Hot Pot

Xi Ye
7 minutes ago
4 min read

Playhouse East

Playing until 21st June 2026, followed by a national tour

Photo credit: Brett Kasza

{PR Gifted ticket}

When a quartet of friends from university meet up for a dinner over hot pot, underlying feeling literally boil over as emotions surge, bringing their history, political believes and values into question. It is a fundamental challenge to the Chinese societal norms and what one may need to do to survive in that environment.

Returning to China for a short visit, Tao (Windson Liong), who is now a creative in London, brings his best friends from university together for a dinner. Much like Tao, Lin (Michelle Yim) is still struggling financially and lives at home with her parents as she pursues her career as a writer for boy’s love (BL) novels, a genre that depicts homosexual romantic relationship between boys and banned in China. Mei (Shin-Fei Chen) and Ming (Struan Davidson) in comparison, have risen up the ranks and are in lucrative and senior positions for one of the largest magazines in China, one that is heavily influenced by China’s political agenda.

Hot Pot explores the dreams and hopes of the journalism graduates, each with their own ambitions. Using Tao as the singular individual who escaped the Chinese system as a way to force the other characters into explaining the political situation in China and the pressure for those who don’t conform to the societal norms, whether you are a homosexual or a woman without any intention to give birth to a child. All of these is tied to the old Chinese saying “不孝有三无后为大”, which roughly translates to "there are three ways for children to be disrespectful, the worst of which is not producing an offspring". This is delivered by Liong with weight, sounding off the true beginning of the show’s discussions in depth.

Though the severity of this differs, these differences are treated as irregularities and could be the factors in the destruction one’s livelihood, career and the reputation of their parents, ultimately becoming subjects to be scorned. The length to which Mei and Ming go to hide their feelings to protect themselves and their families highlight the pressure they face and the potential consequences. Even to the detriment of potentially ruining their relationship with Lin, one of their best friends, they dare not reveal how they truly feel. There is a real sense of vulnerability displayed by Chen’s Mei as she finally gives Lin a glimpse on how she became the way she is now and an attempt to mend their relationships.

The use of the Chinese Mandarin language is interwoven periodically during the course of the show. As a native Chinese speaker, I understand the meaning conveyed and they are both a boon and an obstacle for the production. While it adds much value by preserving the richness and context in the language, the significance of this is lost among those who don’t speak Mandarin. In the absence of any translation as part of the dialogue or projection on stage to provide some meaning to this, I can imagine some level of confusion from the audience.

The strength of the play lies in the powerful messages conveyed by the script by Hongwei Bao. It is culturally sensitive, appropriate and stirring. Under Namoo Chae Lee’s direction, the story is brought to life on a neat and functional set designed by TK Hay.

However, I feel there are aspects overlooked by the creatives in their development process. Hot Pot is a one of the comfort dinner options that often bring together large number close knit friends and family members, a sign of comfort and the epitome of sharing. While this requires no explanation to anyone who is familiar with the culture, this is unfortunately lost in this play. Given that this is literally the name of the production, I can’t help but feel more could be done to integrate the meaning and significance of this as part of the narrative.

The story made an attempt to highlight Tao and Ming’s past relationship through physical intimacy designed by Suyong Park in flashbacks. This was the stage of their life when they felt they were safe from prying eyes and an opportunity to be their true selves. However, in its current state, the interactions are awkward and shows signs of unease rather than displays of affection and passion, things that are worth reminiscing. Unfortunately, as a result of this, I never bought into the romance between the two men or that it was a relationship that was worth fighting for, undermining some of the subsequent messages that the story tries to communicate.

A fantastic first attempt by Auka Production to bring this complex and weighted story to the stage, the production team has crafted a story that many who are familiar with the Chinese culture could relate to. However, much of this hinges on pre-existing knowledge to fully engage with the theme.

Creative

Playwright: Hongwei Bao

Director: Namoo Chae Lee

Dramaturg: Ang Xiao Ting

Movement Director: Suyong Park

Set and Costume Design: TK Hay

Lighting Design: Brett Kasza

Sound Design: Paul Castles