A Chinese Xmas
Writer: Trent Foo
Director: Monica Sayers
Kings Cross Theatre, Broadway
December 10–20, 2025

Kings Cross Theatre’s production of A Chinese Christmas hits all the right notes for this time of year, when families gather to reconnect and celebrate. It’s the opportunity to embrace loved ones, exchange news and remember those we have lost, and when you are part of a diaspora, there are layers of tradition to consider too. Trent Foo, as both writer and actor, has created a marvellous piece of theatre: warm, uplifting, deeply felt and sometimes funny.

It’s Christmas Eve and Heepa has been tasked with hosting the Christmas celebrations. He begins to reminisce on his life and finds himself yearning to connect with his grandmother, who had passed and raised him when he became an orphan. He resolves to summon her, his Paw Paw, from yōudū (the Chinese underworld) so she can advise him about his future. It is reminiscent of a Chinese-themed A Christmas Carol (with apologies to Dickens!).

The moody atmosphere is beautifully created by musician Jolin Jiang, as Lady Dai, costumed and masked in glittering splendour (Amy Lane), and playing a variety of Chinese instruments throughout.

Foo, as Heepa, has an energetic, engaging stage presence and handles what is almost a one-man show with panache. As he relates stories from his past and his Aussie present, he dwells on those experiences peculiar to cross-cultural identities, in his case recalling and communicating with ancestors at important life events. He manages to ‘summon’ his grandmother’s spirit (Tiang Lim), and she appears several times, sitting serenely and forming an interesting visual contrast to Heepa’s lively stage business.

First-time director Monica Sayers has done a fine job of orchestrating the three excellent performers at an audience-friendly pace, paying particular attention to the emotional shading between the characters and timelines. The dream-like quality of the narrative is further enhanced by the creative lighting (Cat Mai) and an inventive abstract soundscape (Cameron Smith).

FooFrame Productions in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre have produced a lovely piece of nostalgic festive theatre, warm, uplifting and satisfying. A most impressive debut for first-time playwright Trent Foo, and may there be many more.