Drawing on her Weitou ancestry (the first settlers of Hong Kong), Rainbow Chan reimagines a Weitou ritual known as the bridal lament, a public performance of grief in which a bride wept and sang in front of family and friends. In this liminal space, brides expressed bitterness towards their arranged marriages and the prevailing patriarchal rule.

Conceived and structured as a song cycle, The Bridal Lament brings to life intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives on diasporic experiences and the complex history of Hong Kong. With a new suite of songs by Chan and direction from Contemporary Asian Australian Performance's (CAAP) Artistic Director Tessa Leong, this lush and lavish work pays homage to ritual in a vibrant and dynamic world of projection, movement and colour.

Rainbow Chan’s music and shows have been hailed as "genre-bending art pop" (NME) and "bewitchingly elfin in the exactly the same way that those words have been used to describe Björk" (The Music). The Bridal Lament, her debut solo theatre work, shares its name with her forthcoming album. Watch the clip from its first single, 'Seven Sisters.'  

"The Bridal Lament is a rich and layered third-culture meditation on ritual, heritage and loss."

– The Age

"An ambitious work infused with vulnerability, grief and empowerment."

– Arts Hub