Presented by: Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP)
Reviewed: 20 October, 2022
Jane Hutcheon has told many stories throughout her career as a journalist. Working as a foreign correspondent for many years, and then hosting the ABC program One Plus One, Jane has heard, told and shared the stories of so many people from around the world. In Lost In Shanghai, Hutcheon tells what is probably her most important story. It is the moving story of her mother, Beatrice, from her childhood in pre-Communist China through to her passing earlier this year. Lost In Shanghai is a moving tribute that has immense heart and a story that resonates with the entire audience.
It is no easy feat to put yourself on a stage and pour your heart out through a story that is extremely personal, but Hutcheon tells her mother’s story with such passion, grace and care that the audience is swept up and is right there in the moment with her.
Hutcheon’s years of journalism are on full display in this production. The research that has gone into piecing together her mother’s history has left no stone unturned. The script is raw, honest and has a wonderful mixture of heartbreaking stories and uplifting moments from both her mother’s life and her own.
Lost In Shanghai can best be described as a “live documentary”. Hutcheon doesn’t move much from her position to the side of the stage. She doesn’t need to. Her storytelling ability, the pace and flow of her voice, and the content of the story itself is more than enough to pull the audience in. Her mother’s story is supported by photographs from her mother’s childhood and Hutcheon’s own upbringing. These visual aids add so much depth to this brilliant production.
The icing on the cake for this performance is the live musical accompaniment by Dr Terumi Narushima, a senior lecturer in music at the University of Wollongong. Dr Narushima’s score is simple, but highly effective. She uses a mixture of Western and traditional Asian percussion instruments to provide a soundscape that accompanies Hutcheon’s story. The live score adds so much emotion to this already emotional story.
Lost In Shanghai is a very moving night at the theatre, and certainly should be on your OzAsia list for 2022. It is storytelling at its best and the personal connection by hearing Hutcheon tell her own family story is a very moving experience.
Reviewed by: Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Clare Hawley
Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: 20 – 22 October, 2022
Duration: 1 hour 15 mins
Tickets: From $35
Bookings: https://ozasia.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/lost-in-shanghai
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