Butterfly, a bilingual musical drama produced by Chinese and Australian artists, was unveiled in Beijing on January 17.

Adapted from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, the new drama is set in 1930s Shanghai and tells the story of a Chinese girl waiting for her American lover, and who is eventually abandoned.

On stage each of the actors perform in their mother tongue to weave a narrative exploring the tragedies that can come from a lack of understanding between different cultures, a phenomenon that occurs even in this era of frequent international exchanges.

Facilitated by the Ministry of Culture of China, the drama was jointly funded by the National Theater Company of China, Arts Centre Melbourne and the PlayKing Production Company, the three of which will share the box office revenue in proportion to their investment.

Chinese producer Li Jia’ou said this new model for collaboration will allow a more equal and positive experience for each of the partners. The project enabled the Chinese production team to develop its understanding of international art management.

The drama has drawn international attention due to its famous director Peter Wilson and scriptwriter, Daniel Keene. After a national tour in China, Butterfly will be performed at the Melbourne Art Festival in October as the debut of its world tour.

Source from China Today