Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2025: The Burning Painting

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Set in the world of high art, The Burning Painting is a gripping psychological thriller that interrogates the contradictions of artistic pursuit and human existence on the brink between life and death. Clocking in at just one hour, this critically-acclaimed experimental Kunqu opera left the audience awestruck at its 2024 premiere, and is set to grace the Xiqu Centre stage this year.

Inspired by the historic rivalry between Tang-dynasty painters Wu Daozi and Huang Fuzhen, the story is a fictional account of Wu’s tormented creation of a masterpiece – a religious painting portraying heaven and purgatory. In order to propel Wu to the peak of artistic transcendence, his mentor Lu Yinggong goes to extreme lengths in the name of art, drawing them both into harrowing trials and chilling sacrifices. The result is a haunting meditation on obsession and the moral cost of genius.

The upcoming performances will be directed by the renowned Kunqu opera artist Shi Xiaomei, who originated the role of Wu Daozi. Meanwhile, her protégé Shi Xiaming will headline the production alongside Class One performer Li Zhengcheng, who plays Lu Yinggong.

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.