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drillvoice's review
4.0
I had already seen the play in Sydney and I enjoyed reading the screenplay itself. I think it was less powerful than the stage performance but reminded me of all the complexity and depth of the production. It is a great play with interesting questions and characters.
lampe's review
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fantasyreader223's review
1.0
I had to read this for a theatre class and I must say I was disappointed. I felt like Kirkwood tried to bring attention to the Western world's misconception of what Tank Man meant to the Chinese people but she then proceeded to become obsessed with the "tank man" ie the person driving the tank. She then calls him a hero and basically criticizes the rest of us who don't see him as one. She had the ability to present a better message than this. She could have talked about the misconception of democracy and what the Tiananmen protests were about the Chinese people because there is a clear misconception (by Americans specifically) that the people of the 1989 protests were fighting for free speech (which was part of it) but people were also protesting against the poor economy and the decisions the government had made that had led to it. People were also protesting because they wanted ways to participate in politics but not necessarily because they hated the Party. And I think that is a big misconception with this book. I think when a lot of Chinese people (international students I have talked to at school) believe that China is on the rise now because of the Party's decisions. The Chinese (especially the younger generation) have acknowledged the censorship and control by the government within China but they also believe that without the Party's rule, they would not be where they are today, which for many Chinese, is better than before. I don't personally agree with some of these beliefs but I do understand where people are coming from. I think that is the thing this book/play misrepresents is that exact concept. I don't deny that there are political activists in China who are silenced by the Party, but this book doesn't represent the feelings of the current Chinese population. Or so I believe.
eggyanna's review
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
catdad77a45's review against another edition
5.0
One has to be some kind of mad genius to spend 6 years writing a 5 act/38 scene, 3+ hours long play requiring a cast of 20 (a half dozen who must be fluent in Mandarin Chinese) and multiple sets, centering on the Tiananmen Square massacre, no less. But this amazing, AMAZING work has justifiably been awarded three major awards so far (the Susan Smith Blackburn, the Evening Standard and London Critic's Circle). Hopefully this attention will catapult the 29 year old Kirkwood into the theatrical stratosphere where she belongs.
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