A. Picnic in the Cemetery / B. Mr. Shi and His Lover

A. Picnic in the Cemetery

Picnic in the Cemetery juxtaposes the macabre with the light-hearted – acknowledging on the one hand the inevitable destination for all of us, asking on the other hand whimsical questions about choices we make in life. It invites the audience to muse about dying, but more importantly to reflect on living.

At the core of our work is a selection of original chamber music set for violin, cello and piano, and can be enjoyed as such. But the work is in fact a concert, an installation, a theatrical performance and a filmic experience rolled into one. It is music theatre, now.

B. Mr. Shi and His Lover

In 1986, a French diplomat was sentenced to six years in prison for spying for China after he began an affair in the ’60s with the Chinese opera singer Mr. Shi. The diplomat claimed that for twenty years he believed Mr. Shi was a woman… Inspired by this mystery, Mr. Shi and His Lover re-imagines the characters’ inner thoughts to illuminate their enigmatic affair and the ensuing espionage scandal that rocked the political world. Stylistically varied, the score draws inspirations from opera, musicals and vintage pop from both East and West.