europalia.china event: "LIN Zhaohua Studio, Parody"

Even though little-known abroad, LU Xun (1881-1936) is considered to be one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century, and to be a symbol of his generation and modernity. Widely regarded as a leading figure of Chinese literature, LU Xun was forced to leave Beijing after the massacre of students by the Guomindang government on 18th March 1926. He lived in Xiamen for a year, and then moved to Shanghai, where he continued his literary and political career underground. The collection Old Tales Retold (1936), which offers a satirical contemporary viewpoint on traditional Chinese legends, has inspired director LIN Zhaohua to create the silent show Parody. Even the sets, made of big piles of coal and old frying pans, are made to make a strong and immediate impression on the audience: as soon as they enter the auditorium, they know that they are going to see an extraordinary show.
text LU Xun
production LIN Zhaohua Theatre Studio
surtitles FR / NL
LIN Zhaohua Theatre Studio
Created in 1989, the LIN Zhaohua Theatre Studio is one of the oldest independent modern theatre companies in China. It has cooperated with great directors (GAO Xingjian, GUO Shixing and XU Ying of the Beijing Opera) and theatre actors (PU Cunxin, LIANG Guanhua, NI Dahong, XU Fan and SONG Dandan). The Studios origins go back to the early 1980s, when LIN Zhaohua decided to move into experimental theatre with GAO Xingjian, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2000. These performers aspired to create their own theatre company in order to escape from the control of the old system and chose their own programming, inspired by traditional Chinese plays and the foreign theatre. With works like Hamlet, Romulus the Great, Faust, Three Sisters, Waiting for Godot, Richard III and The Assassin, the LIN Zhaohua Studio has created a new form of modern Chinese theatre freed from the dictates of western theatre.

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