REVIEW: Open Source Intelligence and Counterinsurgency for the Jobbing Hater - An Unflinching, Fragmented Dive into Identity and Rage

© Gehana Ye

Staged as part of a limited run at Space Theatre London, Open Source Intelligence and Counterinsurgency for the Jobbing Hater is as provocative as its title suggests — and perhaps even more surprising in its emotional resonance. Written by and starring Gawa Leung, and directed by Tess Adèle Glinert, this is a work that drills deep into the psyche of an angry woman, a “typecast” East Asian actor, and a human being shaped by cultural and personal traumas too expansive to reduce. It does so with biting humour, sharp introspection, and disarming vulnerability.

At its core is Lili, portrayed by Leung herself — a Chinese actor in the UK obsessively monitoring another East Asian performer, Eve (played with impressive control and layered subtlety by Lorraine Yu). Their imagined rivalry is fuelled by industry expectations, internalised racism, and unresolved personal grief. But Leung’s script resists oversimplifying Lili’s pain. Instead, it presents an emotionally fragmented and often absurd survival story that reflects the messiness of real life.

The tension spills into Lili’s relationship with her boyfriend Sam (Lavan Jeyarupalingam, who brings warmth and comic timing), pushing her into a series of attempts at self-improvement — from NHS mental health consultations to Muay Thai and breathing workshops. Through it all, we watch her grapple not just with others, but with her own shifting identities.

A single battered sofa dominates the stage (set and lighting by Zidi Wu), its faded upholstery anchoring a domestic space that holds both affection and unease. Minimalist set elements — two cube blocks and two doors — transform fluidly between scenes, standing in as rooms, thresholds, or metaphors. This economy of design highlights the play’s thematic focus: what’s visible, what’s hidden, and what cannot be easily named.

Director Tess Adèle Glinert’s framing gives the narrative its emotional scaffolding, with four puppetry scenes involving soft bunny toys recurring like memory fragments. These quiet vignettes trace Lili’s childhood and strained parental relationships. Through delicate visual storytelling, these moments capture fear, alienation, and the ache of belonging with more power than direct exposition could.

This choice — to turn to metaphor rather than monologue — is one of the play’s strengths. Rather than explicitly explaining trauma, it allows the audience to feel its complexity. The use of puppetry creates emotional space while paradoxically bringing the audience closer. Sound design by Morik Liang and music by Filippo Galli gently support these transitions, evoking Lili’s emotional interior with subtle precision.

Leung’s performance is fearless. She does not seek the audience’s approval. She sits comfortably in discomfort — her own and ours — revealing a character marked by contradiction, frustration, and a fierce desire for clarity in a world that refuses to offer it. The emotional restraint, especially in scenes of shutdown rather than breakdown, feels deeply honest.

Despite its weight, the play is laced with dark humour and wry observations. It understands that laughter is often a survival strategy, and this emotional layering gives the piece both intimacy and scope.

A line near the end captures its heart: “I don’t know how it’s all connected, but I think it has something to do with why I am the way I am.” This is not a play that seeks neat resolutions. There is no redemption arc or forced catharsis. Instead, it leans into ambiguity — the gaps, silences, and knots that shape who we are.

Open Source Intelligence and Counterinsurgency for the Jobbing Hater is a bold and moving debut, rich in feeling and political urgency. It invites audiences not to fix the story, but to sit with its questions — and in doing so, offers something rare and vital in contemporary theatre.

For more information, please visit: https://space.org.uk/event/open-source/

★★★★

© Gehana Ye

Cast & Creative Team

Director: Tess Adèle Glinert
Cast: Gawa Leung, Lorraine Yu, Lavan Jeyarupalingam
Voice Over: Tyrone C Miller
Set/lighting designer: Zidi Wu
Sound designer: Morik Liang
Assistant set designer: Ruolin Lei
Composer: Filippo Galli
Stage manager: Marina Hata
Artist Wellness Practitioner: Tricia Gannon (The Artist Wellness Company)