Meng Jinghui’s Classic Rock Musical ‘The Murder in the Hanging Garden’ in Beijing

Plot:


At the garbage disposal site, a Rolls-Royce buried by garbage. There is no one in the car. There is a large amount of blood at the scene and some burned paper ashes, a pile of cat hair and 360 yuan scattered. After identification, this belongs to real estate tycoon President Wang. President Wang has mysteriously disappeared. A severed limb is found in the ATM. The police initially determined that this is a vicious murder case. In order to find the murderer who killed her husband, Mrs. Wang has offered a reward of a luxury apartment building called the Hanging Garden. Who killed President Wang? Who is the murderer? The whole city goes crazy for the Hanging Garden! A new murder is about to begin…


Highlights of the play:


‘The lyrical killer at the crime scene of capitalism’


‘The Murder in the Hanging Garden’ is Meng Jinghui’s classic rock musical. Since its premiere in 2009, it has been performed more than 800 times and watched by 300,000 people. Its footprints have spread to dozens of cities in China and has become one of the musicals with the most performances and the strongest responses in China.


‘The Murder in the Hanging Garden’ follows Meng Jinghui’s consistent experimental and avant-garde spirit. It integrates multiple music elements such as pop rock, depressive black, and industrial metal into this rock musical. Realistic satire full of ridicule and scolding, romantic and sad fateful love, and cold and sardonic black humor are all staged on the stage, making the audience in an exciting, shocking, detached, and suffocating viewing experience and reflecting on the terribleness of love and humanity in real life.


A sensational murder case; a ridiculously stupid murder motive; a full of flaws murder plan; absurd and grotesque suspected murderers; the Hanging Garden makes everyone crazy like a curse. For love, can you give your life?


Creative team:


Director: Meng Jinghui


Composer: Zhang Ran, Wang Chuang


Lyricist: Sun Jian


Stage design: Zhang Wu


Lighting design: Wang Qi


Choreographer: Zhang Wenxiao


Music director: Hua Shan


Live band: EB Virus Band (Hua Shan, Wang Chuang, Song Yang, Li Yibo)


Actors: Zhang Yicheng, Liu Shuang, Zhang Gongchang, Luo Huan, Li Zhihao, Chen Yuxin, Li Jingyi, Lv Jing, Guo Bingkun, Tian Yu


Creative personnel:


Director: Meng Jinghui


Meng Jinghui is the most influential theater director in Chinese theater. With his pungent, humorous, and critical dramatic skills, he has repeatedly created miracles in the theater world, opened up a new look of contemporary theater, and injected vitality into the diversified new situation of the theater stage. His unique creativity and diversified artistic style have become a remarkable cultural phenomenon.
Since the 1990s, Meng Jinghui has created more than 50 works. The appearance of each work has aroused strong repercussions. Representative works: stage plays ‘Rhinos in Love’, ‘Two Dogs’ Opinions on Life’, ‘To Live’, ‘Linchuan Four Dreams’, ‘Amber’, ‘A Letter from a Strange Woman’, ‘Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘The Accidental Death of an Anarchist’, ‘I Love XXX’, ‘Guns, Lies and Roses’, ‘The Mermaid by the Dead Water’, ‘He Has Two Revolvers and Black and White Eyes’, ‘Bonjour Tristesse’, ‘Bedbugs’, ‘The Good Person of Szechwan’, ‘Softness’, ‘The Latest Concept of Love’s Destination’, ‘Nine and a Half Loves’, ‘Teahouse’, etc. He has extensive popularity in the international theater field. His works have been performed at many international art festivals and toured in various countries: Germany, the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, etc. In recent years, he not only maintains a prolific output but also initiates and serves as the artistic director of many major theater festivals and events such as the Beijing International Youth Theater Festival, Wuzhen Theater Festival, Hangzhou International Theater Festival, and Contemporary Theater Biennale, striving to create a better environment for the growth of Chinese theater people. He is the author of ‘Archives of Avant-garde Theater’ and ‘Archives of New Theater’.


Stage art: Zhang Wu, a renowned visual artist in the theater world. Main works: ‘Teahouse’, ‘To Live’, ‘Amber’, ‘Softness’, ‘Linchuan Four Dreams’, ‘Rhinos in Love’, ‘The Mermaid by the Dead Water’, ‘Romantic Encounter’, ‘The Latest Concept of Love’s Destination’, ‘Labyrinth’, ‘Magic Mountain’, ‘Love Is Colder Than Death’, ‘The Accidental Death of an Anarchist’, ‘Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘Two Dogs’ Opinions on Life’, ‘The Metamorphosis of Butterflies’, ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘Hitler’s Belly’, ‘Three Oranges’ Love’, ‘First Love’, ‘Rogue Carnival’, ‘Guns, Lies and Roses’, ‘I Love XXX’, ‘A Letter from a Strange Woman’, ‘Nine and a Half Loves’, ‘Bonjour Tristesse’, etc.


