Don't Call Me China Doll

All Chinese people do kung fu, right?As she prepares for the audition of a lifetime—playing Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first East Asian starlet—China Doll must confront and untangle the ingénue’s legacy as she discovers astonishing parallels between them.

Disdainful of Anna for perpetuating the stereotypes she still fights to overcome, China Doll wakes up to find herself magically transported to the 1930s in the body of the revered and reviled starlet. Over the course of several nights, she discovers profound similarities in the ways they navigate love, life, and identity as East Asian actors in the west.

‘Don’t Call Me China Doll’ is a one-woman show that explores the intricacies of internalised racism and self-worth. A compelling exploration of identity, discrimination, and progress, it prompts audiences to reflect on how and why East Asian artists still face the same barriers as they did a century ago. Raw, honest, and fearless, Diana Feng deftly manages heavy themes with surprising levity and a large dose of self-deprecating humour.

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Soon to receive a PhD in Culturally Specific Performance Practice and British East and Southeast Asian Representation, Feng is at the forefront of challenging the cultural narratives that shape our understanding of representation.

Don't Call Me China Doll is on at the Edinburgh FringeDon't Call Me China Doll is on at the Edinburgh Fringe
Don't Call Me China Doll is on at the Edinburgh Fringe
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