http://www.dimsum.co.uk Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:44:00 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6297 It is refreshing to see an alternative, frank and honest view from another British-Chinese arts professional. Let us hope that we can learn from the past and move forward Lucy Sheen Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:29:13 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6312 The Guardian has a nice article on it http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/apr/27/black-minority-ethnic-funding-cuts-theatre Read the comments - one from a mixed chinese actress who can't get a foot in because she can't play the role of white or chinese - presumably meaning illegal immigrant or trophy wife (e.g. Corrie). If you look at the pic though its just as well it was closed down. Arts that mock our race and culture is worse than no arts representing us at all We aren't British to the Briti Sun, 01 May 2011 21:18:30 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6319 [i]"If you look at the pic though its just as well it was closed down. Arts that mock our race and culture is worse than no arts representing us at all"[/i] My point entirely. And that's what Yellow Earth have been receiving £155,000 a year for. Perpetuating the caucasian establishment's rather limited view of the way East Asians should be portrayed on stage. In my latest email to the Arts Council (which they still haven't replied to) I accused them of "racist social engineering". In choosing to sever the funding of Mu-lan (who were presenting tough, gritty drama) in favour of this rather twee "orientalia" that's effectively what it was. If anyone else feels strongly about these issues I would urge you to make your feelings [email protected] Daniel York Tue, 03 May 2011 16:05:24 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6323 great expose, congrats chinaman Wed, 04 May 2011 02:04:40 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6338 Equity has received an anonymous letter which complains that my original article on this issue shows “contempt” for children’s theatre. The author of the letter does not wish to make themselves known so I feel I must set the record straight here. I have the utmost respect and admiration for children’s theatre. In fact, as an actor, I have appeared in several plays that could be described as “for children”, in addition to numerous workshops aimed at young people. I certainly have no “contempt” for it and believe it should be viewed in exactly the same way as Shakespeare, Brecht and Simon Stephens. For the record, now that Yellow Earth has had their Arts Council funding cut if they chose to metamorphose into a fully fledged children’s theatre company I wouldn’t criticise them for it (though their very name, with its connotations of skin colour, is problematic for me). I question, though, whether a solely East Asian children’s theatre company would merit a place in the funded theatre landscape. There isn’t, I believe, such a company for any other minority ethnic grouping. I also wouldn’t object to Yellow Earth producing children’s plays as part of a comprehensive and challenging programme of work. Of course, their funding levels never permitted this, which is why I feel that, under their remit as the (self named) “flagship” East Asian theatre company, their priorities really should’ve lain elsewhere. The anonymous writer picks out four quotes from my article- “The company maintains on its website that “Yellow Earth’s current production of Why the Lion Danced was a sell out national tour playing to delighted audiences ranging in age from 4 years to 84 years”. This would be fine were they funded to be a children’s theatre company but they weren’t. The fact they frequently returned, at key points throughout their history, to dressing up in exotic costumes to tour children’s plays is only further evidence of their rather desperate and dated approach to what it means to be East Asian in Britain today.” Companies such as London Bubble (themselves in recent years the recipients of Arts Council cuts), Theatre Venture, Theatre Centre and Unicorn Theatre have an excellent record of producing challenging and bold work for children that has featured imaginative and non stereotypical roles for East Asian performers. My criticism is that Yellow Earth have a rather regressive and clichéd approach with a heavy emphasis on exotic “chinoiserie” and teaching children to wave fans (http://www.yellowearth.org/educationandoutreach) as if this is the way East Asians behave. I also strongly believe that, as the sole funded East Asian theatre company in Britain, work aimed solely at children should not have been their priority. The anonymous writer questions my signing my articles as a member of the Equity Minority Artists Committee and they suggest my views are bringing the union “into the argument”. This would be true were I attacking children’s theatre. I am not. I believe strongly however that my elected membership of that committee impresses upon me the need to speak out about what I feel is the pigeon holing of East Asian performers and writers into certain areas of work which, lest we forget in all the furore around my views on Yellow Earth, my article was directly criticising the Arts Council for. East Asian practitioners are actually quite well served in terms of opportunities in the area of young people’s theatre, as has