The story of Chang and Eng Bunker is one of enduring curiosity: two Siamese immigrant twins, conjoined by a band of cartilage and a shared liver, fascinated audiences across the US and achieved an unorthodox version of the American Dream.
But on January 17th, 1874, Eng woke up to discover his conjoined twin brother was dead, before passing away himself a few hours later. The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker, directed by Iskandar R. Sharazuddin, depicts Eng’s final solitary hours through puppetry, music, and striptease.
Across an enchanting 60 minutes, writer and performer Tobi Poster-Su is at one with his puppets, bringing each figure — no matter how big or small — to life with a thrumming heartbeat.
From the smallest tea bag to the largest human-like puppet, Poster-Su takes an extraordinarily creative approach to embodying the aching sorrow Eng feels for his deceased brother.
Rather than telling a linear story, the performer interprets (and reinterprets) the key tableaus from the brothers’ lives, illuminating every nuance within this complex tale about assimilation, loneliness, and survival. Certain emotional beats are revisited more frequently than others, but Poster-Su gives them a new twist each time, whether that’s through his choice of puppet or a jaunty tune.
Erin Guan’s imposing set design is decked out with hanging puppet body parts and an eerily clinical metal table. Paired with a searing sound design by AJ Turner and Cheng Keng’s arresting lighting, the audience gets to dive head-first into this unique gothic horror.
Poster-Su’s captivation with the story of Eng and Chang Bunker is infectious, and every song and dance sheds new light on the distinctive relationship between their brothers, and their position in a world that was never designed to enable their prosperity.
Gory, morbidly witty, and hauntingly compelling, The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker is a captivating confrontation of identity, the immigrant experience, and loss, steered by a remarkably skilled puppeteer. https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/the-lonesome-death-of-eng-bunker-2/
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 18th September 2024
North West End UK Rating: