About the event
Join us for a free screening of the award-winning documentary Abandoned Adopted Here and a conversation with the film director Lucy Sheen on the identities of British Chinese and East and Southeast Asians and their representations on stages, TV and in cinemas.
Film director/speaker: Lucy Sheen
Chair: Dr. Cangbai Wang (University of Westminster)
This event is jointly organised by the HOMELandS research centre and the Contemporary China Centre of the University of Westminster.
ABANDONED ADOPTED HERE
Dir Lucy Sheen | Documentary | 2016 | 39 minutes |UK
This award-winning documentary looks at the idea and concept of identity and being a transracial adoptee. Identity, for the majority is something taken for granted, it’s not something that needs to be questioned.
Most people see themselves reflected through the eyes and faces of their parents and the wider society; on TV, in the movies or in the theatre. But what if you aren’t? What if you grew up and you were the only one that looked like you, even within your “own family.” What then? And what it means to have grown up in pre-multicultural 60s UK as a person of Chinese heritage. What is the true legacy of being British-Chinese - is there such a thing as a British – Chinese or British East/Southeast Asian?
Location
UG.05 Ground floor, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2HW
About the speaker
Lucy Sheen
Made in Hong Kong and exported to the UK as a transracial adoptee. Lucy is a dyslexic actor, published writer, (nom de plum Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen) filmmaker, activist and transracial adoptee advocate. She loves Dim sum, Yorkshire puddings and tea. She is of East and Southeast Asian heritage.
Her first professional job, the female lead in the ground-breaking British feature film PING PONG (1986), directed by Po Ch’ih Leong. The first ever UK feature to look at the history and issues of the British-Chinese community. Other feature films include Business As Usual (1987) Secrets & Lies (1996), Something Good: The Mercury Factor (2013), The Good Neighbour (2019), Meet The Lees currently in post (2024).
Theatre credits include: Julius Caesar Portia -Bristol Old Vic (1987); Drink the Mercury Ioka nominated for a TMA (first British East Asian actress to be nominated for a major UK theatre award 1990); Hungry Ghosts Tim Luscombe, nominated for an OFFIE for best actress 2010. Plenty directed by the award-winning Thea Sharrock (2011). Sugar-Coated Bullets of the Bourgeoisie (2016), Snow In Midsummer RSC (2017), The Scar Test Soho Theatre (2017).
TV credits include: Prime Suspect 2; Lovejoy; Eastenders and Nighty Night series 2. Call The Midwife (2017), Casualty (2017) and most recently The Listeners (2024) a new drama series for the BBC currently in post.
2011 Lucy wrote & performed her solo theatre piece There Are Two Perfectly Good Mes: One dead, the other unborn a dramatic solo performance looking into the issues of growing up as a transracial adoptee.
2012 Lucy’s short play WAITING was selected for the REDfest new writers competition at The Old Red Lion Pub Theatre. Lucy has just won two small writing commissions for 2015 Re:Play writing bursary for Nimble Fish and The Royal Court (Open Court) Commonword Pains Plough/Tamasha Come To Where I’m From: London. As well as completing the above commissions, ShoFu, Wianbu Pi was read as part of the 2017 Women and War festival. It is now being adapted (by Lucy) into a limited TV series in association with Paradox House.
Lucy continues to work both as an actress, writer and director.
