In February 2008, during China’s “Year of Greek Culture,” an original Greek version of Aristophanes’ comedy, The Birds, a work of many mainstream Greek artists, was staged at the NCPA, and met with great acclaim. Today, ten years later, the NCPA gives a new rendition of The Birds, in the interest of fostering the classical arts and passing on its cultural legacy.

 

 

Written by Aristophanes, the ancient Greek “Father of Comedy,” and first performed in 414 BC, The Birds is the only extant comedy with mythological themes and the most fanciful. The play revolves around the establishment of a bird kingdom in the sky, cleverly weaving together myths and legends relating to birds. The plot forms an organic whole that is well-rounded, and imaginative. It not only criticized the faults of the contemporary society at that time but also relates an ardent wish for the creation of an ideal world.

 

China’s famed theatre director, Jinlin Luo, and cross-cultural researcher, Tong Luo, are teaming up with the NCPA Drama Ensemble members to stage a marvelous rendition, at once a challenging yet pleasurable collaboration between a classically-trained director and a seasoned cast, as well as an artistic exploration to unite Greek drama with native Chinese culture.

 

Jinlin Luo, 80, who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing in 1961, has been researching ancient Greek plays and adapting them into Chinese since the 1980s.

 

His father, the late Luo Niansheng, who studied in the United States and at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, started translating ancient Greek literature in 1933. The NCPA production of The Birds is based on Luo Niansheng's translation.

 

 

"When I was invited by the NCPA to direct an ancient Greek drama, I chose comedy because ancient Greek comedies have rarely been performed in China," he says."The storyline of The Birds is simple－witty, idealistic and satirical."He adds that comedies inspire the audience with hilarious stories.

 

The bird is an ancient Greek symbol, which is associated with astrology. It's considered to be a bridge between heaven and the world of humans since most can fly and some live on the ground."In the play, birds represent nature and hardworking humans," Luo Jinlin says.

 

To give the comedy a contemporary flavour, translator Luo Tong, Luo Jinlin's daughter, who is also the co-director of the Chinese play, has used more conversational language in it.

 

 

For the NCPA adaptation of The Birds, the play's set designer Zhang Kunpeng is going to cover the stage with paper and fold up the edges.

 

He is also using traditional paper-cutting techniques to design objects such as trees and pillars.

 

 

Script Translator: Bing Luo

Artistic Director: Cunxin Pu
Stage Directors: Jinlin Luo, Tong Luo
Set Designer: Kunpeng Zhang
Lighting Designer: Ao Li
Costume Designer: Chunyan Wei
Make-up Designer: Ying Lin
Movement Designer: Fei Jia
Composer: Shicheng Li
Sound Effect Designer: Lei Wang