16 December 2025

FooFrame Productions with bAKEHOUSE Theatre Co

Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday)

A Chinese Christmas started life in the mind of Trent Foo as a love letter to his grandma. He wrote and stars in the play that is a delightful tale of family, magic and Christmas with a strong Chinese flavour.

The audience assembled in the Kings Cross Theatre on Broadway soon realise we have been cast as the ghosts of Heepa’s (Foo) ancestors who have been summoned by Lady Dai (Jolin Jiang) of the Chinese underworld. Heepa has to convince them to help him get his grandmother, Paw Paw (Tiang Lim) to attend the annual family Christmas party.

Foo plays a disarming adolescent Heepa who must confront his past actions in order to make the magic work. In a clever device, Lady Dai conjures illuminated symbols of his past that Heepa hangs on the Christmas tree (represented by an old painting ladder), building a physical symbol of his relationship with Paw Paw.

Jolin Jiang is superb as Lady Di, her glittering facial costume (Set & Costume Designer: Amy Lane) adding to her mystery and the magic. But Jiang’s talents go much further in performing an original soundtrack on a plethora of traditional Chinese and other instruments.

Cameron Smith’s sound design works seamlessly with Jiang’s score, blurring the line between what is live and what is recorded. Together they produced a mystical, oriental world that envelops us. Also of note is the lighting design (Cat Mai) that creates an otherworldly atmosphere that morphs and transitions with the text.

But at the heart of the story is the relationship between Heepa and his estranged grandmother, Paw Paw. It is a complex situation based on a lifetime of fond memories and interdependence that has been marred by the emergence of Heepa’s adolescence and all the tension and uncertainty that ensues from that. Both parties have tried in their own way to rectify the split, but what is ultimately revealed is as much a surprise to Heepa as it is to the audience.

The other prevailing plot line is the tension arising from growing up Chinese in Australia. This is a common theme (with a variety of ethnic communities) in today’s Australian theatre, but Foo treats the subject with empathy and compassion, presenting it simultaneously with deep insight and the frivolous boyishness of his character.

A nice touch was the traditional Chinese gift we were presented with as we left the theatre. A sweet thought and memory to take home with us.

I think Trent Foo is a name to keep an eye on as an emerging talent in the local theatre world. He has surrounded himself with a multi-talented troupe that help him realise his vision. While he displays a profound depth of understanding of the Chinese diaspora, I anticipate his talent will move to other material in the future. I can’t wait to see what he can bring to that.

Season runs to 20 December.

You can listen to a recent interview with Trent Foo below: