About

The Xiqu Centre’s Black Box Chinese Opera Festival presents experimental productions offering new perspectives on an ancient performance art. Every year, the festival showcases original works in a range of regional genres and styles. Devised and adapted for the modern stage, each production merges history and tradition with innovative stage technologies, highlighting the diversity and vitality of the heritage art form through bold experimentation and a contemporary sensibility, all within a 100-minute format.

The Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2023, generously supported by the Yam Kim Fai and Pak Suet Sin Charitable Foundation, presents five highly acclaimed experimental xiqu productions. This year, we are delighted to welcome two renowned guest troupes: the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe with the experimental kunqu opera The Chairs and the Jin Liansheng Gaojia Opera Troupe of Xiamen City with the experimental gaojia opera Sister A Da. Audiences can also enjoy three of the Xiqu Centre’s original experimental Cantonese operas – Farewell My Concubine (New Adaptation), Wenguang Explores the Valley and The Imperial Decree (Preview) – which return to the stage with new elements and updated scripts, honouring the innovative spirit of the festival.

In addition to the performances, we present the Living Heritage Workshop Series – a fun, hands-on programme offering participants the chance to explore and learn about traditional xiqu-related handicrafts.

Our vision for the Black Box Chinese Opera Festival is to create a permanent platform for creation and exchange, and to bring together artists from around the globe to preserve and promote this important heritage art form. We look forward to seeing the festival become a key date on the performance arts calendar alongside established Black Box festivals in the region.