Summer Performances: Peter Shaffer's 'Equus' makes theatrical debut in Chinese mainland

World
Europe

02:11

China is ushering in the summer season with a plethora of performances. First up -- a local production of British playwright Peter Shaffer's "Equus" has made its debut in the Chinese mainland. AND renowned Japanese conductor Tomo'mi Nishi'moto takes the baton for a concert by the China National Symphony Orchestra. Let's take a look.

"Equus" tells the story of a youth who commits violent acts against horses, and reveals the vulnerability in his heart and his strained relations with the outside world.

The play was originally staged at the National Theatre in London in 1973. At that time, it set a record high of 1,200 performances on Broadway, and won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1975.

This version is directed by Ban Zan and features a cast comprised entirely of actors from the Beijing People's Art Theatre, including Wang Jiajun and He Jing.

BAN ZAN DIRECTOR "It's a play about psycho-social problems, which meets the aesthetic expectations of people today. I barely made any changes to the script, but I combined the aesthetics of traditional Chinese operas in the show."

Meanwhile, the China National Symphony Orchestra has presented a concert in the capital city. Taking the baton is renowned Japanese conductor Tomomi Nishimoto, who is currently serving as the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Illuminart Philharmonic Orchestra.

Nishimoto's last collaboration with the orchestra was in 2016, conducting Russian works. This time, it was repertoires by Chinese composers such as the "Symphony Overture No. 1".

TOMOMI NISHIMOTO JAPANESE CONDUCTOR "This is the first time I conducted Chinese music, which is very exciting. I'm glad to have the chance to get to know the charm of Chinese music, and I'm looking forward to having more opportunities to cooperate with Chinese orchestras in the future."