Preview Rice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle

Photos by The Other Richard

Award winning production Rice is currently on its UK tour and is set to stop by Northern Stage Newcastle on 1st and 2nd April. It’s written by Hmong-Australian writer Michele Lee, directed by Artistic Director, Matthew Xia and stars Angela Yeoh and Anya Jaya-Murph who star in the lead roles of  Yvette, an older Chinese migrant cleaner and Nisha, a young hotshot Indian executive.

The play is brimming with wickedly humorous observations on gender, globalisation, family and friendship. It focuses on Nisha, a young hotshot executive working for Golden Fields, Australia’s largest producer of rice who is close to securing a secret deal worth billions with the Indian government.

Working late one night she encounters Yvette, an older Chinese migrant, who cleans up her mess in the office. She has her own entrepreneurial ambitions but her daughter faces court after participating in a protest against the unethical practices of a national supermarket chain. 

The two form a powerful, though unlikely, bond as they navigate the complexities of their lives and the world at large. 
Playwright Michele Lee adds: “I’ve always wanted to centre a story around two strong female actors of colour and that was my starting point. In this play their characters traverse a range of identities and jump between and transform across many different roles. I feel exhilarated that this drama is being staged on opposite sides of the world and hope Its universal themes around gender, ambition and friendship will resonate with audiences in the UK.”

Tickets for Rice are available here.