Macau Fringe Festival presents Anni Ha

Hello readers in Macau!

May I quickly draw your attention to an event about to take place in your area? The Macau Fringe Festival takes place at various locations throughout the city during the month of November. You can see the full line-up here. But what I really want to draw your attention to is one particular act, called The Other Ex-Pat. This is a one woman show put on by the incredibly talented Aussie actress Anni Ha.

Anni, like myself, is living abroad because of her husband's job. They were newlyweds when they moved to Macau, and Anni has really dug into the expat community. One story she heard over and over again was that of the accompanying spouse and the search for an identity in this role. Many accompanying spouses have left full-fledged careers behind, putting their partner's trajectory above their own, resulting in a transitional period of figuring out just who they are in a new country, with new friends, new expectations, and new challenges. This story, heard over and over again, coupled with Anni's own experience, was the inspiration for writing The Other Ex-Pat.

From the website description:

Leah is an engineer, or at least she was until her husband’s work moved them to Macau and she couldn’t find a job. As time went on every label –engineer, career woman, social butterfly – was stripped away and the question “who am I?” became unavoidable. With no external labels to define her, she had to look beyond the labels and begin to know the person underneath. Now, after he is unexpectedly dismissed and they are forced to move again, she sorts through the mess of packing to try to define the woman she has become through the lessons learnt in Macau and to somehow bring that real person into the new journey.

 

There are two performances, Friday November 16th and Wednesday November 21st, both at 7:30 PM at the The Oriental Club, 568 Avenida Olimpica, Edf Ind. Va Nam, 2/F, Taipa (a block over from Cuppa Coffee). For tickets and information, please go to the website here.

 

I'm personally very sad that we won't be in Macau ourselves to see it. However, we may be the luckiest people in the world as Anni and her husband Luke are actually coming to stay with us in Shanghai this week, and Anni has promised us a sneak peak from the comfort of our very own living room! Don't be jealous! But if you are in Macau the week of the 16th, do go support Anni and accompanying spouses the world over!