Black Theatre Live with Yellow Earth Theatre in association with Royal Exchange Theatre
"I invited you into my past... And you invited me into your future"
Helen has grown up in the UK, but always felt a piece of her story was missing.
Visiting her mother’s birthplace of Hong Kong for the first time, she is determined to find out who she really is and where she belongs. Amidst the skyscrapers and bustling streets, she meets her grandmother, Lily Kwok. But as Helen steps into the past she discovers shocking family secrets that will change her life forever.
This stylish and evocative new play by award winning writer In-Sook Chappell, tells the extraordinary story of the women behind the famous Manchester restaurant Sweet Mandarin. Based on Helen Tse’s bestselling family memoir of passion, sacrifice and survival across three generations held together with one lifeline- food.
With live cooking on stage. Performed in English.
Stage Text Captioned Performance: Thursday 10 May, 7:30pm
"Chappell’s script is a triumph, showcasing not only strong women, but strong East Asian women, an occurrence sufficiently rare on the British theatre scene"
The Reviews Hub ★★★★
“A gripping tale of struggle, laughter, love and food…With a universal story of survival that will move your soul"
Ken Hom on Sweet Mandarin
Director Jennifer Tang: "Stories about the Chinese are rare in the UK"
Read the Mountains Glossary
Supported by Arts Council England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation and the Ernest Cook Trust.
