The upcoming production of Bang On The Nerve: A Modern Asian -Australian Adaptation sounds extremely interesting. Based on the play written by powerhouse writer Van Badham, this adaptation is directed by local Adelaide talent Valerie Berry.

This awesome production stars Adelaidians ( and Asian Australians who are movers and shakers) – Sam Lau (Cold Hands, Does It Please You?) and Danielle Lim (Caught In Between ), who play characters Louis and Elle whose ordinary evening takes a provocative turn as they delve into the raw, unfiltered issues of love, lust, and the double standards of dating today. 

What sounds most interesting about this is that the production challenges cultural expectations and invites audiences into an intimate, relatable look at how relationships can be navigated. It was this challenging of cultural expectations which became a topic of discussion in a recent interview with both Lau and Lim.

For Lau, it is all about changing negative narratives that stereotypes Asians because the Asian Australian community is not a homogenous group.

“Challenging cultural expectations is important. We need to have this conversation and it is so much more expressive if we do so in a creative way. On Bang On The Nerve we are able to show all facets of being Asian Australian”, Lau stated.

“I think this production also demonstrates that we are more than just our culture. Often we get stereotyped into a box or a category, and that really needs to stop”.

Lim echoed similar sentiments to Lau, and added the point that Asian Australians are no different to the majority of Australians – who just want to live their regular lives.

“As Asian Australians, we are not the same and we are really just regular people – doing regular things and engaging in regular activities. We don’t need to put Asian Australians on a pedestal – because like everyone else we are messy, flawed, happy, sad and angry. This is what we want to show and both Louis and Elle have many problems to confront – they are a complete mess”.

Bang On The Nerve: A Modern Asian-Australian Adaptation, will be playing at the Goodwood Theatre and Studios in Adelaide from 4th -8th December.

For such an intense storyline and performance, lots of preparation work must be done for both Lau and Lim – especially when they both need to create and develop chemistry to play such complex characters on stage.

“I do not know if I would call it intense, as I love and have loved every part of this process. We do warm ups and we have so many laughs in between and occasionally our production designer will come in and bring a few set pieces and costumes, so we can take a look at the aesthetic. At every step during our rehearsals we get to directly work with the crew behind the scenes – and that is the beauty of producing and acting for independent theatre”, Lim discussed.

Lau touched on more the processes of rehearsals, and what is done before and after each rehearsal thus far.

“We start off as a group. We warm up, practice some physical vocals and get ready for our busy day ahead. Then we work on different scenes, go through our script and break down the play into different beats. We sometimes also just work on specific moments of the play and we tweak and work with our director Valerie Berry, trying to always improve and elevate our performances”, Lau mentioned.

Finally, what is the state of representation and visibility in theatre for Asian Australians working in this area in South Australia – and does it reflect the changes and improvements in representation seen in the larger cities of Sydney and Melbourne?

Lau sees huge strides in South Australia and mentioned that the community is more united, but there is still so much more to be done.

“I have seen improvements and that is a testament to all the artist labs that gather Asian Australian artists and creatives together in South Australia. This is such an incredible opportunity for all of us creatives and artists to get together and bond. It was really this type of artist lab which created collaborations like ours and also allowed us to be ourselves and create a community”, stated Lau.

Lim mentioned that he wished these type of gatherings was something he wished existed when he was younger and starting out.

“Getting together is a great way to create work and meet with amazing artists. It is important that Asian Australians feel community. This was something I didn’t find when I was in drama school, and I was the only person of colour there. This is why creating this community of Asian Australian artists is so important. It is just so refreshing to be in a room with people who look like us and who did the same thing we did. It is an extremely revolutionary moment for us to have this community”.

If you are in Adelaide and interested in purchasing tickets for Bang On The Nerve: A Modern Asian -Australian Adaptation – please click here or go to https://events.humanitix.com/bang-on-the-nerve-a-modern-asian-australian-adaptation .

Images provided.