The Poison of Polygamy

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Event The Poison of Polygamy
Venue Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney, NSW
First Date 8 June 2023
Opening Date 12 June 2023
Last Date 8 July 2023
Dates Estimated No
Status Professional
World Premiere Yes
Description Love, betrayal, and an epic gold rush adventure

Set sail with this cross-continental odyssey that sprawls across Qing Dynasty China, to Victoria’s nineteenth century goldfields, and the urban sprawl of Melbourne’s Chinatown. One of Australia’s most exciting, versatile, and provocative playwrights, Anchuli Felicia King, returns to STC to adapt this historical story of colonisation, migration, morality, and desire – in a production that makes thrilling use of Wharf 1 Theatre’s ‘in the round’ formation.

Originally published in 1910, The Poison of Polygamy was Australia’s first ever novel by a Chinese Australian author, Wong Shee Ping. It tells the story of Sleep-sick (Shan-Ree Tan) – an opportunistic young man from Guangdong who has his sights set on amassing a fortune in Australia’s goldfields. He leaves behind his faithful but long-suffering wife Ma (Merlynn Tong) and sets out across the sea to try his luck.
Description Source Website
Primary Genre Theatre - Spoken Word
Secondary Genre Adaptation
Subjects Betrayal
Migration
Morality
Murder
Related Events
Organisations
Contributors
Name Function Notes
Ray Chong Nee Actor Ching/Villager 1
Hsin-Ju Ely Actor Mrs Lui/Mrs Ching
Silvan Rus Actor Chan/Ma's Cousin/Villager 2
Shan-Ree Tan Actor The Preacher/Sleep-sick
Merlynn Tong Actor Ma
Kimie Tsukakoshi Actor Tsiu Hei
Anna Yen Actor Villager 3/Sleep-sick's mother/Ma's mother/Ms Lin
Gareth Yuen Actor Doctor NG/Pan/Song
Sybilla Wajon Assistant Stage Manager
Wong Shee Ping Author
Deborah Brown Choreographer
Anna Yen Dance Captain
James Lew Designer Set and Costumes
Courtney Stewart Director
Nigel Poulton Fight Director/Fight Choreographer & Intimacy Director
Ben Hughes Lighting Designer
Anchuli Felicia King Playwright
Guy Webster Sound Designer
Kathryn O'Halloran Stage Manager
Melissa Agnew Voice Coach
Works
Text Nationality Australia
Production Nationality Australia
Further Information The Poison of Polygamy is the page-to-stage adaptation of Wong Shee Ping’s trailblazing novella.
Event Status Completed
Data Source
Source Description
Programme https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/magazine/2023/june/the-poison-of-polygamy-digital-program-note#cast-and-creatives
Web https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2023/the-poison-of-polygamy
Event Identifier 211847
Dataset AusStage