Liu Sola and Friends with Ensemble Modern
Kwai Tsing Theatre
Reviewed: Nov 7
This production is the brainchild of Liu Sola, a prolific composer, writer and vocalist best known for her fusion of Chinese and western styles.
Loosely based on the life of Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's fourth wife and chief instigator of the Cultural Revolution, the plot unfolds through a mixture of fact and fantasy. Liu plays the Red Queen, an old woman deranged by dreams of power. Confined to an insane asylum, she remembers the devil (Beijing opera singer Zhen Jianhua) guiding her along the road to power. A young nurse (Mando-pop singer Wu Jing), who also trades sex for influence, acts as her foil. Events take place both on stage, with the musicians participating in the action, and on a video screen, where the Red Queen sees images of herself at various stages in her life - as a B-movie starlet, a Beijing opera diva and a revolutionary leader.
The show offers an eclectic blend of musical styles - ancient Chinese zither melodies give way to the tango; Beijing opera is paired with expressionist declamation. But this was no 'east meets west' gimmick. Allusions to the various styles made dramatic sense, revealing character or dictating the action on stage.