An ancient Chinese fable is reimagined to chronicle a young woman’s grapple with bipolar disorder in this impressive one-woman show.
The Death of Hundun follows an unnamed female protagonist, writhing around among a starkly white set and struggling to reconcile with her volatile emotions, in a neat reworking of an ancient fable about a primal creature who is slowly exposed to the reality and horrors of the world.
In this reimagining, the work explores the protagonist’s struggle and desperation for help and acceptance with her boyfriend, her workplace and her family, with the hour-long piece neatly divided into three as each personal battle commences. Each story moulds into the next with reasonable ease, in a piece delivered exclusively in Mandarin that relies on surtitles, with success, to thread the work into a cohesive piece.
What is clear, though, regardless of the language barrier, is the stark pain and anguish felt by the protagonist, stunningly portrayed by a lithe Wandi Liu whose exceptional physicality is captivating, using her physical performance to rapidly switch from the protagonist’s brief highs to her desperate lows; a terrific capturing of the character’s bipolar struggle. Where some of the script’s translation into English does not quite land, sometimes resulting in awkward metaphors, the physicality of Liu’s work is clear and sharp, masterfully delivering a presentation of a woman at her limits.
It is an intriguing idea to look at three aspects of the protagonist’s life, and how those who fail her ultimately doom her to a lonely fate. The interrogation of a fractured relationship with her mother is particularly interesting, though the exploration of office politics when focusing on her workplace needs a little sharpening. That said, it is a remarkable success in conveying the raw breakdown of one woman, isolated by intolerant views and social stigma, and a painful reminder of how an individual’s mental health can both gradually and with volatility destroy a person.
The Death of Hundun maturely builds to a poignant and deft finale, where it is impossible not to be moved by the protagonist’s plight. Liu proves a superb solo performer here who is impossible to take your eyes off.
