LEGENDS (of the Golden Arches) transports audiences into the Chinese afterlife in an exhilarating and vibrant performance. Co-created by Joe Paradise Lui and Merlynn Tong, this genre-bending production blends sharp satire, heartfelt emotion, and comedy to be both personal and universally resonant.
Follow best friends Joe and Merlynn as they navigate a night-long vigil for their deceased grandfathers. Merlynn is determined to honour traditional funeral rites, but Joe is sceptical, dismissing them as superstition. However, disagreements soon take a supernatural turn when the lords of the Underworld intervene, dragging the duo into a surreal realm where they must confront their cultural heritage and personal histories.
Vaulting across genres, from absurdist comedy to haunting drama, it challenges theatrical conventions while remaining thoroughly engaging. The script is razor-sharp, oscillating between laugh-out-loud moments and deep introspection. Lui and Tong’s chemistry on stage is electric, making the audience genuinely invest in their characters’ fates. Supporting the performance, the set is visually stunning and intricate whilst tastefully integrating projections and musical scenes.
Beyond its striking visuals and sharp humour, the play carries a poignant undercurrent. It examines the tensions between tradition and modernity, spirituality and scepticism, duty and personal agency. At its core, LEGENDS is a story about friendship—its trials, its evolution, and its capacity for redemption.
Whilst offering valid critics of age-old traditions, LEGENDS delicately highlights how rituals support and guide communities in times of difficulty and exemplifies the importance of belief and faith in understanding personal connection.
It is a production that refuses to be pigeonholed. Whether you are drawn to its cultural depth, its chaotic energy, or its theatrical innovation, LEGENDS (of the Golden Arches) delivers on all fronts.