Critics disappointed by tale of women in communist China

Kiln Theatre

Amy Ng‘s new play, directed by Katie Posner, tells the story of two Chinese women, one of whom became the wife of Chairman Mao, the other a leading theatre director. The critics found it underpowered and confusing. The reviews expressed disappointment rather than venom but were still some of the worst reviews of the year.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Julia Rank at LondonTheatre felt ‘If it doesn’t fully come to life, it does provide a window into a terrifying period of history where friendships counted for very little in the pursuit of power.’ For WhatsOnStage‘s Sarah Crompton, ‘It feels too rushed, reducing the scenes between the two women to melodramatic statements of intent and great gobbets of plot.’ The Standard‘s Nick Curtis was forgiving: ‘though it’s not a great piece of drama it tells a great story briskly and efficiently.’

Loretta Monaco at LondonTheatre1 damned with faint praise: ‘While Shanghai Dolls is worth seeing, and it nudges us to learn more about Jiang Qing, Sun Weishi, and their influence on today’s modern China, the answer may be in a restructured version, if not, its enormous power will remain unleashed.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar found it confusing: ‘It is not always immediately clear what has happened, how it has affected them or who they have become.’ She found that ‘In the early scenes especially, they seem like mouthpieces for their political positions and this hampers emotion or intimacy from building.’ Clive Davis in The Times called it ‘didactic and oddly confusing’. Helen Hawkins at TheArtsDesk noted, ‘it’s a dense subject requiring much more granular scrutiny if we are to understand these characters, let alone engage with them.’

Ella Duggan for The Independent was disappointed: ‘The source material here is undeniably compelling – a cautionary tale of resentment and repression. But this production falters in its execution, opting for a melodramatic, borderline cheesy tone that undercuts its own message.’ Over at BroadwayWorld, Franco Milazzo found it ‘hard work to grasp the nuances of the bigger picture as we move along.’

The Stage‘s Sam Marlowe was damning: ‘this is clumsy, flimsy work that not only doesn’t deliver as drama, but fails to come anywhere close to doing justice to history.’

Critics’ Average Rating 2.4★

Shanghai Dolls can be seen at the Kiln Theatre until 10 May 2025. Click here for tickets direct from the theatre. 

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