Chinese version of Norwegian play staged for first time in Shanghai

Norwegian author Jon Fosse's play, A Summer's Day, is being presented for the first time in Chinese at the Shanghai Dramatic Art Center.

Starring Tian Shui, Wen Yang and Zhao Sihan, the play opened Thursday and closes Sept 8 at Studio D6 at 288 Anfu Road.

The 60-year-old Fosse is one of the most important writers in Norway, and was the winner of the International Ibsen Award in 2010. His works have been translated into more than 40 languages.

A Summer's Day was created in 1999 and is recognized as one of Fosse's representative works. According to Wang Wei, director of the Chinese production, the play is about "how people are alienated from each other, unable to really understand each other."

"I hope audiences can feel for the characters, catch the subtle emotions and communication," he said.

The play takes place as an older woman (played by Tian Shui) looks back at her life, recalling with a friend (played by Wen Yang) the fateful day when a couple visited.

The Shanghai Dramatic Art Center first introduced Fosse's works in 2014, when five plays by the Norwegian author were presented by five companies from Russia, Iran, India, Italy and China, respectively, during the ACT, an annual festival of contemporary theater hosted by the art center.