Political and Entertaining: Hater Review | Ellen Leslie

Gawa Leung, JJ Lam, and Lorraine Yu by Brava Guava

‍★★★

Written by Gawa Leung, Hater is an exploration of the ways that Asian women tear each other down. Wai Ying is determined to get her big break as an actor, and is keeping a close eye on her competition. When she encounters Eve, who is the exact same casting type as her, she becomes obsessed and stalks her meticulously. It doesn’t take long until her stalking evolves into sabotage, leaving us questioning how far she will go.

‍The show is performed by Lorraine Yu, JJ Lam and Gawa Leung, who all know the full script and can play every role. At the start of the show, there is a fun interactive segment where they all audition for the parts and the audience decides who plays what role. In the production I saw, Wai Ying was performed by Leung, Eve was performed by Lam, while Yu played Wai Ying’s half sister.

‍All three actresses are extremely talented. Being so close to the audience doesn’t seem to faze them at all, and they all commit fully to their roles, exaggerating their facial expressions at appropriate moments to emphasise the unserious nature of the play. Leung in particular is very charismatic, and brings a likeability to her character, which cannot be an easy feat considering her obsession and unjustified hatred for Eve.

‍Many important themes crop up throughout the show, including familial pressure and domestic violence, but they are not always fully explored. For instance, good points are raised about the shame that Wai Ying’s half sister feels after her anger takes over, but there is no further discussion after that. Similarly, Wai Ying’s depression seems to come from nowhere, and it would benefit from a stronger link to the main narrative. It would have been good to see how her hatred impacted her life more. It’s hinted that her obsession plays a part in her and her boyfriend’s breakup, but again, this isn’t fully expanded on.

While the majority of the play’s major diversions are tied up in the closing scenes, the actual ending is woefully anticlimactic. What could be a touching moment between the two sisters lacks emotional impact and adds nothing to the narrative. Ultimately, it ends up being a fairly abrupt ending which unfortunately lets the play down.

That being said, there are lots of things to like about Hater. The cast is exceptionally talented, and there is not a dull moment in this play. The discussions of racism and stereotyping in the theatre industry, along with a lack of roles for Asian women and the competitiveness among them are extremely important. With a little bit more refinement, the show could easily be excellent. Brava Guava certainly have a bright future ahead of them, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.

Hater will be performed at Gilded Balloon Patter House from 6-31 August (not 11, 18, 24) as part of Edinburgh Fringe.

‍ ‍By Ellen Leslie