CHINGLISH by Pandemonium: Culture Lost in Translation

PUBLISHED October 8th, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED June 29th, 2020 05:26 pm

Pangdemonium’s final production in its Transformation season is Chinglish by American playwright David Henry Hwang.

The Story

An American businessman (Daniel Jenkins) travels to China to seal a lucrative deal for his sign-making business. There, he meets a colourful menagerie of characters including gorgeous femme fatale (Oon Shu An), a three-faced politician (Adrian Pang), and a series of increasingly incompetent interpreters.

A wildly funny and cunningly astute comedy of errors that pokes fun at the West’s frenzied flirtation with China, Chinglish is about difference, and the chaos that arises from misunderstanding, even when both sides are trying their best to give and receive what is truly meant. Understanding a langage is one challenge but what about cultural differences? The play is performed in English & Mandarin (with subtitles).

To learn more, we asked Director, Tracie Pang, and her take on Chinglish:

Why did Pangdemonium decide to stage CHINGLISH and how does it fit in with the 2015 season’s theme of transformation?

When I read the script I found it very funny – great characters and a great story. It was an insightful look at how both the West and China view each other. And I thought that with Singapore’s interest in China but our very western approach to business, this would be a great comedy for our local and expat audiences. David Henry Hwang is a great voice for Asians in the world of theatre and it was time that Pangdemonium produced one of his plays.

Chinglish follows this character of an American businessman whose life has hit rock bottom and he comes to China to try and turn everything around. It’s a chance to transform his family business, his reputation, and his life. It also follows the Chinese minister for culture stuck in the old ways, whilst China is modernizing and transforming around him, he must change or go. Our Transformation season has looked at many different characters over the year as they struggle with and overcome the personal transition to reach a new stage in their life.

What are your biggest challenges as the director of this production?

I have whole scenes in Mandarin, and I don’t speak a word of the language! I looked at it and thought, how am I going to do this?! Also, Guo Liang needs to converse in Mandarin when discussing a character, so I have to ask the other actor, ‘What did he say?’ It’s not easy, but where there is a will to communicate, there is a way.

Have you visited China and did you have any ‘CHINGLISH’ experiences with translation?

Tracie: China can be quite isolating when you can’t communicate with anyone; you end up being the worst kind of tourist and just pointing at things and then a calculator! (Adrian Pang chimes in: I’ve visited China twice, once for filming, and once on holiday. Hilariously mis-translated “Chinglish” signboards are everywhere you turn, but the most memorable one is when we dined at a restaurant and the menu offered delights such as “pork with douche” and “Wikipedia fried with eggs”.)

Why should the public in Singapore watch ‘CHINGLISH’?

CHINGLISH is going to resonate particularly with audiences in Singapore because – apart from the fact that it is a very funny and entertaining comedy – our relationship with China and its citizens over the recent few years has evolved into a rather, shall we say, volatile one, and this play will provoke many an interesting debate amongst Singaporeans.

We also spoke to some of the cast members, and heard their take on their roles:

Adrian Pang as Cultural Minister Cai:

CHINGLISH is one of those rare plays that is hysterically funny, slyly satirical, and deeply moving, all at the same time. It’s a very insightful expose of cross-cultural relations, and hilariously lampoons the artifices of politics and business.

I play the role of Cultural Minister Cai, a dinosaur of a politician who has somehow bull-sh**ted his way up the ranks of the political pagoda, in spite of the fact that he is a bit of a buffoon. He is under pressure from his superiors to prove himself, and he is hiding behind the veneer of his political post while shifting the real work onto his underlings. The truth is, he is a weak man, allowing himself to be hen-pecked by every woman in his life, plus he has his own dirty little secret – actually, every character in CHINGLISH has his/her own dirty secrets – which threatens to push him off his precarious perch. A very fun character to play – apart from having to speak Mandarin, which is giving me nightmares!

Oon Shu An as Vice Minister of Culture Xi Yan:

Vice Minister of Culture Xi Yan is very determined, big-picture oriented, and some might even think, heartless. But I think she just feels the need to get things done. I am working VERY HARD on my Mandarin. It’s really one of those times where you wish you paid more attention in school!

Matt Grey as Peter Timms:

Chinglish is a great play, which works on different levels. It’s entertaining and hilarious but also profound. Hwang has constructed a fine masterpiece that explores flaws, vulnerability and survival in communication across cultures.

A middle-aged teacher in China who has become dissatisfied with himself and his future, Peter Timms tries to establish himself as a business consultant by leveraging on his excellent command of Chinese. But he’s hapless in his efforts to impress and, in spite of his 19 years in China, clumsy in his dealings with Chinese-style business negotiation. He fails in spectacular style and resigns himself to a life of uneventful obscurity. I have been learning the script for 12 months, trying to develop authentic pronunciation. My wife, who is from Beijing, has been giving me constant coaching.

Audrey Luo (Translator Qian):

Translator Qian is bubbly and always ready to help anybody and learn from everybody. I chat with my China friends to learn more about their country’s culture, recorded their way of speech, went Chinatown to observe and get inspiration and watch clips online for ideas.

CHINGLISH is running from Friday, 9th October to Sunday, 25th October 2015 at the Drama Centre Theatre.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here.