| In 2021,Chinese theatre director Xu Jun adapted The Orphan of Zhao into a musical,sparking another wave of “The Orphan of Zhao fever” in China.It’s worth noting that Xu Jun’s version of The Orphan of Zhao was not based on the traditional Chinese version nor the modern version directed by Lin Zhaohua or Tian Qinxin,but on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version by British director James Fenton.This raised an intriguing question:What are the “going out” and “coming back” processes of a national classic like The Orphan of Zhao? A series of intercultural theatrical events must have taken place.This thesis takes this as a starting point and,drawing on Bakhtin’s theory of dialogue,examines three intercultural adaptations of The Orphan of Zhao from the 18 th to the 21 st century.It explores their creative backgrounds and ideas,aiming to identify a relatively ideal intercultural dialogue model within the diverse landscape of contemporary intercultural theatre.In the 18 th century,due to the development of East-West trade,“Chinoiserie” began to spread in Europe.At that time,The Orphan of Zhao was first introduced to Europe as a literary classic of China,and the French playwright Voltaire’s version of The Orphan of China and the British playwright Murphy’s version of The Orphan of China designate the important early intercultural events in process of play’s transmission in Europe.In 2018,Wang Xiaoying directed a bilingual Chinese-Greek version of The Orphan of Zhao on the Greek stage,which became an remarkable event in the diplomatic relationship between China and Greece.This adaptation functions as a cultural diplomacy and marks The Orphan of Zhao as a “cultural symbol” in diplomacy.In 2021,director Xu Jun brought the musical version of The Orphan of Zhao to the Chinese stage,which aroused strong reactions.The play mainly refers to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version adapted by James Fenton,which has triggered in-depth thinking about Fenton’s version and Xu Jun’s version of the play.The Orphan of Zhao has gone out and come back,presenting the diversity and pluralism of intercultural theatre adaptation in the era of globalization,forming a polyphonic dialogue.Based on these iconic events in the intercultural adaptations of the play,this thesis analyzes the characteristics,nature,and significance of different adaptation versions from the perspective of intercultural theatre study,and discovers that the adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao has gradually developed from the West’s early narrow monologic imaging of China to “dialogic” and “negotiated” exchange between cultures.In 18th-century Europe,the adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao in the west was chiefly monologic,full of West’s imaginative construction of China.Voltaire used The Orphan of Zhao to promote his political and religious views in the context of “Chinoiserie” in Europe,blindly praising the Chinese system while neglecting Chinese discourse.Yates’ s theatrical performance in Murphy’s version of The Orphan of China reflects the construction of Chinese female image in Europe at that time of consumerism in Britain,highlighting its cultural superiority.In 2018,Wang Xiaoying’s version of The Orphan of Zhao was performed at the National Theatre of Greece,where the bilingual performance formed a double voice mainly based on intercultural communication.The bilingual interpretation of the two countries formed a dialogue between two voices in cultural diplomacy,and emphasizing encounters and collisions between Chinese and Greek cultures.In the two adaptations of The Orphan of Zhao by James Fenton and Xu Jun,contemporary versions of the play present a plurality of voices.Fenton’s adaptation tells the Chinese story from a Western perspective and modern sensibilities,while Xu’s version incorporates Western elements into the classic Chinese script,inheriting traditional Chinese values.Both directors made adjustments to the plot,stage design,and performance,achieving a balance between negotiation and creative transformation.The intercultural adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao has gradually evolved from narrowness to broadness,from monologue to dialogue,from imagining “the other” to embracing “the other”.As a result,The Orphan of Zhao has become a world literary classic that attracts global attention. |
