REVIEW: WHO THE HELL IS ROBERTWAYNE? At Etcetera Theatre until 13 August 2025
‘satirical, witty and funny’ ★★★ ½
Delivered as a fast paced monologue, conversations over the phone with her boyfriend and a zoom call with a casting director, occasionally breaking the fourth wall, Who the hell is Robert Wayne? is a 60 minute comedy unravelling the identity crisis faced by Lily, a young Chinese aspiring female actor living in the UK.
Lily dreams of playing the role of Robert Wayne and his secret superhero identity ‘Ratman’ and will go to any length to get cast. Lily speaks Mandarin and after explaining to the audience that there are several dialects in China, to be asked by the casting director to adjust her accent to a more generic Chinese accent, is equivalent to asking everyone in the UK to speak with a Birmingham accent. How inconceivable was that?
Navigating an interracial relationship, Lily Cheng Wangshuo yearned to be understood, heard and seen beyond the label of her ethnicity. She took great care to explain the meaning of her name in reference to the moonlight but her boyfriend’s inability to pronounce her Chinese name correctly, added to the frustration. A real-life challenge for many.
This one-woman show in a set design of a rented bedroom surrounded by Funko Pop collectibles, superhero posters, packing boxes and essential equipment for any actor - laptop, self-tape ring light with tripod - is satirical, witty and funny. The choice of lighting effect was to create a dynamic comic book art visual effect to draw the audience into Lily’s world and establish the environment creating a more immersive experience.
Created by Li Zhuolang, Who the hell is Robert Wayne? is the actor-writer’s debut solo show exploring identity, Chinese and East Asian archetypes and tokenism through her passion for comic books and superheroes. A great performance and a well written script.
WHO THE HELL IS ROBERT WAYNE? At Etcetera Theatre 28 July, 6, 8, 11, 13 August 2025
Part of Camden Fringe
Written and performed by Li Zhuolang
Venue: Etcetera Theatre
Box Office https://camdenfringe.com/events/who-the-hell-is-robert-wayne/
