Playwrights Lab demonstrates CAAP's ongoing commitment to Asian Australian Playwrights and creating pathways to Australian mainstage theatres.

Delivered in collaboration with La Boite Theatre, a leader in new Australian work, this day-long program convenes playwrights with artistic leaders, industry experts and established writers. Through facilitated discussion, practical workshops and peer to peer introductions, participants will gain invaluable insights into the programming and commissioning processes, all while forging connections and refining their craft.

At the core of Playwrights Lab is CAAP’s mission to address the underrepresentation of Asian Australian voices on stages. CAAP’s previous playwriting program LOTUS, delivered with Playwriting Australia (now Australian Plays Transform) supported over 70 writers, leaving an indelible mark on the national cultural landscape. 

This year's initiative is led by CAAP Artistic Director, Tessa Leong, and La Boite’s CEO and Artistic Director, Courtney Stewart. The day-long program will include opportunities for participants to connect with industry leaders and a masterclass with an established playwright, offering insights into the commissioning and programming cycle at La Boite.

Who is Eligible

• Early to mid-career Asian Australian playwrights of any age who have written a short or full length play. It does not need to have been performed.
• Writers must live and work in QLD at the time of application.

Not from QLD? Watch this space for more announcements to come. 

How to Apply

Applications for Playwrights Lab, Meanjin have now closed. 

Unfortunately we are not able to offer individual feedback on unsuccessful applications. 

Any questions about the application process or access needs, please contact
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Acknowledgments 

Playwrights Lab x Meanjin is presented partnership with La Boite Theatre Brisbane, generously supported by Constellation Creatives Foundation.

CAAP is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, and assisted by the Australian Government through the Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

Contemporary Asian Australian Performance and Arts on Tour share a common goal: to enrich our regional stages with diverse stories and artists, engaging audiences, and communities alike. The Engage! Report and Toolkit, a collaboration between CAAP and AOT, distills insights from the 2022 Double Delicious tour into practical steps for touring presenters and venues across Australia.

Drawing from community engagement activities at The Art House Wyong, Bunjil Place, Merrigong Theatre Company and Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, these resources explore everything from effective community engagement strategies to making foyers more welcoming. Dive into the 'Engage! Report' for real-world case studies and insights from our findings, then explore the 'Engage! Toolkit' for practical steps further reading to inspire continued action.

This initiative represents a significant shift towards meaningful connections with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse* communities and beyond. It's more than just filling seats—it's about creating lasting connections and welcoming spaces for all! Join us in making the performing arts landscape more inclusive and vibrant for everyone.

Download the Engage! Report Here
Download the Engage! Toolkit Here

Acknowledgments 

DEVELOPED BY Contemporary Asian Australian Performance and Arts on Tour
SUPPORTED BY Creative Australia through the Re-Imagine Sector Recovery Fund
WRITTEN BY Phillip Mar, Haneen Mahmood Martin and Sandi Woo

*Yes, we know this term is complicated - read the report for more!

Image: Louise Purvis 

“The story that’s haunted me and that I keep coming back to is much closer to home.” - Jane Hutcheon

Throughout her adventurous journalism career, one story has intrigued Jane Hutcheon more than any other: the story of her mother Beatrice’s turbulent childhood in pre-Communist Shanghai. It’s the tale of an ordinary Eurasian family in extraordinary times, set against a backdrop of fading colonial opulence and looming war.

After visiting Shanghai in 2018, Jane began to search for the truth of her mother’s difficult beginnings. Lost in Shanghai is her family’s story of survival. Beatrice becomes a journalist at the South China Morning Post in the 1950’s, perhaps setting a precedent for her daughter. Using projected images from the family archive curated by renowned photographer William Yang and music composed and performed by Dr Terumi Narushima, Jane narrates the moving story of Lost in Shanghai in her own words.

Co-Directed by William Yang and Tasnim Hossain, Lost in Shanghai adds to the rich collection of theatrical storytelling works from Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP), such as Double Delicious, The Backstories, In Between Two, Who Speaks for Me and Stories Then and Now.

