The 6th Theatre Olympics held in Beijing

Beijing plans to hold the 6th Theatre Olympics, where 45 outstanding world-famous dramas will be staged, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 25. Previous Theatre Olympics have been held in Athens, Shizuoka, Moscow, Istanbul and Seoul since 1995.

According to a press conference given on Sept. 23, the 6th Beijing Theatre Olympics will centre around the theme "Dream," and will be divided into three parts: "In Memory of the Classics," "Vitality & Creativity" and "Audio-visual Feast." The first part will bring new adaptations of Shakespeare classics back to the stage, such as Lithuania's production of Hamlet, the United Kingdom's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Japan's production of King Lear, reviving the past splendor of a classic age of drama. The second part provides a platform to active new directors and producers who have changed the traditional concept of the play. Representative works include the Story of the Viennese Woods, Amarillo and Salt. "Audio-visual Feast," as the name suggests, will widen the range of the typical stage to make performances even more lively and moving.

A great many first-rate masters of theatre from China and throughout the world will join in this cultural event, each bringing their latest or most famous works to Beijing. It is worth mentioning that a Russian actor, Yuri, the oldest director at the age of 97, will present his most reputable work, Demons, to audiences.

Chinese characteristics will also be added up to this year's Theatre Olympics in order to introduce Chinese traditional plays to the whole world. The variation of theatres, diversity of forms and multi-cultural communications will render the 6th Theatre Olympics open and inclusive.