SINGAPORE, May 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The celebrated Chinese dance drama Dream in Peony Pavilion has successfully concluded its highly anticipated overseas premiere at the Esplanade Theatre, captivating audiences from 22 to 24 May with a contemporary reimagining of the Ming Dynasty classic literary masterpiece, bridging classical Chinese forms with modern sensibilities.
On 24 May, H.E. Cao Zhongming, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Singapore, accompanied by Counsellor Cai Shandi, attended the performance of the dance drama and spoke highly of the production. Following the performance, the Ambassador went on stage to express congratulations to the dancers.
International Premiere After Domestic Success
Produced and presented by Suzhou Cultural Investment and Development Group and He Sheng Dance Theatre, locally promoted by Willow Arts, the production arrives in Singapore after a hit tour of over 90 performances across 26 cities in China. Previously it was invited by the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival as its closing performance, and it had a full house for every performance.
The staging marks a return to the Esplanade of Li Xing, the director and choreographer, recipient of China's coveted Wenhua Award for professional performing arts. His directorial works include the successful dance drama A Dream of Red Mansions, which was performed here in 2024.
A Tribute to a 400-Year-Old Literary Masterpiece
For this production, Li collaborated with Huang Jiayuan, an outstanding young director and choreographer, condensing Tang Xianzu's original script of a 55-scene opera into a two-act dance drama.
Widely regarded as one of China's four great theatrical masterpieces, Dream in Peony Pavilion (1598) was penned by Tang Xianzu, the playwright often celebrated as the "Shakespeare of the East". It tells the story of Du Liniang, who falls in love with a young scholar in her dreams and eventually wastes away, dying of her intense longing. Later, the scholar, Liu Mengmei, discovers Liniang's self-portrait, setting the stage for a romance that defies all odds.
Li Xing noted that he was drawn to adapt the work because Tang's profound belief in zhiqing (supreme love) continues to echo with modern youths, hailing the opera's pivotal dream sequence as the most breathtaking in Chinese literary history.
Departing from traditional kunqu opera staging, the production retains selected classical lyrics while entrusting the main narrative to the dancers' expressive choreography to overcome language barriers, allowing audiences to focus deeply on the characters' interior lives.
Communications Beyond the Stage
To complement the performance, the team engaged with local student communities ahead of opening night. On 21 May, the company hosted an artists talk at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) titled 'Classics in a Contemporary Context: To See the World, To Find Oneself', drawing a vibrant crowd in a relaxed and warm atmosphere.
During the session, director Huang Jiayuan shared her creative vision and stage aesthetics, while lead dancers Li Qian, Hu Jie, and Zhang Yin discussed how performing allowed them to 'see the world' through their characters and ultimately 'find themselves' within the dance. The panelists noted that bringing this 400-year-old Chinese story to Singapore was, in itself, a journey of 'seeing the world'.
Throughout the three-day performances, the excitement extended well beyond the stage. The Esplanade Theatre foyer was buzzing with activity as audiences explored several Singapore-exclusive memorabilia experiences. Hundreds of theatergoers arrived early to interact with full-cast character standees and dedicated photo opportunities. Long, enthusiastic queues formed as audiences waited to collect their commemorative tickets and get the souvenir stamp designed specifically for the Singapore tour, creating an undeniable fervor throughout the entire weekend.
An Ethereal and Immersive Dreamscape
On stage, the production's minimalist scenography—defined by diaphanous silks, mist, and shadow—conjured an ethereal dreamscape. The immersion was heightened by a structural extension of the pavilion that reached out directly into the auditorium, breaking "the fourth wall" and bringing the audience into proximity with the dancers.
The Singapore premiere of Dream in Peony Pavilion proves that masterpieces of this caliber are never confined by the eras of their creation or the borders of their origin. By bringing Tang Xianzu's grand romantic vision to the Lion City through a modern lens, the production achieves something remarkable: it turns a 400-year-old Chinese literary treasure into a shared, living experience for a multicultural audience. Ultimately, the performance demonstrates that although languages and artistic forms change, the raw power of human emotion remains universal.
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Acclaimed Chinese Dance Drama Dream in Peony Pavilion Makes Overseas Premiere at the Esplanade Singapore
