Annual theater festival gets the heart throbbing with passion and performance

A wide array of foreign and local performances opened the annual Shanghai Jing'an Theatre Festival this month.

This year's festival, from April 25 to June 2, comprises 84 shows spanning 20 productions from China, the UK, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, and more, with around 90 percent of international acts making their China debut.

Shanghai's top seven theaters, including the Daning Theatre, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center and FANCL Arts Center, are hosting the shows.

The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center's compelling stage rendition of the hit TV series "The Age of Awakening" opened the festival. The play traces the formation of the Communist Party of China and its legacy through the battles of progressive intellectuals and idealistic teenagers a century ago.

British award-winning director Rebecca Frecknall's creative reimagining of August Strindberg's 1888 "Miss Julie" is one of the most anticipated productions. Produced by International Theater Amsterdam, this marks the company's first-ever performance in China.

Julie, a rebellious daughter of a wealthy businessman, and John, her father's driver, want to rebel on a sweltering July night. Julie's friend and John's wife, Christine, stand between them. A flirtation turns into a deadly stalemate that no one survives.

Strindberg's classic is updated by Frecknall, who explores class, power and untamed passions.

Canadian theater artist Robert Lepage brings "The Far Side of the Moon" to China for the first time after 25 years of touring 22 countries. The play offers a captivating exploration of both outer and inner space. Lepage employs stunning technical wizardry to portray two stories: the public history of the space race and the private story of two brothers grieving.

Italian theater master Pippo Delbono will present "Amore" ("Love") and "Il Risveglio" ("Awakening"), co-produced with Emilia Romagna Teatro ERT and Teatro Nazionale. These, too, will be making their China debuts.

The non-professional artists in "Amore" combine Portuguese fado music with international poetry.

Elena Delbono's 2024 work, "Il Risveglio," scored by cellist Giovanni Ricciardi, draws from her illness and bereavement.

The festival will conclude with French director Philippe Quesne's "The Garden of Delights," a captivating blend of medieval fantasy, sci-fi and eco-parable.

Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's surreal triptych, Quesne creates a disturbing image of humanity's hopes and concerns in a time of change.

Tickets start at 100 yuan (US$13.68), and foreign shows can cost up to 680 yuan. They are available on Maoyan and Damai.