Yuanzi/原子 is a doomer in her 20s and a Chinese living in London. Under the pressure of a friend, she takes on a bizarre journey to her past by making a film about her life. Buried underneath her apathy, cynicism and doomerism, Yuanzi now finds herself back in a desert town called Factory 404/四零四厂, a Chinese city built with the sole purpose of hosting a nuclear weapon as well as the place where she spent the happiest time of her life with her dear grandpa, who first came to this city with utopian ideals and shining dreams.
Using a myriad of performance forms, Atom Boi works backwards from a numbed state of alienation to examine its influences embedded in a childhood upbringing dominated by utopian ideals, often inextricably bound up with USSR’s historical relationship with China.
"Our children live in the most deprived ward in London and their parents cannot afford to pay for the classes and activities many more privileged children enjoy after school and at the weekends. A free-to-access youth group run by a local theatre in a professional setting is an incredible opportunity."
Local school teacher
