Hungry Ghost
Bush Theatre
Playing 31st October 2026
Photo credit: Corrine Cumming
{PR Gifted ticket}
Having entered a romantic relationship, our protagonist (Mei Mac), a young girl from a Chinese family, moves in with her girlfriend on the first day of the ghost month in the Chinese culture (盂蘭盆節). It is believed that during this time, one should avoid major changes in life and also not to wonder outside after dark to avoid the hungry ghosts that return from the netherworld to take advantage of the living. Thinking this as an excuse used by parents to keep their children home, the girl moves anyway and ended up being possessed by a ghost (Isabella Wei).
Hungry Ghost, written by Mei Leng Yew, is deeply rooted in the Chinese culture and Taoism believes, from the family dynamics, food and the various idioms used throughout the play. For those who are familiar with the language and culture will find a sense of belonging, instantly recognising the way family members treat each other and parents’ expectations of their children. This is evident in the most basic things, like expecting the children to enter into specific professions like law and engineering, taking off shoes when entering the house, and treating them to food and cooking for them is how Chinese parents show their affection. Similarly, all talks of relationships is usually avoided, regardless of sexuality. However, elements of this are excessively exaggerated and enough to make a native Chinese like myself cringe a little.
Under the direction of Ailin Conant and movement designed by Jasmine Chiu, those who aren’t familiar with the language and culture will still likely enjoy the comedic elements of the show, particularly the more exaggerated behaviours and slightly slapstick humour. When the spirit possessing the girl surfaces, the synchronisation of the two actresses are perfectly aligned and become a fluid transition as Mac switches between the girl and her girlfriend, Naomi, to interact with Wei’s ghost.
While I applaud the effort to create a story centred around one of the less well-known and celebrated Chinese festivals, and the lengths the creatives went to embed commonly used Chinese idioms in a more natural way, this is unfortunately also its undoing. Although audience members will enjoy much of the humour, those unfamiliar with the culture is unlikely to understand or relate to some of the deeper meanings of the story.
In addition, because the comedy, both physical and verbal, are so strong, it also undermines the seriousness and slightly more horror aligned elements of the show when it attempts to shift its tone. The show opened with the girl packing different dildos to move into her girlfriend’s flat, and frankly, that leaves such a strong impression that it is difficult to see the show as anything but a comedy after that. The lighting and sound designed by Cheng Keng and Carla Ng, respectively, attempt to instil a sense of dread with horror movie tracks and blackouts, but neither these nor the jump scare really made any dent in the established comedy of this show.
The last ten minutes attempt to rectify this somewhat as we see a glimpse into the ghost’s past, but arguably this came too little and too late. Having spent the majority of the show as a malevolent being and slowly sapping the life out of Naomi to fulfil her own desires, it is difficult to find any sympathy for the ghost by that point of the show.
Just like our protagonist who struggles to find her own identity and express her feelings, this show also suffers a similar fate. Ultimately all aspects other than the comedy are rather forgettable and better off left buried.
Creatives
Writer: Mei Leng Yew
Director: Ailin Conant
Set and Costume Design: Yimei Zhao
Lighting Design: Cheng Keng
Sound Design: Carla Ng
Movement Director: Jasmine Chiu
Dramaturg: Pippa Hill
Producer: New Earth Theatre
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