traditionally been the case with all BAME artists. It’s when we’ve tried to move on to the more “adult” end of the spectrum we’ve been met with innate prejudice and impenetrable glass ceilings. “the Arts Council are vowing to fund “the bravest, most original, most innovative” work, qualities only the most ardent optimist would associate with a company whose last two productions were a mismatched double bill and a children’s play with the word “Dragon” (sic) in the title.” I made a mistake with the word in the title. It is of course “Lion”. I can only reiterate the point that for Yellow Earth to produce a children’s play by a well known children’s writer, in light of their funding limitations, as their sole production for the year, is woefully unadventurous. For the record, I am familiar with the work of the play’s author, Carey English, and think she is a phenomenal writer. As a writer of such pedigree, surely another specialised children’s theatre company could’ve produced the play thereby creating more opportunities for East Asian directors and actors, leaving Yellow Earth free to concentrate on their remit i.e. “to raise the profile of British East Asian theatre” to quote their website. An aim that would surely be better served by finding a play or production that can be presented in the highest profile spaces and that will challenge the audience’s perceptions of East Asian performers. “In fact only producing a children’s show seemed to enable the company to book anything that resembled a “tour” in the old fashioned sense of the word and would seem to speak volumes for the company’s artistic and commercial reputation.” What I was questioning here was not the act of presenting a children’s play but that after fifteen years of core Arts Council funding the only place they seemed to be able to find an audience was in an area that as I’ve said above is already well served. The “artistic and commercial reputation” I allude to is not a derogatory reference to children’s theatre but a criticism that children’s theatre (with its more “captive” audience) was the only avenue left open to them. “the Arts Council were far happier funding a non challenging organisation who would tour twee exotica to obscure venues.” There is no reference to children’s theatre here. This isn’t even directed at Yellow Earth. This is entirely directed towards the Arts Council and their view of East Asians. Whether this was Yellow Earth’s intentions I believe the Arts Council perceived it to be. Mu-lan theatre company always attempted (and whether they succeeded or not is a matter for yourselves to judge) to present East Asians in a provocative and unfamiliar way. The Arts Council seemed, for whatever reason, to find this threatening. They certainly never severed Mu-lan’s funding (about an eighth of Yellow Earth’s) for artistic reasons. I believe their perception of Yellow Earth (and whether this was the case or not is a matter for yourselves to judge) was that they would peddle twee exotica in obscure venues. Nothing whatsoever to do with children’s theatre. I hope very much this clears up any misunderstandings. I respect the writer of this letter for their passion and defence of children’s theatre. I also understand they have no wish to enter into a “debate” with me. A pity as I would’ve welcomed a discussion about these issues with someone as committed and forthright as this. Daniel York, elected member, Equity Minority Ethnic Artists Committee Daniel York Mon, 09 May 2011 23:14:42 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6340 I recently learned it had latterly become a hallmark of British Chinese artistic leaders (uniquely, I might add) to find themselves unable to put their names to controversial artistic points of view for whatever reasons they imagined would compromise them. I learned that until recently "busted", it was known among a tight knit group of "conspirators" that a former Yellow Earth Artistic Director would go online and argue a point on contentious forums like this one, while simultaneously praising himself and Yellow Earth's output - presented as if from a random Chinese member of the community! This is just laughable and these actions are rightly being regarded with contempt. Anonymous letters should be treated with the same. Anonymity is the preserve of the weak and cowardly. And this yellow streak hinders the Chinese in this debate, as it seems to be played more than other communities. Yellow Earth should publicly acknowledge this pitiful and embarrassing practice and disassociate themselves from it and from similar displays in the future. Daniel York is forthright and opinionated. Just what I want from an artist. I commend him for saying what he means and having the guts to defend it. We need more people like Daniel to be artistic leaders within the community, replacing the cowardly ones of the past. Daniel is the Steven Berkoff of the Chinese Arts World! The other extreme; slippery, underhand and morally questionable (which plays right into the yellow peril stereotype, and yellow as cowardly, ironically) is not even an option and should be ignored from now on. I think, Daniel, there is no need to justify yourself to an anonymous complaint, a fictitious "Gladys Ong", or anyone without the courage or artistic conviction to stand behind what they are saying. If there is a debate to be had, lets have it, with you in one corner and someone with the guts to state the other case in the