Based on the novel by Kate Kamen (formerly Angela S. Choi), Hello Kitty Must Die packs an absurd amount of action into one hour. The story is imaginatively adapted for the stage by Gail Rastorfer and Kurt Johns. While disorientating in places, the show’s charm lives up to that of Hello Kitty herself.
As her parents, partners and employers demand sweetness and subservience, protagonist Fiona Yu battles to escape the Hello Kitty prison in which she lives. Unable to overcome these oppressive expectations, Fiona takes sadistic delight in eliminating the problem at its root. The result is not a moving, activist commentary as much as a chaotic tale of exploiting the prejudices of others for personal satisfaction. But this result is a lot of fun.
Sami Ma plays Fiona with an enjoyable balance of sincerity and facetiousness. All other characters are played by Lennox T. Duong, Jully Lee, Ann Hu and Amy Keum, most of which comedically. The multicasting is handled spectacularly, and each characterisation is incredibly polished. The performances of the cast alone make this show worth seeing, and the direction also does well to communicate shifts in characters.
Condensed for its run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the pace of Hello Kitty Must Die is hard to keep up with at times. Weirdly, though, this strengthens the electric charge with which the plot unfolds, which is titillating and unhinged. This vibe is reinforced by score and lyrics by Cecilia Lin and Jessica Wu, which include some truly killer harmonies.
I can’t say I left Hello Kitty Must Die feeling particularly enlightened, and I am not sure if the show’s depiction of female characters always sets out to make a feminist statement. However, the show is thoroughly stimulating in many other aspects. If you’re looking for something vibrant and twisted, catch the show at Pleasance Two until 27th August.
