The Returning/ Winterreise with Chinese Cast Premiere in Shanghai

Voices from the North – Norwegian Contemporary Playwriting Series

 

Venue, Date and Time:

Shanghai Huangpu Theatre， July 21-23 19:30

Beijing Penghao Theatre, July 28 19:30; July 29 14:30 and 19:30

Producer: Ibsen International

Co-Producer: SHNU International Theatre Workshop

Original production by Divine Comédie (France)

Supported by： Huangpu Theatre (Shanghai) and NLGX Theatre Festival (Beijing)

Director: Jean Christophe.Blondel (Divine Comédie)

Playwright: Fredrik Brattberg

 

Cast:

Xu Kun – Father (The Returning)

Wang Hong – Mother (The Returning)

Dong Xiangyu – Gustav (The Returning)

Dong Xiangyu – Alred (Winterreise)

Gao Xiaoyan – Anne (Winterreise)

Liu Yutong – Hilde (Winterreise)

SYNOPSIS

This play collide The Returning and Winterreise by Norwegian writer Frederick Brattberg (winner of Ibsen Award 2012) directed by French renowned theatre director Jean-Christophe Blondel (Divine Comédie) . The Returning is about a couple repairing their lives after their son is killed in an avalanche, until they hear a knock at the door and the inconceivable occurs. Winterreise tells the story of a couple returning from the hospital with their newborn baby trying to cope with an incredible change in their life.

CREATIVES:

Playwright: Fredrik Brattberg

In 2012, Fredrik Brattberg was awarded the prestigious Norwegian Ibsen Award for his play Tilbakekomstene (The Returning). Brattberg’s plays have been translated into eleven languages and published in Netherlands, Astonia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Norway. His plays are frequently produced in festivals and theatres in Europe, America and Canada. Along his role as a renowned playwright, Brattberg is also an excellent classical musician and he has created more than 40 musical pieces. His representative works include Tilbakekomstene, Winterreise, et banker, Amadeus.

 

Director: Jean Christophe.Blondel

Since 2006, Blondel has developed a work of theatrical creation based on three main principles: Exploring a classic and contemporary repertory; a focus on how the works resonate with the issues of our time, socio-political (inter) cultural, philosophical and spiritual; bring together artists possessing a strong identity, all bearing a strong sense of drama, but speaking in remote areas:  acting, choreography, improvised music, puppetry. Divine Comedy is subsidized by the Ministry of Culture, local communities that it belongs, the city of Rouen, and several civil societies (JTN, Adami, ODIA, SPEDIDAM, etc ). In China, it is supported by the French institute, Embassies, Consulates and private companies (EDF, France Telecom), Chinese partners (universities, theatre academies). His works, including Partage de Midiby Claudel, Princess Maleineby Maeterlinck and Pommera, have toured around China.

 

CREDITS:

Lighting designer: Marco Benigno

Lighting operator: He Yiyi, Zhou Yuqi (Shanghai)

Hou Zhengya (Beijing)

Set designer: Margueritte Rousseau

Stage Manager: Zhang Yongyue

Producer: Fabrizio Massini, Ivan Ruviditch

Executive Producer： Shiya Lu

Production Assistant: Zhang Wenwei

Interpreter：Tang Jie, Dai Linke