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A highlight of the upcoming sixth Chinese Drama Festival (Hong Kong2007), "Teahouse" will be staged by Beijing People's Art Theatre in January.
Lin Zhaohua, the most sought-after theatre director in China, is presenting this classic production. With a star-studded cast including Liang Guanhua, Pu Cunxin, Yang Lixin, He Bing, Feng Yuanzheng and Song Dandan, it brings to the audience of today its incisive humanistic study of the ways of the world.
"Teahouse" is written by the famous Chinese writer, Lao She. The teahouse in the play provides a venue for people to air their views on topical issues and serves as the backdrop to the economic and social chaos of the time: from the downfall of the Qing Government, the new Republic, to the civil war.
It premiered in 1958, with Jiao Juyin, the late Chief Director of Beijing People's Art Theatre, directing. It has since become part of the stock repertory of the theatre. It was taken on tour to Germany, France and Switzerland in 1980, a milestone in Chinese theatre as it was the first Chinese drama production to be performed outside China.
To commemorate the 100th birthday of Jiao Juyin, the Beijing People's Art Theatre revived his production of "Teahouse" in 2005 under the artistic direction of Lin Zhaohua. Since its opening performance in October, 2005, in Beijing, the play toured to many cities in the United States, and was widely acclaimed everywhere.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the show will be staged at 7.30pm, January 18 to 20 (Thursday to Saturday), and 2.30pm, January 21 (Sunday) at the Auditorium, Kwai Tsing Theatre. Tickets priced at $280, $180 and $100 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistant (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). Please check out programme leaflet for the group booking discount scheme.
The programme will be performed in Putonghua with Chinese and English subtitles.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7323 or visit the following websites: www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. For reservations, please call 2734-9009. For credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. To book online, please visit, www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Thursday, November 30, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:57
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