REVIEW: Visa, Drama and Other Disasters: A Work Still Finding Its Shape

© Visa, Drama and Other Disasters

Visa, Drama and Other Disasters, written and directed by Zishen Gao, uses a flock of migratory birds to explore migration, belonging, and systems of control. It is an ambitious idea, and at times, you can see the piece it is trying to become.

The strongest part of the work is its movement. The choreography, shaped by Kuba Pawełczak, is thoughtfully structured, and the use of flocking, compression, and shifting formations makes the idea of migration immediately legible across the performer. When the group moves together, the tension is clear: bodies adjusting, correcting, trying to fit into a system. These moments do more work than the text in communicating the central idea. The visual design supports this without overcomplicating it. The lighting by Mengyun Liu is simple and functional, and the costume design by Yizhuo Zhao, especially the structured silhouettes, creates a sense of fragility and constraint. These choices feel appropriate to the concept, even if they are not pushed very far.

Where the piece feels a bit of struggle is in the writing. The script introduces a lot of ideas, but often skips the process of showing how those ideas unfold. We are told about changing policies, increasing thresholds, and pressure from the system, but we rarely see how these pressures actually play out in detail. As a result, the audience is asked to fill in too much on their own. This becomes a problem when the work draws on specific references, such as visa policies or financial requirements. For anyone not already familiar with this context, it can be difficult to fully understand what is at stake. Instead of building clarity, the piece sometimes creates distance.

There is also a lack of clear character definition. While the performers take on distinct roles within the system, such as investor-writer, director, actor, runner, and designer, their individual perspectives are not strongly developed. This makes it harder to stay emotionally connected, even when the themes are relevant.

Performance-wise, there are still signs that the work is not fully settled. There are moments where lines are dropped or delivered with hesitation, and the rhythm of the piece breaks. Some transitions feel unfinished, as if the structure between sections has not yet been fully worked through. This affects the overall flow and makes the piece feel less cohesive than it could be.

The work seems to position itself as a kind of satirical or allegorical system piece, but this is not always clear in the execution. The tone shifts, and the audience is not always guided on how to read it. That said, there is potential here. There are moments where the writing becomes sharp, especially when bureaucratic language starts to overlap with personal experience. These sections hint at a clearer direction, where the piece could become more precise in what it wants to say and how it says it.

At the moment, Visa, Drama and Other Disasters feels like a work that needs further development, particularly in its dramaturgy and direction. The core idea is strong, but the way it is communicated is not yet clear enough. It is a piece that would benefit from taking a step back and asking: what exactly needs to be understood, and what needs to be shown for that to land.

★★★

For more information about Visa, Drama and Other Disasters, please visit: https://cptheatre.co.uk/whatson/Visa-Drama-and-Other-Disasters

Credits

Creatives
Producer / Writer / Director: Zishen (Cindy) Gao
Co-director: Kuba Pawełczak
Assistant Director: Elaine Li Quan
Assistant Creative Producers: Xiaoran Yan, Zixuan (Alina) Zhou
Interpreter: Cheng (Alice) Qian
Poster Designer: Yunzhi Wang
Poster Font: Ranni Chen
Set Designer: Ruomeng Li
Lighting Designer: Mengyun (Melody) Liu
Sound Designer: Zhuoer Zhou
Props & Costume Designer: Yizhuo (Eizo) Zhao
Stage Manager : Yinuo (Noah) Yang
Dramaturg: Cassia Thompson

Cast
Investor – Writer: Zixuan (Alina) Zhou
Director: Man Yun Ku
Actor: Clarissa Liaw
Runner: Hangming (Rowan) Zhang
Designer: Elaine Li Quan