400 years on, Shakespeare brought to life
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, February 6, 2016
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, a series of cultural, educational and digital events will be organized worldwide, including in Shanghai, where major actors like Sir Ian McKellen will host screenings.
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A scene from "Henry IV" by Royal Shakespeare Company |
Under the title "Shakespeare Lives in 2016" the program spans more than 140 countries and regions and also has an eventful plan for China.
All plays and sonnets by the great British poet and playwright have been translated and published in Chinese since the early 20th century, and many Chinese are familiar with his work. Shakespeare Lives will bring both classic and new Shakespeare productions from England to China.
British actor Sir Ian McKellen, known for his role as Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" series, will attend the Shanghai International Film Festival this summer to showcase a screening of Shakespeare adaptations curated by British Film Institute.
McKellen played various Shakespearean roles, and most notably co-wrote and starred the critically acclaimed "Richard III"(1995), in which the story was moved to the 1930s England, with references to World War II.
Other highlights of the celebration include "King and Country" tour of Royal Shakespeare Company featuring "Henry IV Parts 1 and 2" and "Henry V," "The Merchant of Venice" from Shakespeare's Globe, screenings of National Theater productions such as "Hamlet" starring Benedict Cumberbatch, among other performances throughout the year.
"Shakespeare is one of the world's greatest cultural icons," Barbara Woodward, British ambassador to China, said at the launch event at the National Center for the Performing Arts earlier this week.
"Even today, 400 years after his death, his works continue to thrill audiences not just here in China but all across the globe — Shakespeare's works transcend time and cultures. I'm delighted that Shakespeare Lives will recognize one of our most celebrated icons."
Later this month, "King and Country: Shakespeare's Great Cycle of Kings," produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company will start touring Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. In consecutive nights, the audience can explore the royal lineage and complex struggle of the kings.
Later in November, the company will also launch its collaboration with Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center — a Chinese production of "Henry V." The play will also spearhead a major 10-year cultural exchange collaboration of the Royal Shakespeare Company, devoted to translate Chinese classics into English.
The year 2016 is not only the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, but also that of Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu (1550-1616). Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center has collaborated with the British Gecko Theater on a new work exploring the connections between the two masters who wrote plays around the same time period.
Tang resigned from his post as a government official and devoted the rest of his life to writing poems and plays. Four of the plays involve a significant amount of dream sequences and are considered his most influential.
The themes of lost dreams, the interruption of dreams and the discovering or reflection of dreams are consistent in many of his plays.
The new collaboration, scheduled to premiere in October, seeks to connect and reinvent Tang's dream theme with Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Shakespeare's Globe, the reconstruction of the original Globe Theater where Shakespeare staged his plays, will also bring its production "A Merchant of Venice" to China, where it is among the best-known and most-played stories by Shakespeare.
"William Shakespeare epitomizes cultural impact and relations, with his works inspiring people around the world. Our exciting Shakespeare Lives program will enable audiences all across China to rediscover and celebrate Shakespeare's works," said Carma Elliot, director of the British Council China.
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