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ED2011 2/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews
The Golden Dragon (ATC & Drum Theatre, Plymouth)
By James Hampson | Published on Friday 19 August 2011
The problem with avant-garde is if it’s not self-consciously funny it just becomes risible. And this play is damagingly po-faced. The comings and goings of a Asian takeaway mingle with a story about an ant renting a cricket out for sex, pronounced stage directions – “short pause!” – and incessant reciting of the restaurant’s menu. Later on, a Chinese family sprout out of the kitchen porter’s gums – you don’t get to see them. These stories fail to advance any understanding of restaurants, immigrant experiences, or entomology. The script is badly written and doesn’t allow for empathy with characters. With poor acting, too – that is hesitant and underwhelming, perhaps because the actors are aware of the play’s shortcomings – it is a wholly joyless experience.
Traverse Theatre, 4 – 28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), times vary, £6.00 – £17.00, fpp267.
tw rating 2/5
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