An experimental Kunqu dreamscape of love and longing, performed solo by acclaimed artist Li An

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The renowned Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe returns to the Xiqu Centre with an experimental black box production inspired by the classic Chinese love story The Romance of the West Chamber.

Blending the elegant lyricism of Kunqu with bold, contemporary staging, the production transforms a dream-based excerpt into a deeper exploration of a familiar tale of love, longing and anguish.

Performed solo by acclaimed national performer Li An, a specialist in xiaosheng (young male) roles, The Dream of the Straw Bridge depicts the joy and heartbreak of young lovers Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying. After bidding farewell to his lover to journey to the capital for the imperial examinations, scholar Zhang Sheng rests at a roadside inn. As he drifts into sleep, and dreams of Cui and the acquaintances who enabled their clandestine meetings, pivotal romantic scenes take on exciting new theatrical forms.

Through Li An’s virtuosic vocal and physical embodiment, the theatrical interaction of the musicians and the production’s minimalist staging, The Dream of the Straw Bridge conjures an atmosphere of enchantment and longing, prompting reflections on love, loss and the illusory nature of reality itself.