Hot Pot, an original new play at Lakeside Arts, brings to life a poignant story of friendship, love, and authenticity among four Chinese friends reuniting after the Covid pandemic.
Set in a hot pot restaurant, the play – written by Dr Hongwei Bao, Associate Professor in Media Studies at the University of Nottingham's School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies – follows the group as they reconnect, reminisce, and share their personal journeys. As they boast of their achievements, their youthful idealism gives way to pragmatism, raising questions about the durability of friendship and the possibility of rekindling old romances.
The one-off Nottingham-performance of Hot Pot, which takes place on Thursday 25 June 2026 at the Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts, was developed by Dr Bao in collaboration with Auka Productions, as part of a research project funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) and the University of Nottingham Participatory Research Fund. The project aims to amplify queer East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) voices in the UK's creative and cultural industries through collaboration with community members and theatre professionals.
Hot Pot is one of the first plays produced and touring in the UK that specifically focuses on the under-represented queer East and Southeast Asian experience. It is an important cultural text both for the UK's queer history and its theatre history. The play is made by a predominantly British East and Southeast Asian cast and creative team, which is a rare phenomenon to see in this country too."
Against the backdrop of a queer-unfriendly environment, Hot Pot also confronts the complexities of discussing gay sexuality openly. The play invites audiences to reflect on whether the characters can find the courage to be honest about their identities and desires.
The project adopts an arts-based, creative, and participatory approach to develop, rehearse, and produce Hot Pot as a stage play rooted in lived experiences and scholarly research. The Research and development of the play involved LGBTQIA+ and East and Southeast Asian communities across the UK, and was supported by a variety of partner organisations including Broadway Cinema Nottingham, Central St Martins, Derby Theatre, Fifth Word Theatre, Hothouse Theatre, In Good Company, Nottingham Playhouse, Queer China UK, Queer Circle, Script East Midlands, and The Cockpit.
The production is designed not only for public performance but also as a sustainable touring work, with ambitions to reach audiences regionally, nationally, and internationally. The play text, Hot Pot, is published by Poetic Edge for wider use in theatres, schools, and universities.
Dr Bao's research responds to the ongoing underrepresentation of ESEA communities in UK theatre, where visibility remains critically low, and where queer ESEA stories are almost entirely absent. It also addresses issues of access and equity for marginalised communities in the UK's creative and cultural industries.
Drawing on Dr Bao's recent monograph Queering the Asian Diaspora: East and Southeast Asian Sexuality, Identity and Cultural Politics, the project highlights the vital role of culture and performance in shaping identity, fostering community, and advancing social change.
By centring queer ESEA voices and working with professional partners including Lakeside Arts, University of Nottingham, and Auka Productions, Hot Pot seeks to challenge industry norms, expand representation, and contribute to a more inclusive and diverse British theatre landscape.
Dr Bao, added: "Queer East and Southeast Asian representations rarely appear on stage and screen, despite being one of the most important communities in the UK. We seek to offer a more nuanced representation of the community and its people, avoiding stereotypes and harmful tropes. We also hope to use this opportunity to showcase the work of some brilliant East and Southeast Asian theatre professionals, and have conversations with the UK's theatre industries regarding issues of access and equity for marginalised communities."
A Q&A discussion will follow the performance, offering audiences an opportunity to engage more deeply with queer East and Southeast Asian narratives and their representation in the UK and the wider world. The discussion will be chaired by Dr Xing Huang, a Chinese queer studies scholar from the University of Nottingham.
The one-night only performance of Hot Pot in Nottingham takes place on Thursday 25 June 2026, at 7:30pm, at the Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts. Booking details can be found here. It is also touring nationally to London, Leeds, Derby, Bristol and Langton Green. The book Hot Pot – published to coincide with the play's UK première tour – contains the playscript, the show's production information and some background materials for research, teaching and future performance.
