REVIEW: Sydney Theatre Company’s ‘White Pearl’ tackles racism & consumerism in the beauty industry
REVIEWED BY SHON HO
A racist commercial for a skin whitening cream has been leaked online. It’s going viral and the Singaporean headquarters of the start-up Clearday Cosmetics is plunged into a state of chaos. Cue skyrocketing views on YouTube, global backlash and an increasing number of KFC buckets accumulating in the boardroom as the all-female office stress eat cold fries and launch into damage control.
White Pearl returns to Sydney at Wharf 1Theatre after its first production in 2019 at Riverside (a co-production between Sydney Theatre Company and the National Theatre of Parramatta). Written by Anchuli Felicia King, the play is sharp, biting and gloriously uncomfortable. It tackles anti-black sentiment in Asian communities, pan-Asian relationships and intra-Asian racism within the frame of power, consumerism and questionable corporate intentions. Director Priscilla Jackman pushes a tight and compelling pace; crafting jaw clenching tension relieved by moments of outrageous humour – sometimes leaving you to question whether it’s okay to laugh.
The frenetic energy of the cast is thrilling. Each member encapsulates a distinct presence that is essential to advancing the narrative.
Manali Datar flaunts self-assured superiority and exasperation as British educated Priya, who while peddling the supposed flat hierarchical structure of start-up culture, is a boss you wouldn’t want to cross. Melissa Gan as laid-back sidekick Sunny keeps tense moments light, delivering fantastic one-liners in dude-bro Singlish. Deborah An expresses measured logic as the chemical consultant Soo-Jin – unwavering in her values and beliefs (however offensive). Shirong Wu is delightful as the well-meaning Xiao, who facing deportation back to China, cries too loudly (much to Priya’s chagrin) and is responsible for causing tear inducing laughs while lying on the floor of a bathroom. Nicole Milinkovic’s Built, a sassy Thai-American heiress, tends to throw money at her problems whilst her slimy French ex-boyfriend Marcel (Stephen Madsen) embodies infuriating gas-lighting misogyny and walks away as the relatively unscathed white man. Ruki (played by understudy Mayu Iwasaki, usually Kaori Maeda-Judge) is grounded in empathy and kindness as she tries to keep peace among the group as the disaster continues to implode. The strength of the dynamite all Asian-female cast is truly marvellous to witness on the main stage.
White Pearl pinpoints the disconcerting desire to attain ‘whiteness’ and packages shame as a sought-after commodity. It accentuates messaging about beauty standards that we know all too well – particularly apt, as the audience are reflected in the glossy back wall of Jeremy Allen’s fairy floss coloured set; complicit in our voyeurism. The ultra-hip, manicured backdrop is brightly lit by Damien Cooper, not quite hiding the crumbling facade of a toxic workplace and the swirling online cesspool as Michael Toisuta and Me-Lee Hay’s sound design builds to a buzzing crescendo.
King presents us characters who are deeply flawed, complex and individualistic. The medley of different accents, languages and backgrounds dispels the image that Asia is a monolith. The play does not handhold the audience through cultural specificities (which are a joy to watch) or reframe the narrative for a white gaze. It burns fearlessly with unrelenting precision and delicious wit.
Until 24 April, Wharf 1 Theatre, Dawes Point. $34-$74+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
