Tang Xianzu was a 16th-century Chinese dramatist who gained notoriety for his four interconnected plays known as The Four Dreams of Linchuan.
He’s now affectionately known as the Shakespeare of the East, and his
personal history and public work are being given new life in Tang Xianzu the Playwright in Concert.
More
than 100 talented musicians from the Symphony Orchestra and Opera of
Shanghai Conservatory of Music (SHCM) will perform in this reimagined
Chinese opera exploring different stages of Xianzu’s life, with
inspiration from his four great works. The four plays, Zi chai ji (The Purple Hairpin), Nan ke ji (A Dream Under a Southern Bough), Handan Meng (Dream of Handan), and Mu Dan Ting (The Peony Pavilion), were all originally performed as traditional Chinese operas (known as Kunqu) , so this reinterpretation should provide an exciting angle for modern audiences.
The first three plays are often compared to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
with their surreal representation of human desires, ambition and
motivations delivered through a dream-like narrative. The fourth and
most famous play, The Peony Pavilion, is rooted in the reality of tragic romantic comedies and is intricately developed across 55 scenes.
This
enthralling story will make its way in operatic form to Australia for
two shows only.The two-hour concert will be performed in Chinese
language, with English subtitles.
Book now to get inside the psyche of one of China’s most celebrated theatrical minds! | 
