The Story of Chi
Co-commissioned by Terrapin,
Contemporary Asian Australian Performance and OzAsia
Written by Hoa Pham, Jeremy Nguyen and Hiroki Kobayashi
The Story of Chi marks a new collaboration between Terrapin and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance, using body and shadow puppetry to craft a stunning world that explores love, courage, and the complexities of family.
Image credit: Peter Mathews
★★★★★ - "A spirited hour spent in the company of some excellent actors and some very entertaining dragons.”
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Story of Chi is a new work of magic realism that follows the journey of a young girl and a teenage dragon. Chi, caught between her Japanese and Vietnamese heritage, finds herself at a crossroads during an unexpectedly turbulent time for her family.
Torn between cultures and traditions, Chi’s world takes a fantastical turn when she meets Mizu, a risk-taking teenage dragon who has been separated from his family. As grandmother, mother and daughter each struggle to balance ancient traditions with their lives today, Chi and Mizu embark on daring adventures but their wish for independence might just separate them from their families forever.
REVIEWS
“Perfect for families looking for a thoughtful, magical experience that sparks conversations about tradition, change, and the importance of family.” – Suze Harrington, KIDDO Mag
“It was really funny and I loved it. I’d definitely give it a thumbs up!” – Isla, 10 years old
“It was funny and at the same time a bit sad. I liked the dragon!” – Asha, 10 years old
“I thought it was magical and strangely relatable. It was really genuine and felt like the words of a young person processing grief and sadness.” – Kate, Parent
“The writers have created a refined, humorous and tender exploration of everything that makes up a life’s story, and all this is uncovered throughout this performance."
ABOUT THE COMPANIES
Terrapin Terrapin creates contemporary puppetry experiences for audiences of all ages, touring Tasmania, nationally and internationally. It creates work for theatres and interactive installations for public space. The company’s work has been presented by The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Edinburgh International Children’s festival, The Vancouver International Children’s Festival, De Betovering Festival (The Netherlands), A.S.K Shanghai, Aichi Arts Centre (Japan), The Taipei Children's Art Festival, The Lincoln Center (New York), The John F. Kennedy Center, The Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival and Mona Foma among many others.
CAAP Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP) is Australia’s only performing arts company with a remit for producing, developing and enabling Asian Australian works and artists to reach main stages nationally. Through highly valued productions and initiatives, CAAP is regarded as a crucial catalyst for change in an ongoing shift to greater cultural diversity and inclusiveness in the arts. We provide the scaffolding for Asian Australian artists to thrive in a more equitable and representative industry. In all that we do, we work to transform the Australian performing arts landscape.
Ready to Tour
If you are interested in touring get in contact!
Arts on Tour
02 8038 1880
touring@artsontour.com.au
Arts on Tour is based in Redfern NSW and we respectfully acknowledge the Gadigal people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the unceded land on which we work.
As we tour artists and productions across these vast lands, we pay our respect to all First Nations Elders, past, present and future.
We celebrate their continuing connection and contribution to culture, country and community, and thank all First Nations peoples for their wisdom in caring for the land, the sky, the rivers and the sea.