Presented at the Etcetera Theatre as part of Camden Fringe, Chicken Dropping is a new play by Dongmeng Chen. The promotional material suggests this is an absurdist comedy, and that is how it begins, but slowly the situation becomes far more sinister and unpleasant.
Ming (Tristen ZiJuin), a teacher, and Yifei – “Wifey?” – (Clarissa Liaw), who works in finance, have been married for twelve years and live in a house with an ocean view. He likes the quiet life and routine; she is ambitious in her career. The only problem at the start is the neighbour’s noisy, battling chickens.
We never move from one room in the house, where matters become more surreal and then disturbingly brutal. The chickens grow louder, and the couple both become obsessive about the situation – Ming to regain his peace; Yifei to plot the collection of free eggs from the birds.
Director Zhaoyi Ying is completely on board with the oddness of the narrative, knowing where to find uneasy humour in the narrative as well as moments that disgust and shock. Set and lighting designer Shunsuke Imai has designed a table that slants alarmingly towards the audience, with cardboard egg boxes part of its leg construction.
Sound designer Aoi Mizuno gives the unseen chickens a sense of menace as we watch the couple’s relationship shift and shatter. Both ZiJuin and Liaw – who is a recent graduate – are completely convincing. As the story grew to its climax, I was certainly feeling a rising sense of injustice and a calm catharsis by the closing moments.
Whether the play is really about chickens at all, I will leave you to explore. Opportunity, control, greed, and exploitation thread through Chicken Dropping, which remains symbolic but powerful. I left thinking about this play and what people hide behind closed doors and in their kitchens.
I’m giving this 4 stars.
Chicken Dropping was part of this year’s Camden Fringe.