Name: THE QUIET BROTHER
SKU: ASC-1529
Availability: InStock

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THE QUIET BROTHER

$5.40 – $15.00

The Quiet Brother is an intimate portrayal of three generations of a Chinese family struggling with immigration and separation before, during and after the infamous Lambing Flats Riots of 1861.

In 1860, an ambitious Canton man Ah Lung, sets out to New South Wales with his son in search of gold and new opportunities. His loving wife Ah Toy and their young daughter await in Canton for word of the auspicious occasion when they can reunite. In 1880, Murrumburrah, NSW, a Chinese man Henry reveals his violent past to his 13-year-old nephew, James. He teaches him to be a fighter and instills in him a sense of Chinese pride. His sister Lily, on the other hand, believes the only way to survive on this land is to blend in and assimilate. But when Henry and Lily discover that James is struggling with their lifelong feud - over the values of the East and West, over notions of identity and pride - they are forced to confront their own demons and heartaches, and together, reconcile with the lost dreams of their late parents Ah Lung and Ah Toy.

Form/Style: historical drama
Length in minutes: 45
Cast: 6 total
Roles: 3 female identifying, 3 male identifying
Themes: history, culturally and linguistically diverse
Cast age groups: 12 to 16, 18+
Audience age: all ages
Publisher: Australian Script Centre

MONOLOGUES
GALLERY
LINKS & DOWNLOADS
PRODUCTION HISTORY

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Lily

Female | Unspecified | under 3 minutes
Starts on page 7

EXTRACT: It is hard being a Chinaman. There is no disguising. A Dutch woman marries an Englishman, no one complains. But white men are not so tolerant of us. That does not mean we do not try to fit in. We do the best we can to survive on this land James. Like your grandfather. He worked so hard. He was a fragile man your grandfather. He did not even know how to swim. Can you imagine how frightening it was for him to travel for miles and miles in a boat on the South China Sea?

REVIEW: THE QUIET BROTHER

DAVID KARY, SYDNEY ARTS GUIDE, 24 FEBRUARY 2012

"Mak's play started on the right note with a striking display of martial arts. She has come up with a moving work that documents a cross generational Chinese family resiliently survived the horror of the Lambing Flat Riots and were since able to settle here, have a successful business, make a happy family life, and become proud Chinese Australians."

REVIEW: THE QUIET BROTHER

LYNNE LANCASTER, ARTSHUB, 28 FEBRUARY 2012

"A thrilling, whirling martial arts display and traditional Chinese music are interwoven with the fabric of the play, which is written in English, but includes some Chinese words, phrases and calligraphy."

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