'Chinglish' play laughs at language barriers

A new comedy is opening on Broadway in New York that explores the communication gap between the English-speaking world and China.

The play, Chinglish, taps into American anxiety about doing business in the world's second biggest economy. It was written by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang and is spoken in both English and Mandarin.

Chinglish tells the story of a struggling American businessman trying to win a contract to make signs for public buildings in China. Along the way he falls in love with a Chinese official.

The production hired a husband (American) and wife (Chinese) team as advisers to help the cast to understand and overcome the language and cultural barriers.

Damian Fowler met up with Ken Smith and Joanna Lee in New York's Chinatown to find out more.