A Practical Guide to Self Defence

Published by: Kabuku PR | 27-Oct-2022
A Practical Guide to Self Defence, a marvellous mashup of martial arts, storytelling and digital animations.
Venue: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
Address: Bruce Gordon Theatre, IPAC - 32 Burelli St, Wollongong NSW 2500
Date: 9 - 12 November
Time: Wed 9 Nov, 7:30pm; Thu 10 Nov, 6:30pm; Fri 11 Nov, 7:30pm; Sat 12 Nov, 1:30pm & 7:30pm
Ticket: Premium: $59 | Adult: $49 | Concession/Group 8+: $44 | Under 30s: $39 | School Groups 8+: $23 | Family of 4: $156
Buy / Ticket: https://merrigong.com.au/shows/a-practical-guide-to-self-defence/
Web: https://merrigong.com.au/shows/a-practical-guide-to-self-defence/
EMail: boxoffice@merrigong.com.au
Call: 02 4224 5999
Merrigong Theatre Company is thrilled to present A Practical Guide to Self Defence, a poignant perspective on “how to defeat the beast within”, at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre from 9th to 12th November 2022.

A Practical Guide to Self Defence is a witty and action-packed account of growing up Asian in ‘80s Australia. Part play, part instructional guide, it is sprinkled with practical demonstrations, like how to trip and how to fall as we hurtle towards our existential contradiction–defeating the beast within.

Australian-Chinese playwright, Hung-Yen Yang, deftly blends creative storytelling, martial arts and multimedia, as he takes us on a time-travelling journey with his younger self to witness his unlikely transformation from pacifist, asthmatic geek to brutal fighting machine.

Hung-Yen Yang said “My play centres on soon-to-be-father ‘Old Yen’ presenting his secrets to self-defence. He is joined by his cheeky younger self, ‘Young Yen’, to understand what turned a geeky, asthmatic child into a brutal fighting machine. Informed by my own experiences growing up in 70’s Wollongong and 80’s Sydney, the play explores the roots and legacies of colonisation, identity, and racism. An action-packed comedy with nuanced layers of sub-text and pathos, this play can be enjoyed on many levels, bringing an innovative and authentic take on the age-old dilemma: how to defeat the beast within?”

Starring Alan Zhu (STC’s Death of a Salesman) and Edric Hong (Bowie Productions and Chippen St Theatre’s Love Addict), this modern, funny, and deeply relatable play examines how everyday racism over the decades shapes decisions both good and bad.

Merrigong’s Artistic Director / CEO Simon Hinton added, “We are proud to have supported the development of this deeply personal new work by Hung-Yen Yang over the last few years. Merrigong is excited to bring such a witty and deeply relatable production to audiences in the Illawarra and delighted to be working with the team at National Theatre of Parramatta as co-producers”.

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