RSC AND SHANGHAI DRAMATIC ARTS CENTRE TODAY ANNOUNCE NEW COLLABORATION
Issued: 21 October 2015 16:00
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY AND SHANGHAI DRAMATIC ARTS CENTRE TODAY ANNOUNCE NEW COLLABORATION TO STAGE CHINESE PRODUCTION OF SHAKESPEARE’S HENRY V IN 2016
The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre today signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a new Chinese production of Henry V in 2016, premiering at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre in November 2016.
The production will be based on the RSC’s new theatrically-viable Chinese translation of Shakespeare’s Henry V, currently in development, a process which started in the Company’s rehearsal rooms this summer. Acclaimed playwright and SDAC Artistic Director, Nick Yu, is leading the pilot project with RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, and Professor Zhang Chong, to translate the text into an actor-friendly version, accessible for contemporary audiences. It will be the first project in the RSC’s initiative to translate all Shakespeare’s plays in the First Folio into Chinese. A parallel project will see translations of Chinese classics into English.
RSC Associate Director, Owen Horsley, will direct the Chinese production of Henry V and an RSC creative team, led by Owen, will work with SDAC colleagues to stage it in Shanghai. It is intended to be the first time in China that a Chinese theatre company will demonstrate the RSC’s approach to staging Shakespeare. The collaboration will bring Shakespeare’s work to a new audience in his 400th anniversary year.
Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre on their new production of Henry V, based on a translation developed in the heart of our rehearsal rooms. We learn so much about one another’s culture through sharing the stories we tell. This will be a fantastic opportunity for Chinese artists and theatre makers and the RSC’s theatre makers and technical teams to work together to share skills and experiences, and build a new understanding of theatre in both cultures.”
Nick Yu, Artistic Director, SDAC, said: “We are so pleased to be bringing Shakespeare to new audiences and connecting theatre practitioners, writers and educators in both countries. Through collaboration, we will all gain a deeper understanding of each other's culture, traditions, society and increase knowledge of industry practices.”
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For further information about the RSC, please contact:
Liz Thompson liz.thompson@rsc.org.uk
Amy Belson amy.belson@rsc.org.uk
For further information about SDAC, please contact huangophelia@gmail.com
Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre (SDAC) is Shanghai’s one and only national theatre company. Located in China’s financial capital, the company houses a large group of top skilled and highly experienced theatre talents, including: playwrights, directors, actors, technical designers, etc. SDAC also owns three versatile theatres of various sizes totalling 1000 seating capacity. Every year, SDAC presents more than 800 theatre performances including company in-house productions and external Chinese or international touring productions, reaching more than 300,000 audiences around the world. Upholding core values of artistic development with a global outlook, SDAC aims to serve as the leading model for China’s performing arts industry, create works that center on people, and continue its development into a world-renowned first-rate modern theatre company befitting Shanghai’s status as an international cultural metropolis.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world. We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today's writers. Everyone at the RSC - from actors to armourers, musicians to technicians - plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. All our productions begin life at our Stratford workshops and theatres and we bring them to the widest possible audience through our touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre. We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We reach over 530,000 children and young people annually through our education work, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online.
Registered charity no. 212481 www.rsc.org.uk
THE RSC’S CURRENT PRODUCTION OF HENRY V IS SUPPORTED BY MARK PIGOTT KBE
The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST
