Theatre takes Cyprus and China beyond cultural borders

From ancient Greek drama to contemporary Chinese theatre, the stage offers audiences a way to encounter lives, traditions and ideas beyond their ownBy Karen Taylor Theatre has always linked peoples, even when the language on stage is unfamiliar. In both China and Cyprus, this is taking on new energy as theatres offer performers and audiences new ways to look beyond their own cultural horizons. The circumstances are very different: China has a vast and increasingly outward-looking theatre system, taking plays and performances around the world while slowly starting to adapt those from overseas for its own market. Cyprus, on the other hand, as a small island has long valued the contribution of works from overseas to broaden its cultural life. Both are showing how opening the stage to the outside world can bring in fresh ideas, new artistic voices and a wider sense of what theatre can be. The benefits are almost opposite: for China, international theatre offers a window onto different traditions and ways of telling stories, while also providing an opportunity to present Chinese culture to audiences abroad. In Cyprus, festivals, visiting productions, collaborations and cultural exchanges can give local artists access to approaches that might otherwise remain distant. In both, theatre acts as a form of diplomacy; it asks audiences to spend time inside another person’s experience — to listen, empathise and sometimes laugh or feel uncomfortable together. Translation may change the words, but the emotional language of theatre can remain remarkably direct. One of the simplest ways a country can get its culture across to others is through the live screening of theatrical works in cinemas and theatres overseas, a practice that even became popular on TV during the days of Covid. Thoc will stage Murder on the Orient Express This has been seen recently in China with the staging of Rickshaw Boy earlier this summer at the Beijing People’s Art Theater, where nine high-definition cameras and 17 audio tracks were among the audience, streaming every detail of the performance to a wider crowd. Nearly 6,000 students and faculty members across eight universities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in north China watched the same play on campus screens in real time. “From stage to screen, quality artistic resources are now being shared across regions,” said Feng Yuanzheng, president of the Beijing People’s Art Theater. The format has filled the gap for those unable to attend live performances and expanded the theatre’s reach. The National Theater of China, the National Center for the Performing Arts and the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater have all released high-definition video versions of their classic productions. These screenings follow the introduction of high-definition theatre screenings from Britain nearly two decades ago, a cultural event Cyprus audiences also enjoy, with screenings of leading plays broadcast in local theatres, generally with surtitles in Greek and English. Screenings so far this year have included Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by London’s acclaimed National Theatre deputy artistic director Robert Hastie at the Rialto in Limassol and Dr Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick at the Municipal Theatre of Nicosia. Both Rialto and the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (Thoc) are expected to announce further National Theatre Live events for the rest of the season soon. In addition to facilitating the international screening of domestic productions, theatre can also contribute to strengthening of cultural and diplomatic relations between nations by providing opportunities for audiences to engage with and experience theatrical productions originating from other countries. Performers stage a musical set in ancient Dunhuang at the Gansu Grand Theater in Lanzhou In China, this has even seen the staging of traditional Greek dramas. “By understanding a different culture, we can take a broader view of the whole world,” said Luo Tong, a third-generation researcher and translator of Greek dramas. Theatre goers in the country have enjoyed recent stagings of The Birds and Oedipus the King. During the past three decades, director Luo Jinlin has not only adapted ancient Greek plays into Chinese but has also mixed Greek drama and Chinese opera, combining Sophocles’ Antigone with Hebei’s bangziopera, a popular art form in northern China. Chinese opera has also been blended with modern elements like swing, rock and street dance. And in Cyprus, the upcoming Thoc season looks to overseas plays for its agenda, including Murder on the Orient Express, Wuthering Heightsand The Seagull. Thoc said it actively seeks new ways of exchange, especially with other members of the EU, “to revitalise and enrich theatrical production in Cyprus” with co-operation not only including staged productions but exchanges, staff training and programmes that support the international promotion of theatrical development. A theatre live show of Dr Strangelove was shown in Nicosia The experiences of China and Cyprus show that theatre can play a significant role in connecting cultures, expanding artistic horizons and encouraging greater understanding between nations. Perhaps in the future the two will see greater theatrical exchange opening new opportunities for artists and audiences, with more Chinese productions coming to Cyprus and Cypriot theatre even travelling to China. About Mirror of Culture Mirror of Culture is a joint initiative of the Cyprus Mail and the Chinese embassy. It highlights the parallels between Cypriot and Chinese culture to set an example of acceptance, respect and understanding among the various cultural communities on the island, recognising the fundamental importance of culture. Culture is the universal language that transcends many barriers, including language and geography. The aim is to work with diverse cultural communities in Cyprus to share and promote our vibrant cultures to further bolster the bonds among all the people of Cyprus and celebrate the diversity of cultures in the world. Furthermore, the initiative understands the importance of cultural preservation, which is an important way for us to transmit traditions and practices of the past to future generations.