Auka Productions will present the debut run of Hot Pot at Playhouse East this June, a new play examining friendship, gay identity and the subtle betrayals of adult life.
Running from Tuesday 16 June to Sunday 21 June, with a press night on Wednesday 17 June at 7:00pm, the production unfolds over a shared meal between four university friends reconnecting after the Covid pandemic.
What begins as light-hearted conversation soon deepens into a more complex and revealing exchange, as past histories and personal truths emerge.
Set in a hot pot restaurant, the play uses the act of dining together to explore how time and experience reshape relationships and challenge perceptions of home, love and authenticity.
Drawing on East Asian perspectives, Hot Pot addresses themes of identity and cultural expectation, asking whether belonging requires conformity or can be redefined through chosen connections.
Writer Hongwei Bao said: “Hot Pot is a play about friendship, relationship and love. It is about how some of these significant relationships have changed over time, and how others remain strong ties in our lives. It is also a play about dreams, ambitions, and the joys and pains of growing up; about how one can live an authentic life despite pressures from society and expectations from other people. It is a story that everyone can relate to.”
Hot Pot marks the first production from Auka Productions, founded by Struan Davidson and Windson Liong, both of whom also appear in the cast.
They are joined by Michelle Yim and Shin-Fei Chen.
The creative team includes director Namoo Chae Lee, set and costume designer TK Hay, and lighting designer Brett Kasza.
The production runs for 70 minutes with no interval and includes references to homophobia, racism, parental death and partial nudity.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
