Dreams of Being a Madame, a dramedy written and produced by Qi Wang, and directed by Cameron Ablimit, is a two-hander about the choice between becoming a madame or an independent woman,
As the plot unfolds, it delves into their family backgrounds and upbringing, revealing how these factors have shaped their lives differently.
May (Joyce Lim), born in the UK with a Vietnamese mother, is the friend and counsellor to new migrant from China, Lairs (Li Xu), who follows an unconventional romantic path to fund her life in London while ‘taking every relationship seriously’.
In some addresses directly to the audience, May comments on her feelings about Lairs and her perceptions of true love. But she doesn’t judge when she is with her. She plays safe, cautious about relationships.
As Lairs consistently relies on an unseen, much older, boyfriend, who showers her with gifts and money but shows little interest in her as a person, the dynamic changes between the women.
May wishes for someone who can appreciate her but is tempted by the world painted by Lairs of the world of men who can financially bankroll her, with strings attached.
Both actors are extremely effective in their roles, and Li Xu in particular grasps the challenge of a mercenary woman who sees no other path to succeeding in the world. Finding a man, money, and material goods are of the most interest to her.
There’s a comic interlude in which May colludes with Lairs to catch out the boyfriend in a posh hotel. Although amusing, this also has a vein of tragedy in how these men with money show disrespect for the women they tempt into bed, however consensually.
A handful of scenes showing the backstories of both women gives an idea of how they were brought up and how they see the world, and the difference between the formative influences that shaped them. Both are, in a way, outcasts who see the older females in their life very differently.
This is a window into a challenging topic that is partly autobiographical. As Lairs says, “our paths are different, our choices are different’. . An uneasy balance. A distinctive kind of freedom.
Dreams of Being a Madame was shown at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. I am reviewing the digital version filmed at the Omnibus Theatre, London, with many thanks to Qi Wang.
***.5