Lighting design: Wang Qi, a lighting visual artist. Graduated from the lighting design major of the Stage Art Department of the Central Academy of Drama. He is the lighting designer of the National Theatre of China, a visiting professor of the Central Academy of Drama, and an expert member of the Lighting Professional Committee of the China Institute of Stage Art. He is also an expert of the Stage, Film and Television Lighting Professional Committee of the China Illuminating Engineering Society. Many of his works have won the Wenhua Award of the Ministry of Culture Art Festival, the High-Quality Project Award, and the Five-One Project Award of the Central Propaganda Department. He is the chief lighting designer of the ‘City Life Pavilion’ of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.


Multiple contemporary art pieces have been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou in France, the ICA in the UK, and the Guggenheim Museum in the United States.


Composer: Zhang Ran Zhang Ran is an outstanding Chinese musician who began composing for musicals in 2000 and achieved great success with his work ‘Top Universities Start from the Bathhouse’ in 2005, where he wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and played the leading role. Among the musicals he has arranged are ‘The Murder Case of the Hanging Garden’ and ‘The Song of the Movie’.


Composer: Wang Chuang Wang Chuang is an independent musician, guitarist and synthesizer player for the EB Virus band, guitarist for the Zhong Lifeng & Borges band, and bassist for the Happy Street band. His representative works include the musicals ‘The Murder Case of the Hanging Garden’, ‘First Love’, ‘Rhinoceros in Love’, ‘The Mermaid by the Dead Water’, ‘A Letter from an Unknown Woman’, ‘Hello, Sorrow’, and ‘Bedbug’.


Lyricist: Sun Jian Sun Jian is an outstanding Chinese musician who won the silver award at the second CCTV National Television Dance Contest and directed works that won the ’11th CCTV National Television Young Singers Grand Prix Pop Division Silver Award’. His directorial works include ‘Top Universities Start from the Bathhouse’, ‘You, Me, and Him, Join Quickly’, ‘Heaven and Earth’, ‘The Sick’, and ‘The Fly’.


Choreographer: Zhang Wenxiao Zhang Wenxiao is an outstanding young artist dedicated to dance choreography in mainland China, a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy. In 2001, he joined the Japanese Four Seasons Theater and performed over 1500 long-term shows for five years, including Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Cats’ and ‘Evita’, and the Broadway avant-garde musical ‘Contact’. He has rich experience in musical choreography and creation.


Music Director: Huashan Huashan is a musician, composer, and photographer. He is the music director of Huajia Drama Creative Studio. He has completed many traditional, experimental, and innovative theater/music creations and live performances. His music works include ‘A Letter from an Unknown Woman’, ‘Hello, Sorrow’, ‘Nine and a Half Love’, ‘The Mermaid by the Dead Water’, ‘Bedbug’, and ‘Shakespeare and the Wolf’. His photography series ‘Scene, Non-Scene’ showcases the essence of theater through a musician’s unique audio-visual perspective, presenting a series of theatrical dreams with a cold poetic imagery like a cracked ice lake.


EB Virus Band The EB Virus band was established in 2014 at the Beijing · Honeycomb Theater. It is an independent theater band that integrates electronic industrial noise, independent rock, experiments, metal, poetry, and various other artistic elements.
It has collaborated with many Meng’s dramas so far and contributed countless original rock music works. It is an independent theater band.


Actors:


Zhang Yicheng plays the chef. Zhang Yicheng is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio. Representative works: ‘Rhinoceros in Love’, ‘Amber’, ‘Red and Black’, ‘Gun, Lies and Roses’, ‘First Love’, ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘The Unexpected Death of an Anarchist’, ‘The Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘Don Quixote’, ‘He has two revolvers and black and white eyes’, ‘The Sun and the Temple’, ‘Wild Garden Concert’, ‘Twelve Love Poems’, etc.


Liu Shuang plays Kong Yanyan. Liu Shuang is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio. Representative works: ‘Rhinoceros in Love’, ‘Amber’, ‘Red and Black’, ‘Gun, Lies and Roses’, ‘First Love’, ‘The Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘The Unexpected Death of an Anarchist’, ‘He has two revolvers and black and white eyes’, ‘The Sun and the Temple’, ‘Wild Garden Concert’, ‘Twelve Love Poems’, etc.


Zhang Gongchang plays Dr. Zhao. Zhang Gongchang is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio. Representative works: ‘Rhinoceros in Love’, ‘Amber’, ‘Red and Black’, ‘Gun, Lies and Roses’, ‘First Love’, ‘The Unexpected Death of an Anarchist’, ‘The Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘He has two revolvers and black and white eyes’, ‘The Sun and the Temple’, ‘Wild Garden Concert’, ‘Twelve Love Poems’, etc.


