愛，媽媽 (Love, Mum) is Cynthia Hiu Ying LAM’s debut autobiographical one-woman show which debuted at Auckland Fringe and Dunedin Fringe

愛，媽媽 (Love, Mum)

What is a ‘good’ Chinese woman? How does a woman live an authentic life in a patriarchal, colonial and capitalist society?

愛，媽媽 (Love, Mum) is Cynthia Hiu Ying LAM’s debut autobiographical one-woman show, exploring the lives and relationships between herself, her mother and two grandmothers. A matrilineal memoir that interweaves storytelling, multimedia, Chinese martial arts and song, we follow Cynthia’s journey as she navigates mental health, relationships, self-discovery and finding one’s vocation against a legacy of ancestral trauma and cultural conditioning.

Winner of the Dunedin Fringe Tour Ready Award after its debut at the Auckland Fringe Festival 2022, 愛，媽媽 (Love, Mum) subsequently toured to Dunedin to perform at the Dunedin Fringe Festival 2023 receiving a nomination in five award categories including Excellence in Theatre, Outstanding Emerging Talent, and Best in Fringe.

In 2024, 愛，媽媽 (Love, Mum) was awarded the Best Audio/Visual Project from the International Association of Autoethnography and Narrative Inquiry (IAANI).

Written and performed by Cynthia Hiu Ying LAM, and directed by Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren.

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

Reviews and Audience Feedback

“A heartfelt and deeply moving, impressionistic play”

Stuart Hoar, playwright
“…a stylish literary endeavour that surprisingly has become a true theatrical experience”

Terry MacTavish, Theatreview
“Uplifting and bold, Lam’s matrilineal memoir evokes reflection, authenticity and warmth, rightly placing itself among the many stories that shape and enrich Aotearoa”

Jeff Chen, RAT World Review
“Any woman over the age of twenty who has pondered their mother, grandmothers or maternal figures…your play would resonate with every woman regardless of cultural background”

audience member
“Lam is a fantastic performer and playwright, her words and movement deliver feelings and stories and reassure us that our dreams are valid, possible, and ever so human”

Dr. Stephanie Han, author
“Her anecdotal story-telling was also surprisingly funny when portraying her family’s idiosyncrasies, which was an unexpected delight”

Tim Scott, Otago Daily Times
“I cried and I laughed! Telling your story in such a beautiful and brave way is inspiring”

audience member

愛，媽媽 (Love, Mum)

“A heartfelt and deeply moving, impressionistic play”

“…a stylish literary endeavour that surprisingly has become a true theatrical experience”

“Uplifting and bold, Lam’s matrilineal memoir evokes reflection, authenticity and warmth, rightly placing itself among the many stories that shape and enrich Aotearoa”

“Any woman over the age of twenty who has pondered their mother, grandmothers or maternal figures…your play would resonate with every woman regardless of cultural background”

“Lam is a fantastic performer and playwright, her words and movement deliver feelings and stories and reassure us that our dreams are valid, possible, and ever so human”

“Her anecdotal story-telling was also surprisingly funny when portraying her family’s idiosyncrasies, which was an unexpected delight”

“I cried and I laughed! Telling your story in such a beautiful and brave way is inspiring”