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Performing China on the London Stage

Chinese Opera and Global Power, 1759–2008

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  • © 2016

Overview

Authors:
  1. Ashley Thorpe

    1. Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom

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  • Offers a unique and fascinating focus on a rarely investigated subject

  • Explores traditional as well as modern conceptions of Chinese opera on stage

  • Proposes how Chinese theatre in London has been used as a foil for better understanding British theatrical practice

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xviii
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  2. Introduction: Mirrors of Empire

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 1-10

  3. Chinese Drama in the European Imagination Before 1736

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 11-23

  4. ‘Confucius’ Morals to Britannia’s Ears’: Modern Virtue in The Orphan of China, 1736–1759

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 25-49

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

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 51-84

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

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 85-102

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

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 103-135

  8. A Traditional Play in the Traditional Manner: Chinese Opera and the Politics of Diplomacy, 1946–1958

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 137-159

  9. Chinese Opera in the Diaspora from 1949

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 161-180

  10. Opening the Stage Door: Opera, Reform and International Economic Policy, 1979–2008

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 181-206

  11. Postmodern Politics: Olympic Ties and Cultural Exchange in 2008

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 207-224

  12. Conclusion

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages 225-228

  13. Erratum to: Performing China on the London Stage

    • Ashley Thorpe
    Pages E1-E2

  14. Back Matter

    Pages 229-263
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Keywords

About this book

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’.

Reviews

“Thorpe’s study offers a wonderful overview of the ways in which Chinese theater has been imagined, translated, adapted, and imported onto the London Stage for four hundred years. … Much more useful and interesting is the way this large overarching thesis allows for a series of fascinating case studies of Chinese theater imagined, imported, translated, and adapted for the London audience.” (Paize Keulemans, CHINOPERL, Vol. 37 (2), 2018)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom

    Ashley Thorpe

About the author

Ashley Thorpe is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Drama & Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. His first book, The Role of the Clown (‘Chou’) in Traditional Chinese Drama was published in 2007, and he has contributed to numerous journals, including Contemporary Theatre Review, Theatre Research International and Asian Theatre Journal.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Performing China on the London Stage

  • Book Subtitle: Chinese Opera and Global Power, 1759–2008

  • Authors: Ashley Thorpe

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59786-1

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London

  • eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-59785-4Published: 06 October 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95581-7Published: 27 June 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-59786-1Published: 21 September 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVIII, 263

  • Number of Illustrations: 5 b/w illustrations, 4 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Theatre and Performance Studies, Music, Cultural History, Asian Culture

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