Performing Lost Politics: Yijing yisheng Yibusheng (Ibsen in One Take) (2012) and Wang Chong's Double-Coded New Wave Theatre

This article examines Wang Chong's 2012 production Yijing yisheng Yibusheng (Ibsen in One Take) as an example of his Xinlangchao xiju (New Wave Theatre). Subscribing to the theory of postdramatic theatre, Wang sees the political potential of juxtaposing reality with virtuality. I argue that Ibsen in One Take, though laudable in its innovations, fails to effectively articulate Wang's political intervention. In terms of rereading Ibsen, the production undermines the Norwegian playwright's legacy in Chinese gender politics. Meanwhile, censorship and the tension between the postdramatic and the political overshadow the production's formal innovations. Nevertheless, as a rising director in contemporary Chinese theatre, Wang merits scholarly attention and his works are emblematic of the trend of international collaboration.