"A tantalising insight into the breadth and bravery she displayed across her career."
- The Sydney Morning Herald

“I challenge anyone not to be moved by this beautiful and moving tribute.”
- Theatre Travels

“Lost in Shanghai is a very moving night at the theatre...It is storytelling at its best...”
- Glam Adelaide
 

Key Creatives 

Writer/Performer Jane Hutcheon
Co-Director William Yang
Co-Director/Dramaturg Tasnim Hossain
Composer/Musician Terumi Narushima
Lighting Designer Susan Grey Gardner 
Stage Manager Jen Jackson
Production Manager Sam Read
Tour Manager Michelle St Anne 
Tour Partner: Arts on Tour

Tickets and Performances 

The Concourse presented by Willoughby City Council
Fri 16 Feb, 7PM
TICKETS

Darwin Entertaiment Centre
Fri 23 Feb,10:30AM & 7:30PM
Sat 24 Feb, 7:30PM
TICKETS

Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Tue 27 Feb, 8PM
TICKETS

Orange Civic Theatre
Thu 29 Feb, 8PM
TICKETS

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre: City Hall
Fri 1 Mar, 8PM
TICKETS

Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
Tue 5 Mar, 7:30PM
TICKETS

Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool
Thu 7 Mar, 7:30PM
TICKETS

Bunjil Pace
Sat 9 Mar, 7:30PM
TICKETS

Burnie Arts Centre
Wed 13 Mar, 7:30PM
TICKETS

Theatre Royal, Hobart
Fri 15 Mar, 7:30PM
Sat 16 Mar 2PM & 7:30PM
TICKETS

Trailer

 

 

A sumptuous audio-visual experience and song cycle by award-winning vocalist, producer and multi-disciplinary artist Rainbow Chan 陳雋然. 

Drawing on her Weitou ancestry (first settlers of Hong Kong), Chan reimagines a Weitou ritual known as the bridal lament, a public performance of grief in which a bride wept and sang in front of family and friends. In this liminal space, brides expressed bitterness towards their arranged marriages and the prevailing patriarchal rule.  

Conceived and structured as a song cycle, The Bridal Lament brings to life intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives on diasporic experiences and the complex history of Hong Kong. With a new suite of songs by Chan and direction from Contemporary Asian Australian Performance’s Artistic Director Tessa Leong, this lush and lavish work pays homage to ritual in a vibrant and dynamic world of projection, movement and colour.  

Rainbow Chan’s music and shows have been hailed as ‘genre-bending art pop’ (NME) and ‘bewitchingly elfin in the exactly the same way that those words have been used to describe Bjork.’ (The Music). The Bridal Lament, her debut solo theatre work, shares its name with her forthcoming album.

THEATRE THOUGHTS
"Ambitious beautiful and engaging...Chan’s voice is honeyed and mellifluous."

ABC ARTS
"...a celestial blend of pop electronica and Weitou melodies."

GLAM ADELAIDE
"The laments themselves are worth the price of admission on their own: beautifully sung, moving and authentic."

Performances

Thu 23 January, 7:30 PM
Fri 24 January, 7:30 PM
Sat 25 January, 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sun 26 January, 3:00 PM
Lennox Theatre, Riverside Parramatta 

TICKETS

Key Creatives

Lead Artist and Performer Rainbow Chan 陳雋然
Director Tessa Leong
Choreographic Consultants Amrita Hepi & Victoria Hunt
Video Design Rel Pham
Set Design Al Joel & Emily Borghi
Costume Design Al Joel
Lighting Concept Govin Ruben
Lighting Realisers Susie Henderson and Sam Read
Cultural Consultant and Narrator Irene Cheung 張翠屏
Video Programmer Daniel Herten

Produced by Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.

SUPPORTED BY 

The Bridal Lament was co-commissioned by Performance Space as part of Liveworks Festival 2023 and OzAsia Festival 2023, with commissioning support from Carriageworks and the City of Melbourne through Arts House. Supported by George Paramananthan and ParmCo.

Warnings 

The Bridal Lament contains haze, loud sounds, low lighting, lights that change in colours and intensity, black out and flashing moving imagery.

Performance includes translation of Weitou dialect into English through open captioning.

Detailed access information is available to download below
PDF | Word Doc

The Bridal Lament, her debut solo theatre work, shares its name with her forthcoming album. Watch the clip from its first single, Seven Sisters.

 

Previous Seasons

Liveworks Festival
19–22 Oct
Bay 20, Carriageworks 

OzAsia Festival 
1–2 Nov 2023
Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre Theatre 

Arts House
8 – 19 May 2024
Art House, Melbourne