THE BRIDAL LAMENT 哭嫁歌
A sumptuous audio-visual experience and song cycle by award-winning vocalist, producer and multi-disciplinary artist Rainbow Chan 陳雋然.
Drawing on her 圍頭 Weitou/Waitau ancestry (first settlers of Hong Kong), Chan reimagines a Weitou ritual known as the bridal lament, a public performance of grief in which a bride wept and sang in front of family and friends. In this liminal space, brides expressed bitterness towards their arranged marriages and the prevailing patriarchal rule.
Conceived and structured as a song cycle, The Bridal Lament brings to life intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives on diasporic experiences and the complex history of Hong Kong. With a new suite of songs by Chan and direction from Contemporary Asian Australian Performance’s Artistic Director Tessa Leong, this lush and lavish work pays homage to ritual in a vibrant and dynamic world of projection, movement and colour.
Rainbow Chan’s music and shows have been hailed as ‘genre-bending art pop’ (NME) and ‘bewitchingly elfin in the exactly the same way that those words have been used to describe Björk.’ (The Music). The Bridal Lament, her debut solo theatre work, shares its name with her forthcoming album.
“The Bridal Lament is a rich and layered third-culture meditation on ritual, heritage and loss.”
The Age
“★★★★ 1/2…a thoroughly engrossing piece of theatre.”
What Did She See
”An ambitious work infused with vulnerability, grief and empowerment.”
Arts Hub
Credits
Lead Artist & Performer Rainbow Chan 陳雋然
Director Tessa Leong
Choreographic Consultants Amrita Hepi & Victoria Hunt
Video Design Rel Pham
Set Design Al Joel & Emily Borghi
Costume Design Al Joel
Lighting Concept Govin Ruben
Lighting Realisers Susie Henderson & Sam Read
Cultural Consultant & Narrator Irene Cheung 張翠屏
Video Programmer Daniel Herten
Produced by Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.
Acknowledgements
Co-commissioned by Performance Space as part of Liveworks Festival 2023 and OzAsia Festival 2023, with commissioning support from Carriageworks and the City of Melbourne through Arts House. Supported by George Paramananthan and ParamCo.
"The Bridal Lament" Arts House, Photo: Sarah Walker
"The Bridal Lament" Adelaide Festival Centre, Photo: Sia Duff
"The Bridal Lament" Adelaide Festival Centre, Photo: Sia Duff
"The Bridal Lament" Adelaide Festival Centre, Photo: Sia Duff
"The Bridal Lament" Adelaide Festival Centre, Photo: Sia Duff
"The Bridal Lament" Arts House, Photo: Sarah Walker