other. I just fear and doubt that there is anyone who would step up to the plate. Paul Courtenay Hyu PCH Tue, 10 May 2011 13:28:02 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6344 I m all for being forthright and opinionated if you can back it up with some scholarship and analytical prowess otherwise you be found out. Nonetheless these comments are fantastic rants and are a much needed opposition of an otherwise boring discourse. Nosey Wed, 11 May 2011 14:59:08 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6346 Not sure I understand what you're trying to say, Nosey, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. Why don't you join in and actually say something yourself? Or do you lack the scholarship and analytical prowess? Daniel York Wed, 11 May 2011 23:18:35 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6382 Perhaps Nosey Mon, 16 May 2011 19:01:10 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6687 I have written to the editor of dimsum alerting them to the defamatory statements posted by York and Courtenay Hugh. "If there is any suggestion that defamatory statements are being made, the publisher is under a duty to limit its publisher's liability under defamation laws. By making such records available in a digital archive, the publisher may be considered as ‘publishing’ that defamatory statement." Some unheard voices: Nosheen Iqbal in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/apr/27/black-minority-ethnic-funding-cuts-theatre Lisa Jenkins in Niji Magazine: http://nijimagazine.com/?page=artistDetail&artistId=122 British Chinese blogger: http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.com/2011/05/yellow-earth-theatre-arts-council.html?utm_source=BP_recent Ashley Thorpe on Univ. of Reading website: http://fttreading.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/following-the-arts-councils-cuts-the-fight-to-represent-british-chinese-communities-has-just-got-harder David Tse on Univ. of Reading website: April 16, 2011 2:28 pm It’s unsurprising to read some of the frustrated venting expressed here, which I understand and sympathise with. As Anna (Madam Miaow) says, “We never join up the dots and support or link up.” Infighting and backstabbing only gets in the way of dealing with the bigger picture. There was a time when Mulan and YET existed. I supported this diversity of East Asian companies / voices. While some were unnecessarily undermining, I advocated for the bigger picture. ACE operates independently, and for whatever criteria, they stopped funding Mulan, a terrible loss to the East Asian sector. This placed a terrible burden on YET, and made it an easy target for some artists’ frustrations. It is ridiculous to expect one British East Asian (BEA) company to represent the entire sector, and the company never set out to do so. There is a whole plethora of Caucasian work out there: physical theatre, new writing, adaptations of classics, site-specific, interactive work. Do those AD’s have to answer to the personal demands of every Caucasian artist? A reality check is sorely needed. During my tenure at YET, many attempts were made to diversify and support artists, eg. Yellow Ink (new writers), Yellow Stages (new directors), and Typhoon playreading festivals (resulting in new Japanese company Ichiza forming / producing a Typhoon discovery, The Face of Jizo). Yellow Academy is a recent initiative to encourage aspiring BEA actors. New companies were supported and encouraged to stage their first production after this initial investment by YET, eg. Yellow Gentlemen by Ben Yeoh, directed by Bronwyn Lim; Pilgrimage of the Heart by Simon Wu, directed by Shan Ng. The Arts Council was lobbied for more funding to help diversify the sector. This led to the EAST training scheme run by the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, which benefitted a whole range of different artists working in different artforms (including theatre) across the sector. [New information: Unheard Voices new BEA writing initiative at the Royal Court arose from similar lobbying] During my tenure, YET was voted Time Out Critic’s Choice, won Sainsbury’s Checkout Theatre and the Pearl Arts Awards, played at Soho Theatre, Polka Theatre, the RSC, the Barbican, HK Arts Festival, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, and almost every major regional rep and small scale touring venue. Productions regularly attracted excellent reviews from quality broadsheets, as well as the occasional harsh one. Audiences varied from excellent – in well-managed venues – to mediocre in poorly managed ones. Internally, strategic decisions were made for YET’s development that were difficult and painful for all concerned. Plays dealt with different themes / East Asian stories, but the consistent thread running through all of them, whether work for adults or children, were the roots of violence and the abuse of power. “Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts?” Work often explored the complex bicultural dialogue between our contemporary British experience and the East Asian heritage from our parents. This varies enormously for those who identify as BEA, especially between bilingual and monolingual artists, and may help to explain some of the comments above. I stepped down at the end of 2008, and it’s unfortunate that YET has stumbled in this latest funding round, as Kumiko had very exciting plans for the company. We should unite to ensure that 