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Brecht's First Play

Beijing Repertory Theater, Dead Centre, Tempest Projects

Copyright information:Ka Lam (On the Paper)

A sharp, often humorous reimagining of Bertolt Brecht’s play Baal, by Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel. What do you do with an antihero like Baal ignore them, push them aside, or cancel them? And what does that say about morality, power, and control, both in the West and in China? 


On stage, a Chinese ensemble performs the scenes in a minimalist blue studio, while above them Baal gradually fades on a video screen. Two worlds overlap: live performance versus manipulated video, presence of the bad guy versus making him disappear and cancelling him. The show explores how societies erase problematic figures and what choices and boundaries come with that. 


Brecht’s First Play asks a fundamental question: does society really become safer by banning ‘monsters’, or is it society itself that is antisocial? 


Kidd and Moukarzal are both artistic directors of Dead Centre, an award-winning theatre company based in Dublin. This internationally produced work by Beijing Repertory Theatre, Holland Festival, and Hong Kong Arts Festival blends theatre, video, and scenography into a visually and intellectually provocative experience.


Read more about Brecht's First Play


DJ Jewel on June 19th

Are you visiting this performance on June 19th? Than afterwards Rotterdam-born and based, DJ Jewel will guide you into the night... With a preference for all things 80s and early 90s, Jewel brings a subtle sense of nostalgia into every set, with strong percussive rhythms, raw grooves, and selections that pulse with energy, never losing her throughline of infectious, joyful energy, even as she guides you through hard-hitting electro.

dates

Thu June 18 2026 8:30 PM

Fri June 19 2026 8:30 PM

Sat June 20 2026 8:30 PM

prices

  • default from € 30
  • CJP € 15
  • HF Young from € 23
  • youth under 18 € 15

information

  • Mandarin surtitles: English, Dutch

  • 1 hour 45 minutes (zonder pauze)

introduction:

7:45-8:15 pm in the Pleinfoyer by Florian Hellwig

 

meet the artist: 19 June at 10.30 pm at the Pleinfoyer, moderator Maaike Muis

more info

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

  • Brecht's First Play

    Hugo Yu

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

  • Brecht's First Play

    Ka Lam (On the Paper)

Credits

creation Beijing Repertory Theater, Dead Centre text Bertolt Brecht adaptation Ben Kidd, Bush Moukarzel direction Ben Kidd, Bush Moukarzel cast Jin Shijia (Baal/Brecht), Cui Wei (Mech), Li Tengfei (Piller), Ma Zhuojun (Emilie), Zhang Jiahuai (Johannes), Tan Wei (Sophie) scenography Jiang Han video design Sebastian Dupouey lighting design Chen Xiaji sound design Annie Jing Yin, Tian Dongyi kostuumontwerp Viola Zhang translation Han Zhao revival direction Zhang Mingyi fight choreography Shao Yan photography Ka Lam (On The Paper) production Shihui Weng, Jiang Han co-production Beijing Repertory Theater, Tempest Projects, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Holland Festival, Sibiu International Theatre Festival with support from Culture Ireland

This performance is made possible by