A Practical Guide To Self Defence
Edric Hong & Alan Zhu in A Practical Guide To Self Defence.
Photo: Noni Carroll Photography
It's often said that creators make their best work when they draw upon their own lived experiences. For Edric Hong & Alan Zhu this is absolutely true of their performances in the new theatre show, A Practical Guide To Self Defence.
A Practical Guide To Self Defence by Wollongong-born Australian-Chinese playwright, Hung-Yen Yang is a witty & action-packed account of growing up Asian in the 70s & 80s in Australia. The play will take audiences on a time-travelling journey as Yen & his younger self witness his unlikely transformation from a pacifist, asthmatic geek to a brutal fighting machine. A Practical Guide To Self Defence is a modern, funny & deeply relatable play that examines the tension between good & evil that exists within us all.
Alan Zhu as the younger Yen & Edric Hong as the older version of the character lead this presentation of the show. Before the show arrived in Wollongong the 2 actors sat down with Pario to chat about their journey in bringing this show to life. During our conversation with the duo, we discussed the significance of this play for the actors, the relevance of the show to current audiences & the joys of blending martial arts, multimedia & acting.
A deeply personal & nostalgic journey
In terms of the significance of A Practical Guide To Self Defence to the actors Edric & Alan, both find this story incredibly relatable. For Edric, the relatability comes from having lived through a very similar experience during the 70s & 80s.
"I was born in Singapore & arrived in Australia in 1988. So in that window of just over 3 decades to now, I have seen the different waves of migration from places like East Asia, South East Asia, the Middle East & now the South Asian wave," recalled Edric. " I have seen the way that these groups of migrants have contributed to paving the way to overcome their struggles with xenophobic sentiments. This show is significant to me in terms of reminding us of the contributions of these various migrants to paving a way towards a better life for future generations."
Conversely, for Alan, who was only born in 1997, his experience was different but also eerily similar.
"I was born in 1997, but there are many aspects in this play that were still prevalent when I was growing up," Alan explained. "For example, the way that other kids can be really nasty & how that becomes baggage that you carry into your adult years. While those experiences were not as present as it is in this play there was still a lot from me to draw upon in my own lived experience."
These contrasting but also complimentary experiences have allowed the duo to bring significant depth to the show. Edric & Alan told Pario this was achieved by sharing their personal stories & collaborating closely as they gave life to the show.
"There are definitely parts where I see myself in 'young' Yen & I've drawn upon my experiences to enrich his journey... but I've actually learnt a lot from Edric," explained Alan. "Particularly how Edric has interrogated the text & found the little nuances to really colour a play that tackles a myriad of issues that are still going on today."
Edric then quickly responded to highlight how much of a joy it has been to have Alan along for their journey, "at various points, it's been a case of reliving my own experiences & I'm glad Alan has been able to be a part of that."
More relevant than ever for society
Given the themes & subject matter of A Practical Guide To Self Defence, this show is perhaps more relevant than ever before. Following the global pandemic, anti-Asian sentiment was placed under the spotlight. However, as Alan revealed it is far from a new phenomenon.
"While reading the play I recalled that when I was in primary school I found an escape by using my imagination. That was my way of escaping the harshness of life. In a way, this show is quite similar with Yen using martial arts as his way of escaping the trauma that he is experiencing. I feel like that is an experience that a lot of people of colour or Asian & Asian men especially would have some kind of familiarity with. It's kind of a universal feeling of where do I fit in this big puzzle that is life."
A Practical Guide To Self Defence.
Photo: Noni Carroll Photography
Giving life to a truly exciting show
In closing out our conversation with Edric & Alan we wondered about the joy of blending so many disparate elements for this show. Each & every performance of A Practical Guide To Self Defence incorporates theatrical acting, martial arts & multimedia elements such as lights, music & video.
It was during this portion of our interview that the joy exuded from Edric & Alan.
"It's beyond exciting," Edric said joyously. "Blending in the multimedia elements has been a joy. We've got a very very talented crew supporting us to bring about a technicolour light show. It doesn't get any more special than this!"
Alan then quickly added, "when you hear & see this show it adds to what you think you know... We've been able to incorporate a lot of different martial arts, the philosophy of martial arts & storytelling to an art form that is unexplainable."
Nov 9-12. Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, 32 Burelli Street, Wollongong. $39-$59+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.merrigong.com.au
Follow Alan's Creative Journey on Social Media: @AlanYuZhu
Follow Edric's Creative Journey on Social Media: @EdricSydney
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