reviews Chinese Take
Away - STAGEPLAY
… Anna Yen's extraordinarily touching one woman show, … I can't
begin to say how much this show moved me. The family secrets and skeletons
came tumbling out of the closet right on stage, and Yen's naked honesty
has the delicate tremor of a multicoloured butterfly. - TIME OFF
I felt honoured by the generosity, humour and courage of Yen's
performance. … In many ways 'Chinese Take Away' staged the poetics
of remembering… - REALTIME
Anna Yen distinguishes herself as a magnetic performer skilled
in creating drama and comedy as she deftly negotiates a complex and
multidimensional narrative… It is a truly beautiful piece which is
fun, funny and tragic… It is a piece that undermines the basis of
racism in Australian society and which provides an insight into Chinese
tradition and culture. - SEMPER
Chinese Take Away - FILM
'Piercing and rich storytelling from Anna Yen, a first generation
Chinese Australian, who performs parts of the lives of herself, her
mother and her grandmother in an exploration of where she comes from
and what it means. Through this one-woman staged narration,
it is apparent this personalised history is beyond the personal impact
for Yen. It is a contribution to a deeper understanding of a female
migrant's life. Rife with drama, peculiar and intricate, it’s a unique
way to share a courageous journey.' - WEST AUSTRALIAN
‘From the opening verse and haunting music, we know we're in
for a melancholy journey…'Why do we need stories? Is it so we can
understand our own lives better?' Yen obviously thinks so and her
stories are told beautifully and poetically with her assuming the
roles of the main players as they wend their way from China to Hong
Kong to Australia…Combining performance with archival footage, it
is a moving memoir of one family, but its quest to discover how the
past influences the present will resonate with many more'. -
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
‘Mitzi Goldman directed the moving and visually stimulating piece
of Yen's stories about her mother and grandmother, women who had
their choices taken away in their youth about who and what they wanted
to be. Yen plays various roles including the two women as well as
her father, and it’s certainly a powerhouse performance'. -
COURIER MAIL
Anna Yen - - Tel: +61-7-3846 1651 Mob:+61-417-623 886