In what I can only assume is a reference to the infamous scene from Friends, When I Was Backpacking Across Western Europe, engulfs the viewer into the excitement and anxiety of a month-long Spanish roadtrip in four different languages. Using a well-balanced cabaret format, Yoyo Chan entwines scenes, song and dance into a vibrant tapestry that feels at once like a conversation with an old friend.
The show begins with a moderately humorous tone, and Chan’s self-depricating assessment of her own Spanish skills immediately puts us at ease. Her descriptions of cheap and cheerful long-distance buses and regular mentions of the temperature in each city render her performance almost multi-sensory, and seamless costume transitions indicate a change of scenery with a great level of professionalism. Chan is a charismatic performer, and maintains all of the wide-eyed optimism of a student solo travelling, interdispersing smooth, multi-lingual vocals among humorous and energetic scenes.
In fact, Chan establishes the tone so well that the darker undercurrents almost go unnoticed; she chats of her interactions with men across Spain with an initial tone of excitement, doe-eyed and giddy like a lovestruck teenager. However, each period of narration introduces more and more of a slight unease, yet she bounces back with renewed energy each time, showcasing flamenco shoes, or making half-hearted jokes about being forced to drink sparkling water in a country that mainly drinks alcohol. This balance between a determination to chat about her travels, but the reality of being an Asian woman in Spain, is the ultimate success of this show, as Chan’s determination for positivity becomes more and more heartbreaking. She manages to communicate her ultimate message gracefully and subtly, and does not allow her negative and dangerous experiences with persistent men colour her entire performance. We see her passion for travel simultaneously to her increasing unease, which creates an important distinction for the show and leaves an element of hope, despite the killer final line.
It is true that an exploration of gender, race and stereotypes could have been more of a centrepiece to the show; there was no overt political comment or analysis. It was instead left a purposeful undertone, perhaps a deliberate choice to unnerve the audience in a similar way to how Chan felt in Spain. And, with a perfect title that also has undercurrents of exoticism and flirtation, harnessing a multi-lingual power that shines in such an intimate performance space, Yoyo Chan achieves a highly entertaining and deeply pensive one-woman hour.
Review by Gina Stock
Drawing from her real-life adventures, former tour guide and world traveller Yoyo Chan takes audiences on a bold and funny journey through solo travel, from flirtatious strangers in train stations to awkward, sometimes risky encounters. The show reveals how gender and race quietly shape the way we connect across cultures.
Performed in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and English, the show weaves together storytelling, multilingual songs and movement to share Yoyo’s true encounters while travelling alone across Europe. As an East Asian woman in the West, she finds herself constantly navigating the fine line between friendliness and flirtation, between cultural curiosity and stereotype.
Created and performed by Yoyo Chan
Technical Support – Anson Yau
WHEN I WAS BACKPACKING ACROSS WESTERN EUROPE
Barons Court Theatre, 16 to 18 November 2025
Presented as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival
