from an arresting new voice. A meta-analysis of Asian identity, carved into razor-sharp scenes that cut to the cultural quick. Scenes from a Yellow Peril is less a play, more a series of insights that, when taken together, expose the pain of the way in which some people are othered but whose experience will not be denied.

From award-winning Chinese-New Zealand writer, actor, poet and general polymath Nathan Joe, the work dissolves the traditional play format into a rapid-fire collection of snapshots and observations, flickering past in a rush of live music and hard-to-hear truths.

A dizzying mix of humour and rage, commentary and confessional, this is a theatre experience that packs a punch.

“Heartbreakingly personal, gloriously queer, furiously political and unexpectedly funny, Nathan Joe’s writing is devastatingly acute in its observation of the East-Asian New Zealand experience. I invite you to listen to Nathan; his is a vital voice we need to hear.” – Jonathan Bielski

CAST: 

Amanda Grace Leo

Louise Jiang

Nathan Joe

Angela Zhang

Uhyoung Choi

CREATIVES:

Written by: Nathan Joe

Director: Jane Yonge

Musical Director and Composer: Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway

Production Design (Lighting & Set): Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill of Filament Eleven 11

Costume Design: Steven Junil Park

Dramaturg and Production Uncle: Ahi Karunaharan

BAND:

Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway

Swap Gomez

JY Lee

A co-production between Auckland Theatre Company, SquareSums&Co, and Oriental Maidens.

Artwork created by Kerry Ann Lee.

By arrangement with Playmarket.