Curtain set to rise on Jing'an Theater Festival

The Shanghai Jing'an Theater Festival, running from April 25 to June 2, features a sweeping line-up of international and local productions.

This year's festival includes 84 performances across 20 productions from China, the UK, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, and beyond – nearly 90 percent of the international works will make their China debut.

Productions will be staged across seven venues, including Daning Theatre, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, and FANCL Arts Center.

Among the most anticipated is "Julie," a re-imagining of August Strindberg's classic by acclaimed British director Rebecca Frecknall. The production marks the Chinese debut of International Theater Amsterdam, with a three-night run at Daning Theatre.

Canadian theater visionary Robert Lepage will bring "The Far Side of the Moon" – a gripping story of two brothers, which has toured 22 countries for more than 25 years -– to Chinese audiences for the first time.

Italian theater master Pippo Delbono will present "Amore" and "Il Risveglio," co-produced with Emilia Romagna Teatro ERT and Teatro Nazionale. These, too, will be making their China debuts.

"Amore" features non-professional performers and blends Portuguese fado music with poetry from around the world. "Il Risveglio," Delbono's 2024 work, features a live score by cellist Giovanni Ricciardi and draws from the director's own experiences with illness and loss.

Other standout productions include the festival's closer, "The Garden of Delights," by French director Philippe Quesne, and an eight-hour staging of "The Master and Margarita" by the St. Petersburg Masterskaya Theatre.

Ticket prices start at 100 yuan (US$13.7), with all international shows capped at 680 yuan. Tickets are available via Maoyan and Damai.