An epic underworld dive into family, forgetting and the dire consequences of commodifying the divine, Griffin Theatre Company will premiere lacuna by Eric Jiang at Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre from 30 July 2026.
Claudia is jobless, cashless and flailing. Doomscrolling in the dark, ignoring emails from Centrelink, she wallows in the aftermath of an earth-shattering fight with her Mum. Why can’t Claudia just get a job like a good Chinese daughter?
So, Claudia is delighted when a plum job opportunity falls right into her lap.
Location: The underworld.
Employer: Meng Po, the Goddess of Oblivion.
Job Description: Erasing memories from the living.
Salary: Negotiable.
The hours are weird and there’s no option to work from home, but Claudia is happy to be diversity-hired if it gets her mind off things. And she soon discovers an unexpected side-perk: secretly tampering with the memories of her friends and family.
Just small scrubs, at first. The time her skirt got stuck in an escalator. The time she said “rizz” in front of a Gen Alpha. But when a mortal meddles with the sacred, the consequences can be severe.
Eric Jiang is a queer Chinese-Australian poet, playwright and artist based on Gadigal land. His poetry has appeared in Cordite, Liminal, Australian Poetry Journal and Going Down Swinging. He is the recipient of a Hot Desk Fellowship from the Wheeler Centre and a Varuna Residency Fellowship, and is one of four writers in Sydney Theatre Company’s Watershed Writers program.
His plays Rhomboid and ORIGIN STORY have been staged independently, with lacuna premiering as part of Griffin Theatre Company’s 2026 Lookout program. His work explores queer futures, diasporic identity, Asian representation and the limits of language.
lacuna is an Essential Workers Production, presented in association with Belvoir St Theatre as part of Griffin Theatre Company’s 2026 Lookout program. The work was first developed through CAAP’s Longhouse Works in Progress initiative in 2024
Director: Nicole Pingon | Featuring: Dominic Lui, Loretta Kung, Rachel Seeto | Set & Costume Designer: Hailley Hunt | Lighting Designer: Morgan Moroney | Composer & Sound Designer: Sam Cheng | Assistant Lighting Designer: Luna Yuet Yee Ng | Creative Producer: Zoë Hollyoak | Dramaturg: Jules Orcullo | Stage Manager: Jonathan Ogilvie | Playwright: Eric Jiang
LACUNA
Downstairs Theatre – Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills
Season: 2 – 15 August 2026 (previews: 30 July – 1 August)
Information and Bookings: www.griffintheatre.com.au
Image: Rachel Seeto – photo by Brett Boardman | Creative Direction: Susu Studio | Cinematography: All Things All Creatures