The Mask Policy
08 December 2025
The Hen & Chickens Theatre
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
The Mask Policy, a new play by Tianjiao Tan, recently had a short run at the Hen & Chickens Theatre. Directed by Yi Tang, the play delves into office politics against the backdrop of the adult film industry.
Vero April Zhou plays Jade, a young graduate looking for her first job as a producer. She lands a gig with a Taiwanese adult film company wanting to expand into the UK market, where she is joined by loud and self-obsessed Briton raised in Taiwan Crystal, played by Elizabeth Bell. Jade quickly learns that she doesn’t know much about office politics or hierarchies, being burned as a sacrifice to Crystal’s sparkling flame of letting others do all the work and take all the blame. Jade has to decide whether her integrity or ambition are stronger, and what mask to wear in the workplace.
While the adult film industry is the backdrop to the play, it really doesn’t get a lot of airtime in the show. There are a few comments regarding actors and gender dynamics within the industry, and a scene with a performer thrusting an aubergine around to much amusement, but apart from those short moments, this could really be any industry at all, any office setting where hopeful newcomers struggle against ruthless-but-charming despots. I do wish there was a deeper exploration of the industry itself, especially seeing as it has become so ubiquitous in our society for younger generations, a study from the inside would make for an interesting piece of theatre.
Characters seem generally quite one-dimensional, only Jade gets a little bit of development throughout the show, and even that feels peripheral rather than central to the story. Crystal is a wholly unredeemable manipulator from the start, the point that she doesn’t know what she’s speaking of but brashly and confidently spouts misinformation is driven home with the delicacy of a sledgehammer. A little subtlety would go a long way here!
There are many moments of humour to be found in the script, and the narrative feels genuine, plucked from real life, though peppered with sidebars directed at the audience that don’t entirely serve the play well. There’s a fascinating moment when a devil and angel appear on Jade’s shoulder, metaphorically, in the shape of one red and one blue bodysuited office worker hovering behind Jade while she tries to figure out how to proceed, whether to choose her own integrity or succumb to cut-throat office politics. The scene doesn’t quite mesh with the rest of the play, but stands out as a brilliant idea that could be taken further.
Overall, The Mask Policy doesn’t quite feel finished yet, it hasn’t found its direction yet, hasn’t fully fleshed out its own concept, and struggles to define its inherent message to the audience. There is a lot of potential here, a plethora of humour, and a very interesting premise. With a little further development, restructuring, and better pacing, this could become a fantastically interesting fringe play. With a great cast and hard working creative team, the first foundation is definitely laid already.
