Australian Premiere Season
National Theatre
of China
(China)
Rhinoceros
in Love
China’s most popular
contemporary drama,
Rhinoceros in Love is a
provocative tale of unrequited
love and the darkly unhinged
desperation of youth.
When this upbeat production first exploded
onto the Beijing stage it was a lone voice in
the wilderness, an experimental play bucking
the tradition-bound world of Chinese theatre.
Now it is a certified smash-hit – and the first
shot in a Far East theatrical revolution.
Uniting a distinctive, stark visual style,
a pop-song littered soundtrack and a
thoroughly modern story of love and
obsession, this landmark staging of
Rhinoceros in Love continues to electrify
Beijing audiences, playing nightly to houses
packed with youthful theatregoers.
Weaving tightly between tragedy and
comedy, it sketches out the tale of
rhinoceros-keeper Ma Lu, a man who
develops a dangerous romantic fascination
with the woman of his dreams: the
uncompromising, unobtainable Mingming.
A hallucinatory tale of a man’s desperate
excesses in pursuit of an unattainable love,
this production is a frenetic and compelling
glimpse of the new face of 21st century
Chinese theatre.
Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles
Warnings Coarse language, cigarette smoking
Director Meng Jinghui
Playwright Liao Yimei
Event Information
the Arts Centre, Playhouse
Thu 6 – Sat 8 Oct at 8pm
Sun 9 Oct at 6pm
1hr 45min no interval
A Reserve Full $75
A Reserve Groups (8+) $67.50
A Reserve Concession $56.25
B Reserve Full $60
B Reserve Concession $45
Student (A & B Reserve) $25
Transaction & booking fees may apply
Save up to 20%. See page 73 for details
the Arts Centre 1300 182 183
theartscentre.com.au
Ticketmaster 1300 723 038
melbournefestival.com.au
“A kind of miracle on China’s drama scene.” China Daily (China)
This presentation was made possible through a partnership involving
Melbourne Festival, Brisbane Festival and Adelaide Festival Centre’s
OzAsia