16 years of experience, infrastructure, audience / artists databases, BEA training initiatives, BEA opportunities for young people / emerging artists, does not disappear overnight. As Daniel (Billy Austin) rightly says, “The fact we have lost the only remaining publicly subsidised theatre company creating work by and for people of East Asian descent is indeed a cause for protest.” The current funding climate might encourage some to get their knives out and attack this vulnerable teenage company. I appeal to your better natures, and suggest we not only rally and support YET as it reinvigorates itself, but also demand that more funding should support a healthy, diverse BEA sector, which has been historically underfunded by the Arts Council. Focus on the bigger picture, and together, we might achieve greater opportunities for both new companies as well as existing ones. Cat-fight, and we’ll collectively go under. David Ka-Shing Tse Freelance actor, writer, director, filmmaker Founder AD of YellowEarth.org (1995 – 2008) Founder (p/t) Creative Director, ChinatownArtsSpace.com (2006 – present) David Tse Sat, 09 Jul 2011 09:48:45 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6689 Oh, David. Threats? I see you were campaigning for Ai Wei Wei's freedom recently. Here's a couple of quotes from the man you might find interesting- "A government whose characteristics are the damaging of personal freedoms and rights is repulsive, and this is the true reason for limits on both news media and freedom of speech... One inevitable mental characteristic of authoritarian power is weakness. Because they are weak, they shun the public and forgo transparency, they evade clear explanations; because they are weak they discriminate against dissention and cultivate lackeys to project a false image of peace and prosperity, when a governmental entity is incessantly bullshitting about its good intentions, do such collosal acts of good will really need to outshine those of others?" "Liberty is about our rights to question everything" Your attempts to bully people into silence are thoroughly odious, David. Reply by all means and we'll debate. But, please, for the sake of your own dignity, do not attempt to intimidate people. Daniel York Sat, 09 Jul 2011 11:35:57 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6690 Seeing as David decided to cut and paste his contribution to a blog thread that ended long ago I thought that in interests of democracy I'd do the same with my reply. I should point out though that in the last few weeks Chinatown Arts Space [i]did[/i] allow me to post a casting breakdown for my upcoming short film, [i]Mercutio's Dreaming: The Killing Of A Chinese Actor[/i] and Kumiko Mendl, Yellow Earth's current artistic director, [i]did[/i] forward the breakdown to suitable actors. Signs of a new found co operation and generosity of spirit which I am anxious to encourage and cultivate but I simply won't allow David to decide who can voice their opinions and about what. April 17, 2011 1:08 pm David, you call it “cat fighting” and encourage our “better natures”. This is ludicrous and, I’m afraid to say, rather typical of your entire mindset. If it’s any kind of critical opinion directed towards you then it’s “cat fighting” and against our “better natures”? You and your cronies have had over 15 years of soaking up public money to “represent” us with barely anyone daring to say a word in criticism. I feel strongly that this has to stop. Your rather crude notion that we should all unite behind you and the people you approve of is trite and convenient and plays right into the hands of the Caucasian establishment who would have all of us little “yellow” (your word, not mine) people grouped under a nice little “yellow” umbrella where we’re supposed to all be good little “yellow” boys and girls and not disagree or think differently about anything or have any of the individualism and free thought that white (and even black and South Asian) artistes are credited with by right. Yes, you did have an undue amount of responsibility upon you but the fact you never even attempted to meet those responsibilities is shockingly arrogant. Under your tenure, actors were treated like children, their professional credentials given scant respect and auditions for even expenses only play readings were run like 1950’s Broadway musical cattle calls. Yes, you created lots of little “Yellow” monikered inititatives but it’s was always you and your cartel deciding who was “forwarded” and who was “blocked” and that, all too often, was down to your own personal tastes and ideas about the way East Asian people were to be represented in public and your own curious idea of what a “team player” is. It wasn’t theatre, it was a “cultural exercise” with you as the Arts Council’s licensed gangmaster. Why, only last year, the Yellow Earth general manager that you employed was refusing to forward my film casting breakdown (a process that took me all of two minutes) to the YET database unless I paid £25 plus VAT for the privilege. Profiting from artistes contact details without their permission with the aid of public funds? After complaints to the Arts Council I was informed that policy was “under review”. The results of that “review” were never made public as far as I’m aware but I’m pretty sure no casting breakdowns currently circulate. David, you’re arguing that the company can’t please everyone but you could do the little