Scenes From a Yellow Peril

QPAC will present the Australian mainstage premiere of award-winning play Scenes From a Yellow Peril this July – a striking, genre-defying work that dismantles traditional theatre structure to deliver a searing exploration of race, identity and cultural politics.

Written by Chinese-New Zealand playwright Nathan Joe and adapted for Australian audiences by Brisbane’s The Reaction Theory, the production explores race, identity and privilege through poetry, performance and sharply delivered insight. Breaking from theatrical tradition, Queensland performers Daphne Chen, Chris Nguyen, Peter Wood and Jazz Zhao appear as themselves, not as characters. The fearless ensemble offers a razor-sharp (and at times darkly funny) perspective on what it means to navigate Asian identity in today’s political landscape, both in Australia and New Zealand.

Blending personal reflections, confessions and dialogue with vivid retellings of historical events, the work delivers a fast-paced, emotionally charged audience experience that is both confronting and deeply resonant. Following its premiere as part of Queensland Theatre’s DOOR 3 initiative, the production received critical acclaim and won multiple Matilda Awards in 2024. Now, Scenes From a Yellow Peril makes its national mainstage debut as a timely and powerful voice in the Australian theatre landscape.

Image credit: Nathaniel Knight