Lorna Irvine reviews the Oran Mor and NTS co-production.
The last of Oran Mor's Chinese play collaborations with the National Theatre Of Scotland, the Confucius Institute for Scotland and this time, the University Of Edinburgh, Fox Attack is a tale of family secrets and the way ambition can corrupt.
Xu Nuo's play, adapted by Catherine Grosvenor and directed by Amanda Gaughan, has a magical realism motif, following in the long tradition of Chinese ghost stories. Tiger mom Su Jin wants her son Yi Su to be the next Lang Lang, but to her horror he is hiding a terrible secret which could not only destroy his career as a concert pianist but the entire family itself. Su Jin, abrasive yet vulnerable, sees an apparition of a fox in her home, which may or may not represent a symbol of her own unfulfilled desire for a daughter. Her almost obsessive need for perfection has spawned a monster in her son, rebellious and vain, who has taken to extremes to fulfill his potential.
Rich with portentous imagery and superstition (foxes are considered unlucky in Chinese culture), this is a play with great promise, attractively staged. Tina Chiang as the overbearing Su Jin and Chris Lew Kum Hoi's Yi Su are fine, bickering in a way that suggests they have experienced similar familiar battles, but the play suffers through a simple lack of space, never quite achieving the poignancy and shock it should.
However, the moment Suni La's ethereal Fox pops up through the sofa is beautifully choreographed, eliciting delighted little gasps from all.
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