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All the world’swhat stage for.
a to watch out
Shanghai’s theatre scene and
Dom Bangay-Wilding
AS THE RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS BEGINS in
earnest, Shanghai’s theatre troupes are
preparing some fine productions for your
delectation. As part of a preview of what
you ought to check out in the coming weeks
we thought it might be pertinent to observe
how far theatre has come in Shanghai in the
last few years. Over the past couple of weeks
we’ve spoken to a number of people in the
drama scene, and they were kind enough to
give us some of their thoughts on the subject.
T
The Shanghai Repertory Theatre will
be performing C.S. Lewis’ The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe at the
Ke Center for Contemporary Arts from November
30th to December 9th. When she first arrived in
Shanghai a few years ago, SRT’s founder Rosita
Janbakhsh saw opportunities where others saw
only obstacles; “It had to become very much ‘how
can we use the limits to enhance what we are
creating?’ These are the challenges, but part of
the solution is creating something unique.”
Unorthodox locations are a common feature in
Shanghai for Western-led theatre companies. SRT
have, unusually, carved out their own little corner
at the Ke Center, a partnership which has seen
the company go from strength to strength with
an incredible work ethic producing a surprisingly
large number of productions each year. Swedish
director Maja-stina Johansson’s production this
winter promises to bring a fresh twist to the
fantastical family classic.
Over-reaching is not a word many of Shanghai’s
theatre companies are aware of. Urban Aphrodite,
fresh off the back of their success with Glengarry
Glen Ross, will be presenting not one but two
productions in the coming weeks. The first, The
Complete Works of William Shakespeare
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(Abridged) (Revised) directed by Shanghai
stalwart Jason Lasky, opens on November 14th
and runs until the 24th at Sasha’s intimate 3rd
Floor.
Promising to be a riotous journey through all 37
of The Bard’s plays in under two hours, comedic
turns from the three-strong cast should provide
a delightful evening full of verse accompanied
by live music from TS (Tom Sharrock), and gives
those of us already washed out from too much
Shakespeare at school a chance to experience
England’s greatest playwright from a refreshing
perspective. Urban Aphrodite’s very own Ann
James spoke to me about what she would like
to see happen: “My dream is that more theatre
companies sprout up… I want Shanghai theatre to
grow and to grow with new inspiration, certainly
with experimental theatre.”
? Demonstrating their willingness to present a »
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