These Other Things

Michele Lee's latest theatrical creation sees her take to the stage to perform her own work for the first time in a one-woman show that is a raw and hilariously offbeat exploration of life, loss, and everything in between.

"I like to be good at things. Or I avoid things if I'm not." 

Inspired by the death of her father, Michele Lee, Hmong-Australian playwright, screenwriter, and RMIT PhD candidate, weaves together the many lives and deaths that have shaped her over the years. With a mix of poignant reflection and sharp wit, she grapples with tough questions about acceptance, regret, and the messiness of grief. The play blends moments of profound sadness with humour, 90s nostalgia, fan art, and Lee's signature observational flair alongside spectacular immersive video art from Vanghoua Anthony Vue. 

"I can chart my career, maybe my life, according to Chris Pang's fame." 

Known for her unpredictable and unconventional approach to storytelling, Lee pushes the boundaries of her craft in this new work, challenging both herself and her audience to reconsider how we approach death and grief. Can these universal experiences be meaningful, even creative? 

"Dad's Hmong name was Chu, by the way. At work, people called him John." 

'These Other Things' is led by a Hmong team of creatives - the Hmong are a community of 4000 people in Australia, and in Hmong culture the spiritual is every day and death is always present.  

With humour and depth, the play tackles everything from the harsh realities of serious illness and the shock of sudden loss to the strange comfort of Princess Diana's "relatability" and the oddly healing powers of Paul Hollywood's banoffee pie. 

Creative team:

  • Writer, Performer and Co-Director Michele Lee 
  • Co-Director and Dramaturg Claire Granata 
  • Video Artist Vanghoua Anthony Vue 
  • Lighting Designer Rob Curulli 
  • Sound Artist Rafe Yang 
  • Outside Eye Darren Thao 
  • Creative Development student intern Yiming Wei 
  • Communications student intern Shilo Saker 
  • Creative Producer Helen Withycombe 
  • Technical Production Coordinator Simon Maisch 
  • And special guests 

Supported by RMIT's Capitol Innovation Fund, RMIT Culture and Canberra Theatre Centre's New Works Program.

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RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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