The Poison of Polygamy

La Boite Theatre launches its highly anticipated 2023 season with the stage debut of The Poison of Polygamy - a timeless tale of morality, murder, blackmail and betrayal - presented in-the-round from May 8-27, 2023.

The Poison of Polygamy is the page-to-stage adaptation of Wong Shee Ping’s trailblazing novella, translated by Ely Finch, regarded as Australia’s earliest Chinese-language novel, serialised in 1909-10.

Inspired by true accounts and events of that time, the pioneering tale sheds an illuminating insight into the Chinese-Australian experience that resonates with contemporary audiences.

The Poison of Polygamy puts a human face on the issue of migration, telling the story of Sleep-Sick, an opportunistic young man from Guangdong in southern China who sets sail for the Victorian goldfields to make his fortune.

The audience bears witness to Ma, the long-suffering wife he leaves behind, Tsiu Hei, the seductive and cunning temptation he encounters, the choices he makes and the consequences they reap.

Will Sleep-Sick keep his promise to Ma or are the temptations of wealth, beautiful women and opium too much to bear?

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