CATLab presents
From Old Bean Grows Bak Choy
A Solo Performance about Tracing Roots and Finding Home
(performed in English)
Experience a heartfelt, personal story of migration and self-discovery as Yuk-Lan Chan brings to life From Old Bean Grows Bak Choy. Set between Hong Kong and the UK, this intimate solo performance shares Chan’s experiences of the struggles and discoveries that come with starting anew.
Leaving behind the politically charged landscape of Hong Kong, Chan navigates life in Britain, all while grappling with the legacy of her late father, Old Bean, whose presence lingers in memory and tradition. (Old Bean, 老豆, is an affectionate term HongKongers use for their fathers.) With evocative storytelling, Chan weaves together narratives of displacement, adaptation and the small moments that shape our sense of identity and belonging.
Whether you have lived the immigrant journey or are simply drawn to stories of resilience and identity, this performance invites you into a world of reflection, connections and the search for the meaning of home.
Where Can I See this Show?
This show has toured—and will continue to tour—an exciting range of cities including Tainan, Taipei, Manchester, Vancouver, Castleford, Northampton, Sutton... and counting.
Visit my Recent News page to see what's coming up and revisit highlights from past shows.
Go to News Page
Photo by Chun-Hung Yip
About the performer
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yuk-Lan Chan now lives in the UK where she founded Chan’s Applied Theatre Lab. She takes up a wide range of practice as stage actor, Theatre-in-Education director and actor-teacher, Youth Theatre director, workshop facilitator, course planner, teacher educator, writer and researcher. She performs in a range of theatre genres including interactive Theatre-in-Education, physical theatre, solo performance and musical. Her productions have toured to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, community venues across Scotland, Beijing Capital Theatre and theatre venues in Macau. Her PhD thesis is about the actor-teacher’s approach to acting in interactive Theatre-in-Education works.
Support the Journey of this Production
This play shares a Hong Kong immigrant’s story, aiming to foster meaningful dialogue and understanding across diverse communities about migration, identity and belonging. My hope is to take this production as far as possible, reaching audiences who may connect with these themes from different backgrounds. You can support this journey by:
🗯️telling me about venues I should tour—UK or abroad! (email: [email protected])
💖making a donation to help cover travel & admin expenses
Every bit of support helps keep this important conversation alive.
