Sit down for a game of Mahjong with one of the most feared and powerful women of all time, Ching Shih 鄭石氏. With each wrong move, Ching recounts a small part of her history. Her life now coming in full circle from prostitute, to pirate captain, to madam, to mother; proving no destiny is too bold. Ching turned her femininity into a weapon when the world saw it as her weakness. A Game Not Lost 孤注一擲 is a show about femininity, sexual prowess and destiny. A biographical, historical tale, recounting true parts of history of the 19th century Chinese female pirate, Ching Shih, who ruled the Red Flag Fleet in Qing Dynasty China.
Amber Ryder (she/her) is a film and theatre producer, trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Bournemouth Film School. She recently founded Ryder Productions, a new writing-based theatre company that embraces untold stories and empowers unheard voices. She has many professional short film, feature film, and theatre production credits with companies such as Nice Shirt Films, Seize Films, Luti Media, Independent Talent Group, Superhero, Big Little Theatre School.
Isabella Leung Is a London-based actor, theatre maker and writer from Hong Kong. She trained at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, with a BA (Hons) Drama from Manchester University. Acting credits include: 7 Deadly Idiots (Told By An Idiot), Dollars and Sense & The Big Bad (Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse) A Game Not Lost (Ryder Productions), Dante’s In-Furlough (The VAULT), Boh Boh Finds Home (Little Bean Theatre), Freedom Hi (Papergang Theatre), Instant Acts (Interkunst, Germany). As a writer, her first full-length play, A Bouffon Play About Hong Kong, was selected as one of the finalists in The Women's Prize for Playwriting 2021.
Zhui Ning Chang is an award-winning director, dramaturg, librettist, and producer from Malaysia. Her work often explores models of resistance, solidarity, and liberation via storytelling. Recent directing credits include: Accidental Heist by Andy Pang (The Bold Moment, Singapore), Calm by Jimin Suh (Creating Apart, online), and Asian Pirate Musical (Papergang Theatre, UK). Zhui Ning is the Connections Producer at Global Voices Theatre and a member of Emergency Academy, an international artist laboratory to nurture the cultural leaders of tomorrow. She trained on Tamasha Theatre's Director Programme and holds a MA Text and Performance from Birkbeck and RADA.
Cast & Creative Team Performer: ISABELLA LEUNG
Director: ZHUI NING CHANG
Producer: AMBER RYDER
Writer: Dorothy Kay
Additional writing: Isabella Leung
Lighting Designer: Anfy Loues
Costume Designer: Yiran Duan