Roarrr Theatre's Here Comes Gudong: Where East Asian Myths Roar to Life
Our Origin Story: Bridging Myths with Modern Magic!
🏆The show has award KEEP IT FRINGE AWARD of 2025's Edinburgh Fringe Festival !🏆
1. A Message from Portia Yuran Li– Founder, Writer & Director
Artist | Mom | Myth Weaver
Hi，I’m Portia, a Chinese artist (Member of BAN, LAH) based in London, and mother to a curious 4-year-old Bobby. My work explores generational trauma in East Asian families and immigrant struggles through mythology. After exhibitions at Tate Modern, Science Gallery London, Old Operating Theatre Museum and other galleries, I realised galleries couldn’t contain my stories—they needed to leap into living, breathing worlds. So, Roarrr Theatre was born: a space where my son, single moms or dads, LGBTQ+ artists, and families like ours rewrite myths together.
From Studio to Stage
What began as bedtime tales in my art studio (Motherhouse studio) inspires me to deliver the show for family.
Show at Motherhouse studio 👆
The first show of Roarrr Theatre is Here Comes Gudong, a musical theatre show for family, and it's a sold-out musical show at Blackheath Halls. Though financially draining (I self-funded everything, and paid everyone!), its success proved families crave stories where East Asian legends dance with global magic.
The leading Cast is a very famous Chinese musical theatre performer Wu Bozhen, who is the main Cast of Chinese version's Plankton of Opera.
Another cast Sunny is audience's best love character. Who will also be in the new Here Comes Gudong.
The front seats have all been taken away, to ensure kids have a comfortable environment, and we had many good reviews from the audience.
2. We're More Than Theatre – We’re a Bridge to Family
Since 2023, we've:
✅ Sold out two shows of "Here Comes Gudong" Musical show at the Blackheath Halls in London.🎉
✅ Designed sensory-friendly performances for children.
✅ Free Show for London's Private Primary School.
✅ Hold over 5 free drama workshops for children under 6 years old.
✅ Collabrated with NHS Drama Therapist for free workshop to families.
✅ culture bridge as "Where Chinese Mythology Meets British Storytelling"
We have been ensuring one show delivers in every area, to reach more audience, to help more groups, to entertain, to healing.
3. What's "Here Comes Gudong"?
👂 When a thunderous “GUDONG!” rattles the jungle, join Explorer Monkey and her quirky crew to crack the code: Is it Jingwei’s ancient cry, Nordic trolls’ burps, or clock factories exploding? Dive into a sensory symphony of puppetry and live-camera wizardry, weaving East Asian folklore with Western fables.
By reimagining the Chinese folk tale of “咕咚来了” through a British lens，
We bend：
🔹Chinese motifs 🇨🇳: Shadow puppetry inspired by Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), Jingwei’s mythical bird lore.
🔹British playfulness 🇬🇧: Interactive pantomime traditions, witty woodland creatures à la Wind in the Willows.
🔹Universal themes 🌍: Curiosity, courage, and the magic of “not-knowing”.
Why It’s Revolutionary:
🔹 Cultural Alchemy: Kids learn Mandarin soundscapes (“Gudong” 咕咚 = splash!) while British parents chuckle at Nessie-troll banter.
🔹 Artistic Fusion: Guqin melodies meet live Foley sound effects; ink-wash projections collide with steampunk gears.
🔹 Legacy Building: The first East Asian-led family show at Edinburgh Fringe to make mythology messy, not museum-like.
🏆 The show has awarded KEEP IT FRINGE award！🎉
4. The Best Team Ever: Myth-Weavers & Dream Builders from @roarrrtheatre
4.1 - Creative Core : 🧙♀️ Portia Yuran Li
Writer | Director | Producer | Sound Alchemist
The visionary mom who juggles scripts, toddler snacks, and hydrophones. @portia__lee
4.2 - Set & Puppetry Wizards
- 🥇Effie Gu (Reading University‘s Film, Theatre, and Television department Teaching Technician): Architect of forests that fold into suitcases. With years of experience in theatre and film, participated in various international theatre and film festivals. @effieguyuan
- 🥇Jessica Ji (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Design Technician): Puppet surgeon stitching Nessie scales with Jingwei feathers. Won Best Production Designer by It's My Shout 2025. Shortlisted by The Linbury Prize 2023. @Jessicaj.design
- 🥇Inini Xinyi Yin (Guildhall School/passionate theatre maker): Shadow-play innovator turning cardboard into constellations. Inini is a multidisciplinary creative whose work spans devising, design, and making across theatre, fine art and events. @inini_yinxinyi
4.3 - Costume Design：👸 KK Ruiqi Ke
Talented costume designer who is the Golden Sheer finalist from UAL. Specialised in modern and periodic narrative productions with extensive video/film experience. @biubiukkk
4.4 - Sound Sorcery: 🎵 Ding Mingyu
Professional Musical Theatre Sound Designer from China.The 18th Daegu International Musical Festival（DIMF）Highest Prize- “Flying Apsaras” 🏆
Flew 5,000 miles from Shanghai with a suitcase full of mythical audio samples. "I recorded Taoist temple bells at dawn to make the earth spirits sing."
