Peony Pavilion: Kunqu Opera in London and Europe

As part of a major China season in London, the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Province will bringing the Kunqu masterpiece, 'Peony Pavilion'. The most famous epic in Chinese literature, this is a special production with a young cast directed by the celebrated author Professor Pai Xianyong. Taking place over three evenings, the drama focuses a central love story that has been compared to 'Romeo and Juliet'. Indeed the work was written by Tang Xiangzu in the Ming Dynasty, who was contemporary of Shakespeare's. The traditional staging techniques of Kunqu Opera - proclaimed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage and the oldest of the Chinese opera forms - have been reinvented for this production, which consequently has a sophisticated, modern feel.

Contact: Jonathan Fleming