Upcoming Season – “Fall for Great Souls” Series at National Taichung Theater

This year, Fall for Great Souls series at National Taichung Theater (NTT) presents 11 spectacular programmes, featuring outstanding artists from various disciplines and pushing the boundary of creativity and imagination.

The last part of NTT’s 4-year programme, Götterdämmerung of Wagner’s Ring cycle opens the season. Engaging over 250 artists and performers, this production features the stage director Carlus Padirssa from the innovative Spanish theater company La Fura dels Baus, several world’s leading dramatic vocalists, a local choir and National Symphony Orchestra.

Götterdämmerung (Photo credit: La Fura dels Baus)

Acclaimed by the Guardian as “a global wanderer in search of theatrical truth,” the legendary theatre director Peter Brook questions about and explores the nature of theatre with Why?, a production by Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, through asking “Why theatre? What’s it for? What is it about?” and creates a dramatic and joyful journey. Jakop Ahlbom Company brings its awarded work Lebensraum, inspired by the performance of the gifted comedian Buster Keaton, a fun and brilliant piece telling the story of two men trying to solve the problem of short of space in a physical style embracing mime, theatre and live music.

Lebensraum (Photo credit: Jakop Ahlbom Company)

The influential choreographer Akram Khan’s latest work, XENOS, marks his final performance as a dancer in a full-length piece. Akram gives voice to the shell-shocked dream of a colonial soldier in the First World War, and reveals the beauty and horror of the human condition in its portrait of an Indian dancer whose skilled body becomes an instrument of war.

One of the most prestigious orchestras, Royal Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam makes its debut in Taichung. Led by internationally renowned conductor Paavo Järvi and joined by German pianist Lars Vogt, Royal Concertgebouworkest presents a classical programme consisting of German masterpieces to the audience.

The series’ domestic dimension features puppetry, contemporary dance, music theatre and traditional Taiwanese opera. In collaboration with Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki, Dance Forum Taipei stages Dance Force to present three pieces of poetic beauty – Zero Body, South and In the blink of an eye. Whilst EXCHANGE by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and TAO Dance Theater brings three world premieres by visionary choreographers – Lin Hwai-min, Tao Ye and Cheng Tsung-lung – and performed by two celebrated companies.

EXCHANGE by Lin Hwai-min, Tao Ye and Cheng Tsung-lung

Sunlight after Snowfall by GuoGuang Opera Company transforms Wang Xi-zhi’s 24-word calligraphic letter, a priceless item housed in National Palace Museum in Taipei, to a touching story. Acclaimed conductor Chien Wen-pin is performing the music with Evergreen Symphony Orchestra. Tang Mei Yun Taiwanese Opera Company’s Romancing in the Moonlight reveals the romance between two xiao-sheng actors from two different Beiguan music schools and verbalises the love of the young couple.

Romancing in the Moonlight by Tang Mei Yun Taiwanese Opera Company

A solo play mixed with puppetry, paper cut, and shadow art, White Storyteller by The Party Theater Group takes the audience back to the history during the period of Martial Law in Taiwan. Music theatre Before the Sunrise features celebrated actress and director Sylvia Chang and talented pianist Yen Chun-chieh, combining integrating recitation, live performance, acoustic and visual effects with magical and unforgettable classic music masterpiece.

Visit National Taichung Theater’s website for more information.