Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2025: Qingshan Embrace Me

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Song-dynasty poet Su Shi is one of the most celebrated literary luminaries in Chinese history, known for his intense and philosophical verses, unmatched charisma and unyielding personality. However, Qingshan Embrace Me, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe’s original experimental work, offers a fresh portrait of the legendary writer, shedding light on his profound emotional depth and intimate bond with nature.

Blending the artistic traditions of Kunqu opera with daringly experimental modern stagecraft, the opera explores the tumultuous life of Su Shi through a richly human lens. As an incarcerated Su Shi reminisces on the joys and sorrows of his two decades as a civil servant, the story plunges into his inner spiritual world, turning a larger-than-life persona into a flesh-and-blood person.

Free from the boundaries of time and space, the audience is invited to embark on an odyssey through the present reality and past memories, gaining a glimpse deep into the many nuanced facets of this timeless icon.

Regional languages with Chinese and English surtitles.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

The annual Black Box Chinese Opera Festival presents original productions offering new perspectives on a heritage art form. Devised and adapted for the modern stage, each work showcases bold experimentation and a contemporary sensibility through a range of regional genres and styles. This year’s programme features the Xiqu Centre’s three award-winning Cantonese opera productions – Farewell My Concubine (New Adaptation), Wenguang Explores the Valley and The Imperial Decree – along with two acclaimed Kunqu operas, Qingshan Embrace Me by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and The Burning Painting by the Yangju Opera Institute of Yangzhou and Jiangsu Drama and Literature Creation Institute.