Poster of Pianist VS Cellist

Poster of An Opening or Closed Door

Avignon and Beijing are two cities with a distance of over 8300 kilometers. However, during more than 100 days from summer to autumn, artists from both China and France staged a magnificent theatre gala in those two cities. In Beijing this September, 6 dramas from Avignon Theatre Festival brought a great surprise to audience who summarized the most significant characteristic as “beyond imagination” or “never seen before”. As many performing styles were first-time experience for Beijing audience, they often applauded “bravo” for the unit “Taste from Avignon”. Take an example of the first production titled Pianist PK Cellist, the interesting humor and high-standard musical presentation are the main features. In China, though the idea is possible, it is really hard to find the performers who are capable of musicality and acting at the same time. Despite so, such creational concept and approach of unique thinking provide helpful reference for young theatre makers in China. Comparatively speaking, in the respect of individual capability and technology, Chinese theatre creation is competitive with any excellent team in the world. On the other hand, we lack overall creational ideas and comprehensive talents that European counterpart take pride in. As for imagination and tolerance in theatre, we still have a long way to go.

In July, famous Chinese director Meng Jinghui headed China Theatre Delegation to Avignon in South France to participate the festival. From July 8 till 31, each Chinese theatre production was staged on consecutive 24 occasions, which dedicated a magnificent banquet of Chinese theatre to this most internationally influential theatre festival. In September, six productions from Avignon were presented as “Taste from Avignon” Theatre Performing Season on the stage of Beijing International Youth Theatre Festival, where Chinese audience enjoyed the authentic French theatre a lot.  

Pianist VS Cellist

Show de Divas

This year, China Theatre Delegation staged altogether 6 productions in OFF Unit. They are Multimedia Drama Disguise directed by Feng Jiangzhou and Zhang Lin, Experimental Drama Sheer Daydream directed by Huang Ying, Dance Drama Born in July directed by Xin Xin, Experimental Drama Hamlet Machine directed by Wang Chong, Musical Love of Three Oranges directed by Meng Jinghui and Musical Poetic Drama If the World is Blind directed by Shao Zehui. It is worthwhile to mention that, except Meng Jinghui and his production, the other six directors debuted in Beijing International Youth Theatre Festival and through this gained maturity in theatre production. Participation in Avignon Theatre Festival is also a kind of recognition for those young directors’ efforts in recent creation.

As far as presentation form of theatre festival is concerned, Avignon Theatre Festival is more like a real festival while Beijing International Youth Theatre Festival is nothing but a performance season, which might be the most distinct cultural difference in China-France theatre exchange. Avignon in July is just a sea of theatre with 35 productions in IN Unit and 1143 productions in OFF Unit. Performing artists and audience filled this city, posters of theatre performance were throughout every avenue and street, and parade performance took place everywhere. On each square, you will enjoy the open-air performance free of charge. As working staff of Avignon Theatre Festival claimed, this is more a carnival than a simple theatre festival. It is quite rare to feel such a carnival atmosphere or get in such a close contact with audience in the street in any theatre festival or performing season in Beijing. In China, the publicity is only made through media, while every and each actor is the very media in Avignon. In China, the performance is limited to theatre stage as we have great difficulty in obtaining approval for open-air performance, let alone improvision in the street. It is our concern that such a limitation in performing venue and academic performing style will hinder the possible further development of Chinese theatre. As theatre has become a living style in many European festivals, it remains to be artistic being for minority appreciation in Beijing, the metropolis with most developed culture in China.   

With only four sessions, compared with Avignon Theatre Festival with a history of 65 years, Beijing International Youth Theatre Festival is far from being mature. Nevertheless, thanks to the strategic cooperation agreement between those two theatre festivals in Beijing and Avignon, in the three years to follow, they will exchange outstanding productions to each other’s festival.