things, surely. Yes, you won Time Out Critics Choice. But you did that with the aid of two comedically gifted and creative actors who you never even attempted to employ again (not “team players”?). Yes, you played the RSC. For three days in a season that included theatre companies from half the known world . Yes, you won two awards I’ll wager no one outside a very small circle has heard of. There is, however, no denying your achievements in terms of international link ups. It’s interesting that without your fund raising and networking nous Yellow Earth have collapsed like a deck of cards since your departure. But then I’d argue that Yellow Earth was never a sustainable model being constructed entirely and so resolutely around one man’s very personal ethos. But, now that you’re on here, tell me, is there any truth in the rumours that the company have struggled to book their tours since? It’s certainly a fact that the tours have got shorter and the venues become smaller and more obscure. In fact only producing a children’s show seemed to enable the company to book anything that resembled a “tour” in the old fashioned sense of the word and would seem to speak volumes for the company’s artistic and commercial reputation. It’s certainly not a situation the likes of Told By An Idiot or Ridiculusmus are having to contend with. Of course, attracting audiences is a completely capricious business but you’re quick enough to shovel the blame elsewhere “Audiences varied from excellent – in well-managed venues – to mediocre in poorly managed ones.” Or is that you engaging in the kind of “backstabbing” that you chide the rest of us for? It’s interesting that you use a Shakespeare quote to illustrate the “themes” you say YET’s work explored because I’d argue that the only time those “themes” were portrayed in any kind of powerful and dramatic sense was in King Lear. All too often I’m afraid your good intentions were rather suffocated by a straitjacket of watery political correctness and faux Eastern “movement discipline”. It was “worthy theatre” and that, I would conjecture, is probably why you received such an abundance of funding. I say this despite your hiding behind the age old subsidised sector excuse of being “poorly funded” when in fact millions of pounds were poured into YET by the Arts Council. Outreach and education are of course laudable endeavours. But YET advertise theirs in a manner more befitting a gay contact ad than a serious calling for inspired and aspiring future theatre practitioners- http://www.yellowearth.org/ Further exploration of the company’s website reveals pictures of school children armed with exotic looking fans. Is this really what the Arts Council were funding you to do? Teach school children that Chinese people wave fans around? Of course it’s easy to be critical but, believe me, I haven’t chosen to do so without a great deal of thought and soul searching. David, it gives me no pleasure to say this but I honestly believe the time has come for you and your friends to stand aside and let other people into the picture. No. I will not “rally” and “support” Yellow Earth. It’s my choice and it ill behoves you to deem that “cat fighting” Daniel York Sat, 09 Jul 2011 11:45:35 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6691 Please ! Not more veiled threats of litigation - a hallmark of David's dealings with many of us in the Chinese arts world, who are not onside. I don't know any other artistic director who resorts to this tactic, yet his training as a lawyer must simply over-ride whatever artistic instincts he possesses. I am happy to have a debate with him about anything I have said that he is not happy with. That's what real artistic people with differences do. I am, for example, interested in what, exactly, he considers to be defamatory? I contend I have not written anything that could be considered such. His statement that I have is in itself defamatory of me! Maybe he is unhappy with my referral to his adopting a pseudonym, Gladys Ong (and maybe others, who knows?), to praise his own and Yellow Earth's work on national websites. But this is not defamation. Its a fact. That I find this artistically cowardly and reprehensible - and above all laughable! - is my opinion of this fact. That others from the Chinese world, his allies and the Chinese people who don't disagree with him willingly and happily colluded with this fact, is an indictment of the whole situation as it stood before Yellow Earth was cut and is another reason that I am happy the era has been closed down, which brings me back to the original point of my article. Incidentally, why does David knowingly use my real name HUGH as opposed to my professional name of HYU that I have been using since 1994? He must know that by now, given that he has worked with me using that spelling many times - and it is the spelling I use on the article? Surely it can't be a petty way of trying to undermine me, by drawing attention to the fact that I am not fully 100% ethnic Chinese? It is not even that I have ever tried to hide this. Pitiful. The more he pronounces, the less respect he seems to be able to command. Paul Courtenay Hyu Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:45:53 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6692 The thing I can't understand, David, is [i]why?[/i] Why [i]now?