Propaganda Show

My neighbour Cathy texted me on WeChat one day and asked if I wanted to go with her and her husband Bobo to a concert. What concert and where, I asked. The Grand Theatre, she said. There are no concerts, I replied. Do you perhaps mean the Colourful Guizhou show? Maybe she said. Well, it wasn't the Guizhou show, nor was it a classical concert I didn't know about. It couldn't have been a classical concert, because many musicians have left the country to visit their families. 

On the day of the 'concert' Cathy texted me again with more details. It's a musical she said, and it's not in the Grand Theatre, but in a completely different location. She shared location on WeChat, so I could find it. 

The interesting thing was the venue itself. I had passed it many times and always wondered what it was. Not only does it look like a government building, it is one. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to explore it, but had access to the hall where meetings or congresses take place.

The musical turned out to be a great propaganda. The government spent an awful lot of money on it. It is set in the Ming Dynasty (if I still remember correctly). Dances and songs were performed and a few poems in traditional Chinese were read. One of the men who appeared on stage, started an emotional speech, first slowly and at a low voice, but got very passionate later, raised his arm towards the sky and shouted, We are the best! and blah, blah.

The show lasted a bit over two hours and was good as a whole. Got a bit boring and monotonous half way through it, but improved towards the end and had an impressive gran finale.

Since my partner and I were the only Laowai in there, a journalist spotted us and wanted to interview us. Because her English was poor, she asked us one or two questions and turned to Cathy to interview her.

During the performance, the locals made, of course and as always, a lot of noise. They talked, they texted, they answered their phones, they changed places, they went to the loo, they ate and drunk.

After the show, we walked to the wall with the photos of all actors, some of them are very famous here, and wanted to take some photos in front of the wall with the faces of the celebrities behind us. That was a difficult task. Chinese who saw us posing in front of the wall, just joined us to be photographed with us. It took a while to have a few photos without any strangers in it.

However, there is one stranger. She was sitting next to us during the show, and wouldn't leave us alone. She even came with us to a cafe afterwards.

The mysterious building (taken some day on my way home)

The mysterious building (taken the night of the show)

Before the show

People coming in. Notice the communist red colour.

Waiting for the show to start

one of the famous Chinese performers

We're having fun (before the long show)

Cathy being interviewed

The symbol means 'heart'

We are the waves in the sea.

Hail the leader!

Dying swans

We're the wind

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...

Fairies

Looks like an ancient Greek tragedy, but it's rather a modern Chinese one.

Chinese version of Take That

That's an accessoire you see all year round

Edith Piaf? Nah, don't think so.

Nana Mouskouri? Nah, it's still the same singer.

Tori Amos? Unfortunately not.

A cool breeze

I wish it was the Bolshoi!

It's not Patricia Kaas unfortunately. 

The waves again. This time carrying away goods

The Gran Finale. With many members of the government congratulating the performers.

The lady at the far right is the stranger who was sitting next to us and followed us even to the cafe.

And without the lady.

And here's a video.

If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy.