Inspired by the Chinese epic Dream of the Red Chamber, this new musical—with book and direction by Sheldon Long—is a diminutive adaptation with much to recommend it but little to actually say. This iteration of the script, which is still under development, runs under an hour and feels more like a presentation of vignettes for audiences already familiar with the source material than a fully realized adaptation in its own right.
Mounted by East Meets West Theatre in the iconic Phoenix Arts Club; this production was unfortunately riddled with technical difficulties that interrupted its flow and obfuscated its already difficult-to-follow plot. It tells the story of sisters You Er (Yiting Jian) and You San (Yiqian Shao), although this fact is not revealed until almost halfway through its short runtime. The various songs, although individually engaging, are haphazardly strung together with little concern for communicating continuity.
Both performers are skilled and possess confidence not entirely evenly distributed among the cast as a whole. Jian particularly shines as the resplendent You Er and performs with a commanding grace. Similarly, Michelle Yim’s Lady Wang, the play’s terrific villain, approaches the role with a ferocity that is delicious to witness, particularly in her performance alongside Lois Lau’s lusty and capricious Ping Er.
Yiyun Li’s choreography serves each of these able performers well but is not able to cover all of the musical’s narrative gaps. Similarly, Nurul Wardani and Sammy Kissin’s lighting design and Yixuan Qiu’s costumes and makeup are genuinely mesmerizing, but the effect is more kaleidoscopic than coherent. Props by Janne Legaspi and a set by Seoeun Hong and Sheldon Long are likewise arresting more than immersive.
This is a play with tremendous potential, still too mired in technical development to truly sing.
Caged Sisters Musical runs until 24th August at The Phoenix Arts Club with tickets available at https://phoenixartsclub.com/
Reviewer: Kira Daniels
Reviewed: 22nd August 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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