untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon Play

untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play is a dramatic, funny, and gripping show, on stage at the Young Vic from 18 Sep - 4 Nov 2023.

Written by Kimber Lee and Directed by Roy Alexander Weise, this exciting play traverses various periods spanning a century with diverse geographical settings. Within these historical cycles, deliberate inaccuracies and cultural inauthenticity serve as a commentary on the misrepresentation of Asian culture in Western narratives. With each repetition, the cycles gain momentum and intensify.

The story has a Truman Show/Groundhog Day likeness to it in the sense that the first few scenes follow the same basic plot points. Kim, the lead played by Mei Mac, meets Clark, an American played by Tom Weston-Jones, and is encouraged to seduce him by a significant other in the hope that Clark will be their ticket to a better life. Each time she meets Clark, he deserts her, and we flash forward to four years later when Kim is even more desperate – but with Clark’s son. Clark then returns, partnered with his American wife, Evelyn, played by Jennifer Kirby and they take Kim’s son, leaving her alone and suicidal. Kim’s suicides are overtly theatrical, accompanied by melodramatic lighting and music. A blackout signals the end of this scene. After a montage of sequences with Kim killing herself in increasingly gruesome ways, we see Kim begin to catch wind of the repetition.

The climax is set in modern-day New York. Kim, who clearly remembers the earlier events of the play struggles to figure out what is going on. Here things take an even weirder turn as the narrator, played by Rochelle Rose, steps onto stage to join the dinner party scene as the character “Brenda”. A series of captivating monologues are delivered impeccably by the different members of the cast before things finally come to some sort of conclusion.

The Young Vic’s amphitheater-style seating arrangement makes for an intimate show and the cast did a great job of registering the audience without making us part of the show. Rochelle’s narration and the rest of the actors’ deliveries were brilliant. The lighting and sound effects were perfect, and despite approaching heavy themes, the show maintained a feel-good energy.

This innovative play pushes boundaries in both a theoretical and cultural sense, confronting topics of racism, generational trauma, and sexism with an appropriate amount of comic relief. The plethora of deliberately offensive Asian stereotypes is approached with a South Park-esk charm – making its point but without being too deprecating. For example, in the first few scenes, Clark communicates confidently using random cliché Japanese words that do not make sense, while the intended meaning is provided by the Narrator. The locations of most of the scenes are also kept vague, implying Western ignorance of foreign nation interference and a lack of cultural insight.

Musical Director, Tayo Akinbode, did a fantastic job – the show was packed with punchy throwbacks and feelgood classics, and the questionable vocals in the solos really added to the charm.
Another thing I enjoyed about this play was how the stage crew had a sort of cameo role during the scene changes, showcasing attitude and engagement through the way they arranged and dismantled the set.

Overall, regardless of whether it made obvious sense or not, untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon Play is a unique, modern and exciting show, and I’d encourage you to see it for yourselves. I laughed out loud, and the audience presented a standing ovation. The runtime is 145 minutes, with no interval, so I’d advise wearing your comfies.


untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play is at the Young Vic Theatre until 4 November, co-produced by Royal Exchange Theatre, Factory International for Manchester International Festival, Young Vic Theatre and Headlong. www.youngvic.org