Hungry Ghosts

Synopsis

"For pity’s sake, don’t tell me you think you can save the world and drive for me" "It’s not that it’s good for business, it is business. We are China. China is us. And no one, not even God, can undo that... Look. There’s a saying. Helps them deal with the powerlessness. Mei you fa tze. Roughly translates as you can’t do a thing about it. Not a thing Tyler. Not in your power". We are in Shanghai for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Tyler is tense about the race, his place in the team and the condition of the track and there is the newspaper interviewer pursuing him. And then his week-end is invaded and Tyler finds that human rights and Chinese politics enter his life.

Our Review:

16 November 2010

Top British racing driver Tyler Jones arrives in Shanghai, a city like any other Western city on the surface, but after coming across a pro-democracy human rights campaigner Pin-de, his view of the modern China is changed forever and he decides to communicate the story to the outside world ruining his career in the process.

Hungry Ghosts is essentially a political piece, focusing on the West’s relationship with China, and their human rights record, set against a backdrop of Grand Prix. The idea is a good and timely one and as China increasingly plays a larger part on the world stage, demonstrated by David Cameron’s recent visit, no doubt further playwrights will choose to produce plays on the subject.

Whilst an interesting premise, where the piece does feel lacking is in the relationship between Pin-de (Lucy Sheen) and Jones (Andres Williams) which - we come to discover - is actually a romantic one although we never really believe i...

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