23 November 2018
On Friday 9 November a group of Year 10 and 11 Chinese students watched a production of the famous Chinese play, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land ( 暗恋桃花源 ) by Stan Lai(赖声川) as part of the Oz Asia Festival. This play is regarded as one of China’s top 10 plays of the century.
The play was entirely in Chinese, although subtitle screens allowed the Chinese second language students to better understand the Chinese humour that filled the play.
The plot centred around two theatre productions that had double booked a rehearsal space, and the struggle between the two troupes allowed for interesting scenarios to take place. At one point, both plays were running at the same time, with the stage split in half. The combination of a comedy and a tragedy in the same space provided great entertainment and surpassed our expectations. The opportunity to spend two hours listening and following Chinese language proved a valuable experience, as well as giving us an insight to Chinese history and culture in a unique and engaging environment.
George Young (Year 11)