With a rich history of 600 years, and recognised by UNESCO in 2001 as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity, Kunqu is the oldest existing form of opera in China. It is characterised by its melodious song accompanied by flute, its music, the fact that the actors sing while dancing, the grace of its ballets, and its repertoire. Roles in Kunqu opera can be divided into five typical parts: Sheng (young male characters), Dan (female characters), Jing (male characters with painted faces), Mo (middle-aged or elderly male characters), and Chou (comic characters). TANG Xianzu’s Dream On Dreams is a delicate portrait of the Four Dreams of TANG Xianzu, focusing on good manners, feelings, Buddhism, and Taoism. TANG Xianzu, who lived under the Ming dynasty in the 16th century, was one of the most famous and talented Chinese playwrights. The Peony Pavillion is often considered to be his masterpiece.

This is a new Kunqu opera production by the Zuni Icosahedron company after the work of TANG Xianzu. It is interpreted by the Jiangsu Kunqu Opera House, the best Kunqu company, based in Nanjing.

Co-production Jiangsu Kunqu Opera House Creation and production ZUNI ICOSAHEDRON Director and producer Mathias WOO Performers KE Jun, SHI Xiaomei, HU Jinfang, ZHAO Jian, GONG Yinlei, LI Hongliang, CHAN Ho-fung

Surtitles: FR/ NL

Support Province of Jiangsu, Home Affairs Bureau, Hong Kong SAR

In the framework of the weekend "Traditional Voices europalia.china à BOZAR"

Source: www.europalia.eu