Performing China on the London stage : Chinese opera and global power, 1759-2008 / Ashley Thorpe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thorpe, Ashley, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Operas, Chinese--Political aspects.

Operas, Chinese.

Operas, Chinese--England--London--History.

History.

England--London.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xviii, 263 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

London, UK : Palgrave Macmillan, [2016]

Summary:

"This book details the history of Chinese theatre, and British representations of Chinese theatre, on the London stage over a 250-year period. A wide range of performance case studies - from exhibitions and British Chinese opera inspired theatre, to translations of Chinese plays and visiting troupes - highlight the evolving nature of Sino-British trade, fashion, migration, the formation of diaspora, and international relations. Collectively, they outline the complex relationship between Britain and China - the rise and fall of the British Empire, and the fall and rise of China - as it was played out on the stages of London across three centuries. Drawing extensively upon archival materials and fieldwork research, the book offers new insights for intercultural British theatre in the 21st century - the Asian century."--p. 4 of cover

Contents:

Chinese Drama in the European Imagination Before 1736

Confucius Morals to Britannia's Ears: Modern Virtue in The Orphan of China, 1736-1759

From Page to Stage: Chinese Opera and the Rise and Fall of Empires, 1759-1913

Fashion, Chinoiserie and Modernity in The Circle of Chalk, 1929

Seeking Subalterneity in S. I. Hsiung's Lady Precious Stream, 1934

A traditional play in the traditional manner: Chinese Opera and the Politics of Diplomacy, 1946-1958

Chinese Opera in the Diaspora from 1949

Opening the Stage Door: Opera, Reform and International Economic Policy, 1979-2008

Postmodern Politics: Olympic Ties and Cultural Exchange in 2008

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliography and index.

ISBN:

1137597852

9781137597854

OCLC:

945231320