Review: Rice, Griffin Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre

24 July, Griffin Theatre

Nisha is an executive at a rice company, and Yvette is the cleaner who encounters her working late in the office every night.

At first, the two women seem to be a study in contrasts. Nisha is Indian-Australian, young, ambitious, sleekly corporate, from a large and loving family. Yvette is Chinese-Australian, a middle-aged single mother, with a string of failed small businesses.

But the two women form a complicated connection, linked by their commonalities - as two women trying to get ahead in their careers, as women from migrant families, as mothers or daughters.

Thankfully the plot doesn't force their connection to be more than it can be, and neither does their exchange of advice lead them to all the answers. The play ends on an open note, narratively, but resolved enough emotionally that I left the theatre feeling satisfied.

The two performances from Kristy Best and Hsiao-Ling Tang are broadly drawn, to match the feeling of a slightly heightened reality in the script. It didn't always quite work for me, there's some real quality variance with the multiple character switches each is required to do, but their energy and rapport carried it through for the most part.

Also to their benefit is that the play is short and snappy, 85 minutes with no interval. I mean, I honestly think they could've shaved off another 10 min with no detriment or even improvement, but I think that about almost every play so...

Originating from Queensland Theatre, and written by a Melbourne playwright, this play feels really grounded in Sydney. I'm not sure if they just changed the references, or if it was set in Sydney all along - but they really got those namedrops note perfect. (The Establishment for drinks with 'the girls', food trucks in Marrickville, a highrise at 301 George St...)

And it's great, honestly, to see another play about and starring Asian Australians. I think I've seen more Asian Australians on stage this year then I did in the entirety of my previous Sydney theatre-going life. Seeing even a little bit, a little corner of my own life experience represented on stage has just viscerally felt really satisfying.

Contains copious theatrical haze (to relatively little effect).

Link:
5 Questions with Kristy Best and Hsiao-Ling Tang
 

Presented by Griffin Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre
By Michele Lee
Director Lee Lewis
Designer Renee Mulder
Lighting Designer Jason Glenwright
Composer & AV Designer Wil Hughes
Associate Sound Designer Tony Brumpton
With Kristy Best, Hsiao-Ling Tang