Cho Chang Goes To Work in a Chinese Factory

What: The World of Extreme Happiness Where: The National Theatre Shed When: Until 26 October 2013, tickets still available Price: £12 to £20, £5 with the 16-25 Entry Pass Scheme

Could it be that there is no other play with a more sarcastic title than The World of Extreme Happiness? The play begins with two Chinese men, complete with dirt on their faces obviously to signify their countryside origins, foul-mouthing about whores and pigeons excreting in their mouths. Frustration is the main emotion felt by all characters, and it manifests itself in the aggressive yet nonchalant swearing which many born into manic Chinese households will probably be habituated to.

China is a land of shock and stupefaction, according to the media. But The World of Extreme Happiness takes us through all this, from the attempted murder of Sunny (Katie Leung, perhaps better known as Cho Chang of Harry Potter fame) at her birth – among hundreds of others mentioned – because she is a girl born into a one-child policy, to the powerlessness of the country folk without access to education and eventually enslaved in a mass-producing factory. The audience hears of the brutality of Mao and the continued power of the state to crush anything or anyone letting off a mere whiff of defiance. It is interesting to consider these events of the play in the context of the reality of contemporary China. What are the real impacts on the people that the policies are directly affecting today?

Looking around the audience, it seemed that there were more East Asian members compared to other plays I have attended, which usually consist of the white middle class en masse. For me, being third generation Chinese not to be born in China, it was rather fun to identify with some of the behaviour, mannerisms, and attitudes of the family members that reflected those of my own. I wondered what those with stronger links to China and its history thought of the more controversial events acted out.

Intense and shocking, it would not be the same without a bit of orgasm, kidnap, attempted suicide, and murder. A rapid-heart-rate-inducing flashing rainbow light and vibrating bass reinforced the mania of the city life of Shenzhen. Doll babies manufactured by the featured factory were lit up and flashed in an eerie way next to a kitsch fish tank.

The staging and direction (Michael Longhurst) were the definite highlights. In such an intimate venue as The Shed, the change of setting from countryside to factory to police station, and more, is carried out perfectly. At one point, the birth of a baby is represented by ripping a doll out of a cardboard box... I’ll go with that.

Although the cast of 6 used to play at least 12 characters was successful thanks to such work, the actors did not match it so perfectly. At points they made it difficult to accept this exaggerated reality was, well, a potential reality.

The ending (spoiler alert), an imitation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, seemed to mimic the way a friend of mine pretended to flap around whilst mocking the suffocation of characters such as the one in question. This professional version was almost as laughable. But overall, with a slight polish, Frances Ya-Chu-Chowig’s work could fit amongst contemporary masterpieces.