[/i] The above statements were made [i]months[/i] ago, one would think the dust had settled and maybe we could all move on.There had, as I indicated earlier, even been tentative signs that [i]maybe[/i] Chinatown Arts Space and Yellow Earth were prepared to be a little more helpful and inclusive. But you chose now to suddenly start issuing baseless threats and attempting to tarnish people who've done nothing but express their opinions. David, I really think you owe myself, Paul and dimsum.co.uk an apology. I urge you to issue one. Daniel York Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:32:09 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6732 Now that is what I call a good lively blog, for once I beginning to see Mr Hyu and Mr York passionate offensive. Probably one of your greatest dialogue piece haha! It's Virgina Wolf who said that the novel is dead and all great art will come in the form of notebooks (hence Lessing's Golden notebooks and Derrida's footnotes etc), or I would argue in this postmodern age- blogs. I don't want to take sides even if i did it won't help the real people concerned, sorry for my intervention. If there is any more good interesting art of a "chinese" perspective to come out of this, then the revolution won't be televised. Gil Scott Heron Fan Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:32:42 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6741 Daniel: i saw and applied to your casting notice on Chinatown arts space. but two days later, the post was taken down. So I wasnt able to pass on the details to other East Asian actor friends. ( A practise that I do and just in the last 2 weeks I was able to help friends secure parts) David: everyone feels entitled to defend themselves. Since you are the founder of YET, then as long as you have met your companies mission statement, then all is good. It seems now that there are more East Asian talents, it has become actually more difficult to get work made. out of work chinese actor Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:43:07 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6742 does anyone think it is a good idea to get YET to open its arms and do a really good adult, inteligent play? something like Death of a Salesman, i.e. Death of a Cook? So many times like THE GOLDEN DRAGON http://www.arcolatheatre.com/?action=showtemplate&sid=481 and THe Good PEOPLE OF SECHUAN recently at the library theatre manchester both plays had NO EAST ASIAN ACTORS! surely if YET put on production thats.... good. then surely YET might be able to secure better bookings? out of work chinese actor Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:54:12 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6743 Daniel Maybe we can revive Mulan theatre? but no that we have cheap video tech, why not a production company. In fact, i read the synopsis for your short film and I think we should chat. incidentally... have B3 already put actors on tape? out of work chinese actor Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:59:20 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6751 [i]The Good Person Of Setzuan[/i] Yes it's scandalous but Chris Honer (the director) [i]did[/i] cast me completely "colour blind" in [i]Measure For Measure[/i] once so to a certain extent I give him the benefit of the doubt. [i]The Golden Dragon[/i] I wrote to them and they let me watch a rehearsal after which I had a chat with Ramin Grey the director. He maintained that the way the play was written made it impossible for him to cast East Asian actors. To an extent I agree with him. The idea is that they're not really playing Chinese people or any of the other nationalities in the play and it's supposed to make the (majority white) audience think again about immigrants. What I question more in that case is the decision to stage the play in Britain. It's a German play. Generally in Europe they're miles behind Britain in terms of racial integration. Surely modern multi-cultural Britain is beyond the need for this type of "eye opener"? Maybe I'm wrong. Yes, I'd [i]love[/i]to have seen/to see Yellow Earth attempt a more "adult" and hard hitting drama. I fear, however, it's just not in their modus operandi. I can only guess at the reasons why. Reviving Mu-lan. Yes, it's been discussed but I think it's always good to move on. A few of us (who aren't necessarily "friends") are attempting to put together an "umbrella" organisation (British Chinese United Actors) which will aim to assist companies and individuals in attaining funding and developing work. The idea being that it will have no prescriptive "policy" and will celebrate the diversity that exists amongst the Chinese and the Chinese diaspora. But we're very much in embryo stage. Email me [email protected] Daniel York Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:38:21 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6753 yes The golden dragon is a strange play, at least, reading it, is very strange with all the deconstruction of character and actor? out of work actor Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:58:49 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/2658/#josc6754 Stylistically it's certainly an interesting play but in terms of its subject matter then, whilst I'm sure in a country like Germany (where the performer demographic on stage and screen is almost entirely caucasian) it's possibly quite groundbreaking, staging it here seems to me completely regressive. Daniel York Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:12:56 +0100