‘Vulgar and disrespectful’: China theatre faces backlash over sexist promotions for famous Russian musical performance
- Musical rework of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina set to open in China
- Venue attacked for making good looks, beautiful bodies major selling point
A theatre in China has landed itself in hot water over what has been described as a “vulgar and disrespectful” promotional campaign for one of the world’s most famous classic musicals.
The venue in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in the east of the country, which is showing the classic musical Anna Karenina has faced a barrage of criticism for focusing primarily on the actors’ appearances.
Promotional material also included the controversial statement: “If modern people aren’t lascivious, what else are they interested in?”
Audiences have criticised the marketing strategy as “vulgar and disrespectful”.
Anna Karenina, the globally acclaimed novel by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, delves into themes of betrayal, faith, family, and marriage.
It tells the life story of the protagonist, Anna, and her pursuit for love and happiness in an extramarital affair which ultimately leads to her tragic demise amid societal hypocrisy and selfishness.