The Wuzhen Theatre Festival

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival is an annual theatre event co-founded by Chen Xianghong, Huang Lei, Stan Lai and Meng Jinghui, and organized by Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd.

A grand celebration of the art of performance, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival consists of various inter-related parts: the Specially Invited Plays, the Young Theatre Artist’s Competition, the Outdoor Carnival, the Wuzhen Dialogues, and the Theatre Forums. The entire town of Wuzhen, which has a history of more than 1,300 years, will be transformed into a splendid stage, and theatre lovers all over the world are invited to enjoy, and participate in, this tantalizing feast of the theatrical arts.

Numerous specially invited plays and an abundance of works by masters of the theatre, all at the summit of their creative lives. Numerous creative groups in the Young Theatre Artist's Competition competing with brand new works that demonstrate their impressive energy and dedication. A nonstop Outdoor Carnival, dazzling and delightful, will further make Wuzhen an adventure. The Wuzhen Dialogues and Workshops, along with the Theatre Forums, will offer opportunities for all theatre lovers to talk with, and to learn from, Chinese and international theatre masters.

One of the unique qualities of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival is the charm and variety of all of its theatre spaces. Within walking distance of each other, there are nine indoor venues that sport widely differing characteristics—all exuding the charm and beauty of the old town. There are also three amphitheatre and several outdoor plazas suited for performance. These striking venues create a theatre cluster that is not only unique in China, but in any theatre festival in the world. To see great theatre in these special, historic venues is to experience the unique spell that the Wuzhen Festival casts on all its audiences.

By cultivating new talent for the theatre, and by enhancing global cultural exchange as its core missions, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival will not only play an instrumental role in the cultural revitalization of Wuzhen, but also make valuable contributions to the development and diversity of the theatrical arts in China.

On its way to becoming a theatre gathering with far-reaching impact, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival promises this lovely water town a long and vibrant future.