Global stage for Chinese theater in Edinburgh

A selection of Chinese productions took center stage in Edinburgh on Aug 16, as the "China On Stage 2026" showcase brought theater makers from professional companies, drama schools and emerging-director programs together with international industry professionals during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

As part of the 2026 China performance season at the Fringe, the showcase featured works from Chinese art troupes and the "Global Chinese Young Theater Directors Talent Program" of the Guilin Festival — an annual theater event co-organized by the Central Academy of Drama, which has long attracted theater lovers to Guilin, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Rather than simply presenting finished productions, the event was designed as a platform for cultural exchange, connecting Chinese artists with theaters, festivals, cultural institutions, agents, producers and media organizations from the United Kingdom and beyond.

The showcase highlighted the breadth of contemporary Chinese theater, from large-scale professional productions to experimental works by younger creators. Several projects also explored the intersection of performance and emerging technology, incorporating robotics, real-time interaction and digital imagery to create new relationships between performers, technology and audiences.

The Central Academy of Drama presented Love in the Cracks, a work combining theater and technology. Ge Yuanliang, an associate professor in the academy's directing department and the production's director, introduced the project and presented excerpts to the audience.

The Becoming Stone, selected through the talent program of Guilin Festival, also offered a glimpse into the experimentation of a younger generation of Chinese theater makers. Director Qi Huazheng of the National Centre for the Performing Arts shared the creative ideas behind the production.

The event attracted representatives from cultural institutions, theaters, festivals, industry awards, agencies, media organizations and arts groups from the UK, Germany, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Singapore and other countries and regions.

Following the showcase, artists and international delegates held informal discussions on potential overseas performances, theater partnerships, festival collaborations and international touring plans.

For Chinese theater makers, the festival offers more than an opportunity to present individual works. As one of the world's largest platforms for the performing arts, it also provides a meeting point with international programmers, producers and other industry professionals who can help productions find audiences and partners overseas.

The "China On Stage" program seeks to turn those encounters into longer-term collaboration, bringing together established performing arts organizations, theater schools and emerging artists while giving international audiences and industry professionals a closer look at the diversity of contemporary Chinese theater.