I Sell Love Theatre Lab Studio Theatre, HK Cultural Centre Reviewed: Apr 24
Co-written by Harriet Chung and Judy Chu I Sell Love looks at compensated dating through the eyes of a schoolgirl.
Tiffany (Chu) thinks she knows it all. 'Opportunity cost means you have to make sacrifices, right?' says the materialistic teenager as she runs her fingers through her designer wardrobe. Those sacrifices are her body and self respect. But as the play progresses, Tiffany begins to realise there is more at stake, such as her physical, emotional and mental well-being. The costs of compensated dating are much higher than she had imagined.
Directed by Chan Cheuk-wai, I Sell Love paints a complex portrait of a young girl who struggles between her material desires and her growing awareness of what really matters to her: friendship, kindness and love. On the one hand, Tiffany relishes a false sense of empowerment through shopping - it is the act of being able to buy, rather than what she actually buys, that makes her crave more - on the other, she fears her addiction will get out of control and lead to self-destruction.
A string of sexually repressed and emotionally inept men she dates (all played by Matthew Cheng), a rent boy (Billy Sy, left, with Chu) and an ex-boyfriend (German Cheung) help her realise what she wants in life.
I Sell Love tries to make sense of compensated dating but is marred by a fragmented narrative. The stylised movement didn't add to the drama, although video images were effective in moving the story along. While the main character was well fleshed out by Chu, the play fails to address the circumstances that influence the way Tiffany thinks and behaves.