Click here!

The Peony Pavilion

The Peony PavilionPhoto Liu Yang

Part of EIF 2011

Beautiful Du Liniang falls asleep by the Peony Pavilion and dreams of Liu Mengmei, a lover she has never met. She wakes in despair and asks the Flower Goddess to find her lost love. Unable to find him, Liniang dies of a broken heart and is forced to turn to the Infernal Judge of the Underworld for help.

Fei Bo's sensuous choreography is a mesmerising fusion of western classical ballet, complete with a full corps de ballet, and traditional Chinese dance. The Peony Pavilion is one of the most famous love stories in Chinese literature, a deeply romantic tale of the power of love to conquer death. Read more …

This is a full-scale ballet production with lavish sets and sumptuous costumes. It is set to an enchanting and passionate original score by Guo Wenjing, incorporating references to Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Holst's The Planets and Prokofiev's Scythian Suite, performed by the National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra. This is a ballet for dance-lovers of all ages.

More information on this production is available at eif.co.uk.

The critical consensus

Although framed in minimalism, it brings huge waves of emotion until, in the end, it carries the full weight of the ballet as the dancers are reduced to a parade of colour.

Thom Dibdin, The Stage, 15/08/2011

This is a work which imprints stunning images upon the mind time after time.

Mark Brown, The Herald, 14/08/2011

A sumptuous fusion of East and West, the ballet was a feast for the senses.

The Edinburgh Reporter, 16/08/2011

A bold and beautiful ballet for a new age.

Chitra Ramaswamy, The Scotsman, 21/08/2011


Features about The Peony Pavilion

The National Ballet of China bring The Peony Pavilion to Edinburgh Festival 2011

Malcolm Moore, The Telegraph, 29/07/2011

The people's republic of dance

Chitra Ramaswamy, The Scotsman, 08/08/2011

A love that conquers all

The Herald, 09/08/2011

Step-by-step guide to dance: National Ballet of China

Sanjoy Roy, The Guardian, 11/08/2011

Where and when?

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh from Saturday August 13, 2011, until Monday August 15, 2011. More info: http://www.edtheatres.com/festival

Comments: 0 (Add)

To post a comment, you need to sign in or register. Forgotten password? Click here.

Find a show


Search the site


Find us on …

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on YouTube