4.5 - The Spellbinding Cast
🐒 Sunny Jie Liu
（Associate Artist in the Department of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths）
Returning from our sold-out London run Here Comes Gudong: "I’ve upgraded my banana-juggling act to include camera choreography!" Specialises in devised theatre, youth theatre, and theatre workshop design，she worked as an Associate Director at Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and Banlam Grand Theater, creating engaging performances for young audiences. @sunnyliuuuu
Meet Sunny from last Gudong：
🦊 Isabell Friis
（Goldsmiths，University of London）
Physical theatre shapeshifter fluent in troll grumbles and elf whispers. Isabell Friis is a writer and actor with a BA in English and Drama from Goldsmiths. Passionate about storytelling, she explores both scripted and improvised performance. Isabell is so sweet that every child would love her!
🐢 Mary Emma He
（National Youth Theatre and Royal Central School of Speech & Drama）
Chinese screen star turned forest spirit: "This is my first time performing for an audience who might throw imaginary acorns!" Mary specialised waving interactive performance into her art. Her performance transforms spectators into co-creators of immersive, boundary-defying experiences. A celebrated figure on social media, Mary captivates with her bold artistry. @m.mm3442
See Mary as the main Cast for Roarrr Theatre's New Legend of Nian
4.6 - Light Technician：Raya Zhiyun Ren
Talented light designer to ensure a sensory adventure. From Nanjing University of the Arts to University of the Arts London, Zhiyun has bring all her talent from China to the UK.
4.7 - Special Thanks to Our Tiny Myth-Maker： 👦 Bobby
Chief Imagination Officer (Age 4)
Original creator of: The "Cloud Factories Colliding" theory; Stone Elf drum solos.
Bobby： "Mama’s show needs more dinosaur snores as Gudong!"
4.8 - Why Our Team Rocks Edinburgh
- 🔥 100% Female/Non-Binary Leadership – smashing theatre’s glass ceilings
- 🌏 3 Continents, 1 Vision – Chinese precision meets English culture
- 🧒 Generational Alchemy – from University scholars to preschool critics
5. The Gudong Evolution: From London to Edinburgh
What's New for Here Comes Gudong?
🔹 Live Camera Wizardry: Directors-turned-cinematographers from Guildhall School create real-time film-poetry.
🔹 Lively Puppetry : Kids favorite fluffy puppetry will bring laughter to stage, by Royal Welsh College and Reading College 's teching Technicians.
🔹 Mythical Soundscapes: Chinese sound designers build "forest ears" using hydrophones and folklore samples
🔹 More immersive as Interactive Puzzles: Young audiences can decide which creature to investigate through clue-collecting.
🔹 Culture Bridge: By reimagining the Chinese folk tale of “咕咚来了” (The Mystery of the "Gudong" Sound) through a British lens.
6. Why We Need Funding
We’ve sacrificed. We’ve hustled. Now we need more help.
6.1 - What Your Support Fixes:
🔹Transformative Puppets £900 - Hybrid creatures blending Chinese/Scottish myths
🔹4K Micro-Cameras £700 - Real-time forest closeups for immersive storytelling
🔹Sensory Pathways £500 - Textured floor mats for ASD/ADHD audiences
6.2 - The Uncomfortable Reality：
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- £2,000+ already invested by founder Portia (mom works part-time job, sold artwork) to secure Edinburgh’s venue + registration.
- £0 paid to founder Portia since 2023 😢.
6.3 - Our Ethical Pledge ⚖️ Fair Wages First
🔹£25/hour for all 10 core members (UK living wage)
🔹15% profit share → Myth Makers Fund for single parents/LGBTQ+ artists
🔹Portia’s First Salary: I’ve worked 2,300 unpaid hours since 2023. Let me buy Bobby shoes without spreadsheet panic.
6.4 - Budget Breakdown – No Smoke, Just Mirrors
- 45% Tech Magic: 4K cameras + foldable sound domes
- 30% Inclusion: tactile puppets
- 15% Legacy: Bilingual myth activity packs
- 10% Green Touring: Recycled sets + train carbon offsets
🌱 Seed the Future with Us
We’re not just chasing applause – we’re fighting to prove that immigrant-led, mother-created, queer-collaborative art belongs on the world’s biggest stages. And think about the difficulties we faced as Asian artists. Every pound rewrites the rules of who gets to tell stories.
- P.S. Bobby insists our next show needs a “dragon who eats broccoli clouds.”
Help us make it happen! 🥦🐉
7. Our Vision
7.1 - Short-Term Goals
🎯 Edinburgh Fringe 2025 Triumph
1️⃣ Secure a 10-show run with 80%+ occupancy
2️⃣ Earn at least a “Best Family Show” nominations (Fringe Awards, BroadwayWorld UK)
3️⃣ Launch post-show myth-building workshops for 50+ families
7.2 - Long-Term Dreams
🌍 Become the Bridge Between East & West
1️⃣ Tour Gudong to 5+ countries by 2027, starting with bilingual Mandarin/English editions.
2️⃣ Establish the Roarrr Myth Archive – a free digital library of East Asian folklore retellings.
3️⃣ Win the 2026 Olivier Award for Best Family Production (no East Asian-led company has ever won!)
Every pound plants a seed where East Asian legends meet Scottish lochs—and where a single mom’s dream becomes a global chorus of “Gudong!”