Sometimes at the Fringe, the best shows are the ones you stumble upon. I hadn’t planned to see Dear A, starring Juniper Lai, but a free slot in my diary and an intriguing theme led me there — and I’m glad I went.
The premise of Dear A is poetic and personal: an unsent letter to “A” – a person, a concept, a culture. “A” stands for Asian, artist, amour, abandonment, apology… or perhaps simply a name left unspoken. Performed by a solo Chinese artist, this piece blends live music, spoken word, and multimedia to explore the complexities of immigration, identity, and longing.
The first ten minutes felt hesitant, and I worried the show wouldn’t quite lift off. But slowly, with soft melodies and sincere vulnerability, Juniper Lai began to draw me in. There was a gentle pull in their presence – quiet but potent – and an understated power in the themes of dislocation and memory.
Some of the piece was performed in Chinese, and while the emotional tone still came through, more could have been done to support understanding for non-Chinese-speaking audiences. The lack of English subtitles meant certain moments — particularly spoken or sung segments — weren’t fully accessible. That said, this very lack of clarity may have been intentional. It mirrored the experience of many immigrants navigating new worlds where language becomes a barrier to connection — a quiet but striking commentary in itself.
Dear A isn’t a show that shouts – it whispers. And while it may need refining, it leaves a soft imprint that lingers.
⭐ 3 Stars– A delicate performance of love and longing that gently resonates
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/dear-a
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