Luo Huan plays the little nurse. Luo Huan is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio. Representative works: ‘Rhinoceros in Love’, ‘Amber’, ‘Red and Black’, ‘Gun, Lies and Roses’, ‘The Unexpected Death of an Anarchist’, ‘The Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘He has two revolvers and black and white eyes’, ‘The Sun and the Temple’, ‘Wild Garden Concert’, ‘Twelve Love Poems’, etc.


Li Zhihao plays Pipi Shrimp. Li Zhihao is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio. Representative works: ‘The Unexpected Death of an Anarchist’, ‘Rhinoceros in Love’, ‘Amber’, ‘Red and Black’, ‘Gun, Lies and Roses’, ‘First Love’, ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘The Murder in the Air Garden’, ‘Don Quixote’, ‘He has two revolvers and black and white eyes’, ‘The Sun and the Temple’, ‘Wild Garden Concert’, ‘Twelve Love Poems’, etc.


Chen Yuxin plays the chairman. Chen Yuxin is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio.
Representative works include: ‘Twelve Love Poems,’ ‘Rhinoceros in Love,’ ‘Amber,’ ‘Red and Black,’ ‘Gun, Lies, and Roses,’ ‘Murder in the Air Garden,’ ‘An Anarchist’s Unexpected Death,’ ‘He Has Two Revolvers and Black-and-White Eyes,’ ‘Sun and Sun Acupuncture,’ ‘Unrestrained Garden Concert’ and more.


Li Jingyi plays the role of the Chairman’s Wife. Li Jingyi is a contracted actress of Meng Jinghui’s Drama Studio. Her representative works include: ‘Rhinoceros in Love,’ ‘Red and Black,’ ‘Gun, Lies, and Roses,’ ‘Murder in the Air Garden,’ ‘An Anarchist’s Unexpected Death,’ ‘He Has Two Revolvers and Black-and-White Eyes,’ ‘Sun and Sun Acupuncture,’ ‘Twelve Love Poems’ and more.


Lv Jing plays the role of Su Su’s father. Lv Jing is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui’s Drama Studio. His representative works include: ‘Sun and Sun Acupuncture,’ ‘Rhinoceros in Love,’ ‘Red and Black,’ ‘Amber,’ ‘Gun, Lies, and Roses,’ ‘Murder in the Air Garden,’ ‘An Anarchist’s Unexpected Death,’ ‘He Has Two Revolvers and Black-and-White Eyes,’ ‘Unrestrained Garden Concert,’ ‘Twelve Love Poems’ and more.


Guo Bingkun plays the role of Su Su. Guo Bingkun is a contracted actor of Meng Jinghui’s Drama Studio. His representative works include: ‘Rhinoceros in Love,’ ‘Amber,’ ‘Red and Black,’ ‘Gun, Lies, and Roses,’ ‘Murder in the Air Garden,’ ‘An Anarchist’s Unexpected Death,’ ‘He Has Two Revolvers and Black-and-White Eyes,’ ‘Sun and Sun Acupuncture,’ ‘Unrestrained Garden Concert,’ ‘Twelve Love Poems’ and more.


Tian Yu plays the role of Su Wenjing. Tian Yu is an outstanding young Chinese actor with representative dramatic works including: ‘Teahouse,’ ‘Rhinoceros in Love,’ ‘Red and Black,’ ‘I Love XXX,’ ‘The Latest Concept of Love’s Home,’ ‘Young Beasts,’ ‘Love in Hysteria,’ ‘Venus Diary,’ ‘From Dawn to Midnight,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet by the Sea’ and more. He has successively appeared on the stages of international art platforms such as the Avignon Theatre Festival in France, Wuzhen Theatre Festival, Beijing Youth Theatre Festival, Hangzhou Contemporary Theatre Festival, and Aranya Theatre Festival.


The troupe: Meng Jinghui Drama Studio, established in 1997, adheres to the principles of diversity and avant-garde in creation, and has produced a large number of contemporary dramatic works that have led the trend of Chinese culture and art. With more than 50 performances, it has been leading the Chinese drama trend and has repeatedly created miracles in the Chinese-speaking drama world. Among them, the single project ‘Rhinoceros in Love’ has accumulated up to 3,000 performances and is hailed as the ‘Contemporary Bible of Love’.


The works of Meng Jinghui Theatre Studio have toured all over the world, including Japan, South Korea, Mexico, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria, Brazil, Egypt and so on.


Full text. Opening hours: 11/27 – 12/08. The performance time and duration are subject to the site.


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