The China National Peking Opera Company’s Experimental Peking Opera 'Faust' began its first German tour in collaboration with Wu Promotion.

From 15 May to 25 May, the China National Peking Opera Company’s Experimental Peking Opera ‘Faust’ began its first German tour in collaboration with Wu Promotion. The tour has been added to this year's German-Chinese cultural program, a national event in Germany with the theme ‘China Today - Cooperation, Friendship and Win-Win’ to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During this two week tour, ‘Faust’ will be staged at Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Duisburg Theater am Marientor, Staatstheater Kassel and Theater am Ring in Saarlouis. It is also the first Peking Opera production to be invited to the famous Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden (aka. International May Festival) and Musikfestspiele Saar.

With careful planning and overseas promotion, experimental Peking Opera ‘Faust’ enjoyed full houses in Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Duisburg Theater am Marientor. Local audiences actively participated in both the guided talks and after show talks. The tour ended perfectly at Theater am Ring in Saarlouis, to lasting cheers and applause from the audience who gave such huge support and approval for this three-country (China, Germany, Italy) production.

Wang Shunqing, the Chinese Counsel General in Frankfurt commented: ’Faust is a renowned literary image in Germany, and the Peking Opera Faust is a production of the highest-level, well beyond expectations. It has an unusual significance for Sino-German culture exchange.’ Chen Ping, counselor for culture affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Germany, said: ‘It is a precious experiment that should be encouraged, and it also shows that the traditional art form of Peking Opera can receive international attention and can inspire deep communication with foreign artists.’