Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2024

EVENT DESCRIPTION

WestK Performing Arts Presents: The seventh Black Box Chinese Opera Festival, returns from 3 to 23 October 2024 at Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), featuring original experimental xiqu productions in a variety of regional genres and styles. In addition to the three acclaimed Xiqu Centre original productions of Farewell My Concubine (New Adaptation), Wenguang Explores the Valley and The Imperial Decree, two productions by troupes from Mainland China, namely Chuanju Opera Farewell My Concubine by Chongqing Chuanju Theatre and Kunqu Opera The Dream of the Straw Bridge by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe will be premiered outside the Mainland, giving audiences a taste of highly creative performances drawn from different regions of China.

The premiere of Farewell My Concubine – a brand new experimental work featuring the crossover between traditional Sichuan opera and Hong Kong artistic innovation

Inspired by the Xiqu Centre’s original black box rendition, Chongqing Chuanju Theatre specially invited the creative team of Farewell My Concubine for the first time to co-curate and co-present the new Chuanju opera adaptation of Farewell My Concubine, and make its Hong Kong premiere at the Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2024. The new work focuses on the core romance between the warlord Xiang Yu and his beloved concubine, while adding themes of camaraderie and loyalty, giving the classic tragedy fuller dimensions. The new Farewell My Concubine also honors the tradition of Sichuan opera, which is famous for employing a blend of comedic and tragic storytelling to create a more potent emotional juxtaposition, to have installed comic roles in the story for the first time, making it a showcase of all five major role types in Chinese opera. Experimental theatrical elements have also been infused. This work is also one of the exciting deliverables from the partnerships forged with the top-tier art and cultural organisations during the International Cultural Summit 2024 organised by WestK in March this year.

National Class One Performer Li An to take stage for Shanghai Kunqu Opera’s experimental work The Dream of the Straw Bridge

Another highlight is the experimental Kunqu Opera The Dream of the Straw Bridge, an innovative production by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and performed solo by acclaimed National Class One performer Li An. Inspired by the classic Chinese love story The Romance of the West Chamber, the production depicts the joy and heartbreak of young lovers Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying through Li An’s virtuosic vocal and physical embodiment. The music of this work is also meticulously curated with the traditional Kunqu elements and contemporary theatrical interactions of the musicians. This programme is recommended by the Shanghai Center of Chinese Operas.

The festival will also be complemented by a series of xiqu-inspired wearable art workshops to promote the inheritance and innovation of the Chinese opera artform. From marigold flower beading embroidery to Chinese flower button, the workshops enable the participants to learn more about the Chinese traditional handicraft techniques, and bring traditional Chinese aesthetics into our daily lives.