The DAO of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience - (Modern Plays) by Daniel York Loh (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

... I'm not even properly Chinese I'm only half and half so that makes me feel all wrong and I just want to blend out and fit in and not stand out and with you I stand out
We
Stand Out
There's no safety in numbers
Sorry

The 'British Chinese'. So often regarded as a 'model minority'. Quiet, high-achieving, polite, invisible...

But when someone who is 'British Chinese' spends their life taking drugs, getting thrown out of school, claiming benefits, being chased in stolen cars, getting locked up, then rehabilitating onto the stage, where do they fit in? Oh, and they're not quite 'Chinese' enough anyway.

Semi-autobiographical, free-form and explosive, Daniel York Loh's psychedelic gig-theatrical punk pop rap rock riff The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience (Butterfly Dream) asks what path to choose, which identity politics to embrace or whether it's just easier to follow the 'Dao' of ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi and dream you're a butterfly. Or, be a butterfly dreaming of being 'Chinese'....

This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere Kakilang production at London's Soho Theatre in June 2024.

About the Author

Daniel York Loh is a mixed-race British East Asian actor, writer, filmmaker and musician. His first full-length play, The Fu Manchu Complex, ran at Ovalhouse in 2013. Along with composer Craig Adams, he won the 2016 Perfect Pitch award to create an original stage musical, Sinking Water, based on events around the 2004 Morecambe Bay Chinese cockle-picker tragedy, which is currently being developed under commission by Theatre Royal Stratford East. He is one of 21 writers of colour featured in the collection of essays, The Good Immigrant, which won the 2016 Books Are My Bag Reader's Choice award. He has served on the Equity Minority Ethnic Members Committee, is a founder member of British East Asian Artists and has worked with Act For Change to promote diversity in UK media.