Chinese theatre and the actor in performance

This work gives an 'inside' view of Chinese theatre and the actor in performance for the first time. In doing so it also challenges western theatre artists such as Brecht, Grotowski, Barba and Schechner, who have extracted from Chinese theatre elements which might enrich their own theatres. Jo Riley writes from her personal observations of and dialogue with Chinese actors and her first-hand experiences of the theatre world of China in general, none of which were possible before 1980.

Each chapter takes one moment from a performance by the jingju master Mei Lanfang to show the articulation of the actor's body through metaphorical or actual dissection in training and initiation which releases the life-giving force of qi and movement as the manifestation of presence. The book is well illustrated with photographs and diagrams and is accessible to anyone interested in theatre, even those with no knowledge of Chinese or Chinese theatre.