Brilliant productions to play big part in theater festival

At the upcoming 2025 Shanghai Jing'an Theater Festival, 20 plays will be staged from April 25 to June 2. Over 85 percent of the productions will make their Shanghai debut and half are from overseas.

Julie by the International Theater Amsterdam is one of the overseas shows premiering in Shanghai. The Dutch company is particularly good at interpreting classic masterpieces from a modern perspective, says Xu Zhongping, the festival's program director.

This production of Julie premiered in 2022 and is a subversive adaptation of Miss Julie by Swedish playwright August Strindberg from women's perspectives. "We hope to bring shows on the frontier of the global theater scene and new theater experiences that break boundaries," Xu says.

The theater scene has made a full recovery and "a large number of brilliant productions have mushroomed worldwide, many of which are interested in presenting their shows in China", according to Xu.

"Over the years, many brilliant plays from around the world premiered in Shanghai at this festival, including some exclusively performed in Shanghai," says Yu Rongjun, deputy director of SMG(Shanghai Media Group) Live. "We have seen many shows embarking on tours across China, following their success here."

Last year, Canadian theater director Robert Lepage presented his first show on the Chinese mainland. The production 887 made five performances at the festival. "We had around 70 percent of the tickets sold for the first two shows," Xu, the program director, recalls. "And after opening night, tickets to the following shows rapidly sold out."

This year Lepage will present one of his best-known creations, the 25th anniversary edition of The Far Side of the Moon, a one-man show performed by Olivier Normand, who portrays more than 20 characters to tell a story about reconciliation between two brothers and two states set against the social background of the Cold War.

Although the show was adapted to cinemas as early as 2003, the upcoming five shows in Shanghai at Daning Theatre from May 1 to 4 will be the first performed on the mainland.

Previously titled Modern Drama Valley, the festival is an annual event jointly hosted by the Jing'an district, Shanghai Media Group and the Shanghai Theatre Academy since 2009.

"We have witnessed the festival's growth from a regional initiative into a cultural brand with international influence," said Xu Weihua, deputy director of the Jing'an Culture and Tourism Administration on April 11 at the news conference announcing the festival.

Aside from formal theater performances, the festival is dedicated to bringing theater experiences to communities and public spaces. Mini-theater shows will be performed at more than 20 landmark locations around the city.

This year, installations of mini theaters adapted from standard shipping containers will be introduced. These moving installations will be placed at Life Hub @Daning, CITIC Square and other locations. People will be able to walk in and try theater-themed food and beverages and have an alternative theatrical experience that involves the audio, touch and visual senses.

This year, Jing'an district launched new measures to encourage consumption. Theater festival audiences showing their ticket stubs can enjoy special discounts at dozens of commercial centers in the district. Hotels, malls and other businesses will also give gifts for free to theater-goers during the festival.