In 1991, Mark Leiren-Young’s radio play Dim Sum Diaries presented a look into the Chinese diaspora in Canada through five linked monologues ruminating on recent immigration from Hong Kong to Vancouver.

Now, 30-something years later, Fabulist Theatre is working on a thematic follow-up. Dim Sum Diaries Second Helping takes the name and inspiration of the radio play, but centres all-new topics and perspectives when it takes to The Nest on Granville Island later this month. 

The play “addresses not only modern sensibilities but also past issues, and speaks on the disappearance of Chinatown and connection to culture,” says Fabulist Theatre co-artistic director Damon Bradley Jang in a release. 

Written by a team of creatives (Kevin Chong, Aaron Jan, Dale Lee Kwong, Mark Leiren-Young, Yvette Lu, Minh Ly, Louisa Phung Suk Yee, and Kenneth Tynan), the monologues mix real-life interviews and personal experiences. 

Through five performances by Aurora Chan, Howie Kwan, Mikayla Kwan, Jane Loy, and Kyle Toy, the play tells deeply moving, sometimes hilarious tales of the Chinese-Canadian diaspora. Whether that’s the intricacies of being Asian and queer, the rise of anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic, or being adopted by a non-Asian family, the specificities of the stories hit on universal themes of identity, belonging, and home. 

The planned run at The Nest is a world premiere workshop, so keep your eyes peeled for further productions in the future. But if you want to get into cutting-edge art at the ground level, it’s here.

Dim Sum Diaries Second Helping 

When: March 27 to 30

Where: The Nest (1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver)

Admission: From $18, available here