Xunnan Li, Author at The Theatre Times

Xunnan Li

author

Graduated from SOAS, University of London, Cultural Studies, and Royal Holloway University of London, Dance, Drama and Theatre Department with PhD in theatre studies, Dr Xunnan Li is a Director of the Research Centre of Leeds New Chinese Writing and program leader of MA Global Performance and Cultural Industries. He has been working with Project UK Production company as an advisor and staying at Chinese National Academy of Theatres Arts as a visiting scholar in 2017 and Central Academy of Drama China in 2023. His research interests include Traditional Chinese Theatres (Xiqu) and Inteculturalsim of Theatrical Arts.

Ambiguous Space: A Review of the Chinese Play “L’histoire d’un Accident” at Avignon 2025

Posted by Xunnan Li | 26th Jul 2025 | Avignon 2025, China, Chinese Theatre Abroad, Design, Review

Feng Lu’s “L’histoire d’un Accident”, presented in Avignon 2025, offers a layered exploration of theatrical space inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s theory of spatial production. The play unfolds through a play-within-a-play structure, blending backstage conflict, parody, and audience disruption to challenge the boundary between fiction and reality. A planted “spectator” blurs the line between performance and life, turning spatial ambiguity into a central aesthetic strategy. Rather than seeking clarity, the production invites audiences to dwell in uncertainty, where ambiguity becomes an essential part of how space is experienced, performed, and emotionally understood.

Chinese Traditional Theatre in the UK: Interview with Joanna Zenghui Qiu on the 10th Anniversary of the UK Chinese Opera Association

Posted by Xunnan Li | 24th Jul 2025 | China, Chinese Theatre Abroad, News, Theatre and Opera

In 2025, the UK Chinese Opera Association marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of bridging tradition and innovation in Chinese opera. Founded by Joanna Zenghui Qiu, a former performer with the Mei Lanfang Opera Troupe, the Association has become a cornerstone of Chinese cultural life in the UK. Inspired by her lead performance at the British Museum’s first Chinese New Year event during the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange, Qiu established the Association to preserve and promote Chinese opera on British soil. Through performances at venues such as Buckingham Palace and grassroots programs like “Chinese Opera Fans’ Home” the Association has flourished as both an artistic platform and a diasporic community hub.

Contemporary Transnationalism Theatre in China: Theatre Review of “Apple Tree” directed by Feng Lu

Posted by Xunnan Li | 30th Aug 2024 | China, Review, Theatre and Politics

In 2024, National Theatre of China in Beijing showcased an experimental avant-garde theatre work “Apple Tree” to talk about the tension in the contemporary marriage between a young Chinese couple. Their tension in the marriage was reflected when the wife is suffering from the unexpected miscarriage.The play is such a transnational one. The director Feng was educated in France when he was young, with established exposure to the French film and theatre. In this play and his previous productions, there are huge amount of Roland’s style of using montage and space changing.

Adapting Lu Xun for the Contemporary Stage: A Production by China’s Central Academy of Drama at the Edinburgh Fringe Arts Festival: “ZhuJian (Forging the Swords)”

Posted by Xunnan Li | 28th Aug 2024 | China, Chinese Theatre Abroad, Edinburgh 2024, Review

Adapted from Lu Xun’s novel, the play takes the same name, “Zhu Jian” (Forging the Swords), and has become one of the most popular productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024. The work was brought to Edinburgh by a group of student actors from the Central Academy of Drama in China. Director Fengrui Yang is currently pursuing his doctoral training at the Academy. The play is notable for its re-examination of the theme of vengeance, a central idea in Lu Xun’s novel. Lu Xun is one of the most influential authors in modern China featured with his social criticism writing style in the 1920s.

Intercultural Chinese Dance Artist in the UK: Interview with Joanna Hangyu Zhou

Posted by Xunnan Li | 28th Aug 2024 | China, Chinese Theatre Abroad, Edinburgh 2024, Interview

UK-China Performing Arts (UKCPA), one of the UK’s most prominent Chinese performing arts organizations, plays a crucial role in bridging Chinese and British performing arts cultures. Joanna Hangyu Zhou, the founder of UKCPA and a former national-level dancer with a permanent position at China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, has emerged as a leading international dance artist in the UK. Following her graduation with a master’s degree from the University of Roehampton in 2016, where she specialized in dance studies, Joanna embarked on a journey of exploring innovations in intercultural Chinese and British performing arts through artistic practice and education.

How To Recognise Us? The Foreign Women In London: Theatre Review Of “Don’t Get Me Wrong”

Posted by Xunnan Li | 5th May 2024 | Review, Theatre and Politics, United Kingdom

Amidst the bustling metropolis of London, a group of aspiring theatrical talents (Kelly Guibal, Flavia Di Saverio, Thelma Osorio Euan, Maria Luc, Hana Tamaru, Arianna Folini) took to the stage at The Hen & Chicken Theatre in March 2024 to present their musical production, “Don’t Get Me Wrong”. Through their performance, they delved into the intricate tapestry of challenges and joys experienced by those navigating life in the vibrant yet daunting urban landscape of the UK’s largest city.