Coriolanus and Du Liniang

In an all-female production, the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe interweaves Shakespeare’s Coriolanus with Tang Zianzu’s The Peony Pavilion, introducing the two lead characters to each other in a dream. Separated by 5,000 miles, Tang and Shakespeare lived and worked in the same century, each the most popular playwright of their time in their respective countries. In 1616, both died, each leaving behind an incredible body of work for future generations to enjoy. Coriolanus and Du Liniang is a spectacularly visual celebration of the lives and legacies of these two playwrights explored through Chinese opera with performances in London.

In this production, Coriolanus, the story of a Roman general who runs a campaign for political office but is later banished by his own people, is entwined with Tang Xianzu’s The Peony Pavilion, which follows Du Liniang, the daughter of an important Chinese official, who one day falls asleep in her garden and dreams that she encounters a handsome scholar. Blending Shakespeare’s destructive tragedy with Tang Xianzu’s love story, this brand new Yue Opera production will see the two central characters meet on stage. Whilst Coriolanus makes a decision which ultimately costs him his life, Du Liniang’s heartbroken death is a sign of hope to be resurrected with her love once more.