Rice visits Bath’s Ustinov Studio as thought-provoking play tours the UK for the first time

The premiere UK touring production of Rice, a powerful and fast-paced drama by award-winning writer Michele Lee, visits Bath’s Ustinov Studio from Thursday 24^th to Saturday 26^th March.

Angela Yeoh and Anya Jaya-Murphy star in the lead roles as Yvette, an older Chinese migrant cleaner, and Nisha, a young hotshot Indian executive, as well as playing a multitude of additional characters. Presented by Actors Touring Company (ATC) and Orange Tree Theatre, in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth, Rice is directed by ATC’s Artistic Director, Matthew Xia.

Brimming with wickedly humorous observations on gender, globalisation, family and friendship, Michele Lee’s hit drama has won numerous awards including the Australian Writers’ Guild Award for Best Original Stage Play. Rice visits Bath as the play tours the UK for the first time visiting nine theatres.

Nisha (played by Anya Jaya-Murphy) is a young executive working for Golden Fields, Australia’s largest producer of rice. Ambitious and headstrong, she’s determined to become the first female Indian CEO in Australia. She’s close to sealing a contract with the Indian government - a secret deal worth billions, which would see her company take over India’s national rice distribution system.

Working late nights in the office she encounters Yvette (played by Angela Yeoh), a cleaner, who tidies up her mess. Yvette has her own entrepreneurial ambitions, but her daughter faces court after participating in a protest against the unethical practices of a national supermarket chain. The two form a powerful – if unlikely – bond as they navigate the complexities of their lives and the world at large.

Playwright Michele Lee is a Hmong-Australian writer who tells stories through theatre, live art, audio and on screen. Her work explores otherness, Asian identity and found families, usually through contemporary narratives that privilege the experiences of women and people of colour. 

Michele Lee said: “I’ve always wanted to centre a story around two strong female actors of colour and that was my starting point. In this play their characters traverse a range of identities and jump between and transform across many different roles. I feel exhilarated that this drama is being staged on opposite sides of the world and hope it’s universal themes around gender, ambition and friendship will resonate with audiences in the UK.”

Angela Yeoh worked as an international reporter for the Wall Street Journal, BBC World Service, and ABC, before becoming an actor. She now performs across film, television and theatre after training at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France and studying the Meisner technique in London. Her recent screen credits include the films The Batman and All The Old Knives, and The Baby (HBO/Sky), Buffering (ITV) and Ghosts (BBC) on television. Anya Jaya Murphy graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2020.  Her theatre credits include Amsterdam for Actors Touring Company in 2020, Provok'd and The Wheel for Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2019.

One of the busiest and most exciting directors in the UK, Matthew Xia was appointed Artistic Director of Actors Touring Company in 2019. He is a former Associate Artistic Director of Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester; Director in Residence at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse; and Associate Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East. He is currently an Associate Artist at Nottingham Playhouse. Matthew is a founding member of Act for Change, a trustee of Artistic Directors of the Future and Cardboard Citizens. He has recently directed productions for Nottingham Playhouse, Hope Mill Theatre, London’s Young Vic and on tour.

Matthew Xia, ATC’s Artistic Director said: “I’m looking forward to introducing this dynamic and expansive drama, which stays true to ATC’s mission in bringing fresh dialogue and perspectives from different cultures and intersections to audiences up and down the country.”

Rice appears at the Ustinov Studio at the Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday 24^th to Saturday 26^th March. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov