Bush Theatre is officially haunted thanks to Mei Leng Yew’s gloriously ghoulish debut!
The Hungry Ghost, directed by Ailin Conant, sees Mei Mac’s Girl possessed by an ancient Chinese ghost, cursed with an insatiable hunger that begins to consume all, including her burgeoning relationship with her girlfriend. It’s a tantalising premise that promises much and manages to deliver on its potential spectacularly. Through a combination of razor-sharp writing, hilarious set pieces, and electric performances, The Hungry Ghost is a terrifying, yet tender treat the entire way through.
For a play that boasts such a chaotic concept, Mei Leng Yew’s script is remarkable in how efficient and well-structured it is. Not once does the production feel like it’s dragging; instead, the characters glide seamlessly from scene to scene, never overstaying their welcome. The first act lays the foundations for what’s to come with expert precision, setting out the rules and laying the breadcrumbs needed to ensure that every subsequent narrative beat feels earned while never once dipping too heavily into heavy-handed exposition. It’s a true testament to the writer’s prowess that the internal logic of the story and the personal stakes are made so clear without missing a step comedically or character-wise.
The creative team behind The Hungry Ghost are on top form, creating an experience that feels both minimalist and brutally effective with its use of the physical space. Yimei Zhao’s set design works wonders for the production, creating the perfect playground that blends comedy with clever utility, while the use of props is perfect in both the silly and the sentimental moments. Carla Ng’s sound design works harmoniously with Cheng Keng’s lighting to up the horror and the tension, delivering jump scares and hand-crafting an immersive experience that keeps the audience on tenterhooks the whole way through.
What truly makes this production shine, however, is its leading performers. Mei Mac and Isabella Wei are supernaturally sublime in their roles as Girl and Ghost, respectively. Mac is endlessly charming as Girl, delivering the bulk of the narration with a mixture of wit, zaniness and vulnerability that makes her impossible not to root for. Despite having so much to deliver and juggling ambitious tone shifts, Mac’s performance never feels improper or too cartoonish; instead, she balances each facet of the character with ease. Standing right beside Mac, Wei doesn’t put a foot wrong as the Ghost, attacking the role with the perfect blend of unsettling foreboding and increasing ferocity as she gains more and more control over Girl and loses herself to her endless hunger. Both actors share a scintillating chemistry, executing their choreographed symbiosis so well that in some moments the two seem spiritually bonded to each other while in others the fight for control feels guttural and desperate. Both performers go above and beyond, believably selling a play that swings from the silly, to the sensual, to the sorrowful without missing a beat. A special mention must also go to Adrianna Kei, whose brief moment onstage delivers arguably the biggest laugh of the night.
The Hungry Ghost as a production simply gets everything right. From its cast to its crew to its writing, the show is a paranormal pleasure that, at its core, asks what it truly means to be alive when so many inner truths and desires lie dormant. Mei Leng Yew presents an experience with plenty for modern audiences to latch onto, but with respect and considered reverence for cultural tradition, cultivating an otherworldly experience for all.
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