The Song of the Goat Theatre bases its performances on the work with body and voice, referring to a variety of musical traditions. This visually simple and austere formula, focusing on creating emotional bonds between the actors and the audience, is very well received throughout the world, it also fits very well to the profile of the Wuzhen festival. The Festival managers personally selected Wrocław-based comapny's performance inspired by Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard to be presented at the event. This classical drama, bringing up the topic of a lost paradise in a simple yet innovative way, made a big impression on the Chinese audience and reinforced the image of Polish theatre as having its own unique style and avoiding banality. The performance was directed by Grzegorz Bral, and the music was composed by Guy Pearson in duet with Maciej Rychły. This was the first staging of a play by the Song of the Goat Theatre in China.
The performance was enthusiastically received by the festival audience and got many positive reviews from the viewers in the Chinese social media:
Last night I watched music performance Portraits of The Cherry Orchard, Polish production based on Chekhov's play. Wonderfully tragic, it was a true feast for the eyes, the ears and the heart. Every actor was excellent. As my friend said: 'If Chekhov could see it, he would love it'. Really great. I'm so happy today.
- Hongliao, 23rd October, 2015
For me, Portraits of The Cherry Orchard is not a drama, but some kind of a mystical experience. It didn't bring to mind my own experiences, but opened for me entirely new areas I had no idea of , I could only guess they existed. This performance reassured me and gave me some precious strength. I told the actors and the director with gestures about my feelings and we understood each other without words. Thank you, creators of this world, you are real angels!
- Sang Ge Ge, 23rd October, 2015
Wuzhen Theatre Festival is a new annual event, co-founded and led by one of China's leading theatre directors, Mr Meng Jinghui, who is also the director of the Beijing Fringe Festival. The nine-day festival takes place in the beautiful scenery of the ancient Wuzhen town located near Shanghai.
Venue: East Warehouse Theatre, Wuzhen
Time: 21st-24th October, 2015, performances staged daily at 7:30 pm
Co-organizers: Culture.pl, Wuzhen Theatre Festival