Highlights
- Shin-Fei Chen was drawn to Hotpot for its rare East Asian perspective and universal themes.
- The play follows four university friends reuniting more than 20 years later over a hotpot meal.
- Chen says food acts as a storytelling device that unlocks memories, emotions and long-buried truths.
- The actor hopes audiences leave with “a sense of connection” and greater understanding of one another.
For actor and writer Shin-Fei Chen, saying yes to Hotpot was easy.
The new play, written by Hongwei Bao and directed by Naman Che Lee, follows four university friends who reunite more than two decades after graduation, gathering around a hotpot meal as old memories, unresolved tensions and questions about identity resurface.
Chen was immediately drawn to a story that centres East Asian experiences while exploring themes that reach far beyond any one community.
“When the producers said this was a story about four friends coming together with East Asian perspectives, it was a no-brainer,” she said. “There are not as many of these stories in the UK yet, but they are so fresh and relevant. Although they come from specific cultural perspectives, everybody has feelings about family, social conformity and class.”
Playing Mae, a woman from an affluent background reflecting on the choices she has made, also struck a personal chord.
“I empathise with all the things that she felt she had to do,” Chen said. “Especially as women, there are so many considerations in life. I channelled a lot of women I’ve met who have had to make sacrifices or who chose another path.”
Food becomes the fifth character
At the centre of the play is the hotpot itself, which Chen sees as much more than a meal.
“If I ask somebody about their favourite childhood food or the food they share with friends, all these images come up,” she said. “Food is something everybody relates to.”
The restaurant setting creates a space where conversations unfold naturally, allowing audiences to recognise their own experiences in the characters’ interactions. Friends laugh, reminisce and gradually reveal truths that have remained buried for years.
“It's an excuse to gather together,” Chen said. “Through the gathering, you realise first you have laughs and then other things may come out.”
She believes meals hold a special place in people's lives because they are tied to memory, family and community. During rehearsals, director Naman Che Lee encouraged the cast to think of each character as an ingredient in the hotpot.
“Some are beef or pork, some are tofu or vegetables,” she explained. “It's a fun analogy, but it also makes you think about the role each person plays in the group and how they change.”
The communal nature of hotpot also reflects wider social dynamics.
“Some people are doing the serving, some people are doing the ordering and some people are just being quiet,” she said. “Even who pays the bill can become a form of social commentary.”
A reunion shaped by life and the pandemic
The play examines how people evolve between youth and adulthood, while also reflecting on the lasting effects of Covid-19.
“People change a lot,” Chen said. “You have all the hopes and dreams and aspirations of the world when you're younger, but society changes you, family changes you and you may change yourself.”
The pandemic becomes an important backdrop for the reunion, prompting the characters to reflect on their lives and relationships.
“We all relate to it very differently,” she said. “When these friends come back together, they reflect on how much they’ve changed, and some of them realise they’ve changed more than they thought.”
For Chen, the story captures something many people experienced after lockdown.
“After you're cooped up for such a long time and you finally see your friends, you don't know how to function,” she said. “But it would be lovely to say everything that's in your heart to the people in front of you.”
Why belonging is at the heart of the story
One of the strongest themes running through Hotpot is belonging. Chen said the subject resonates with her own experiences of immigration, language and cultural identity.
“I know what it feels like to be bilingual. I know what it feels like to immigrate. I know what it feels like to be in a different country,” she said.
Yet she believes the play speaks to anyone who has ever felt excluded.
“This is also a queer love story. It’s about friendship and finding your place,” she said. “Everybody feels like an outsider sometimes.”
Chen argues that theatre can create understanding at a time when people often seem divided.
“It is important to have representations of different stories on stage so we can understand where people are coming from and the struggles they're going through,” she said. “Maybe we can be just a bit more kind to each other.”
More than one East Asian story
Having worked in the industry for more than a decade, Chen has seen East Asian representation improve but believes there is still more work to do.
“When I first began, the roles were few and far between,” she said, recalling a period when opportunities were often limited by stereotypes.
The success of films such as Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once has opened doors, but Chen hopes audiences continue to embrace a wider range of experiences.
“Now everybody thinks every Asian is a crazy rich Asian, and that is not true,” she said. “There are working-class stories, different ambitions and different struggles.”
The same themes have influenced her own creative work, including an Oscar-qualifying short film inspired by her mother's immigration journey.
“Everything I do is because of my mum,” she said. “The sacrifices she made and the way she managed to create opportunities for her children influenced me enormously.”
Ultimately, Chen hopes audiences leave Hotpot with a renewed appreciation for connection.
“I hope people take away a sense of connection,” she said. “Maybe they reflect on their friendships. Maybe they reflect on the hopes and dreams they once had. I hope they leave feeling connected.”
For a play built around a shared meal, that may be the most important thing on the menu.
