Rhinoceros in Love by National Theatre of China

2011 OzAsia Festival

Love as blind as a rhinoceros.

Recognised as a masterpiece of experimental drama Rhinoceros in Love, directed by Meng Jinghui, first performed in 1999 has reinvented modern Chinese drama.

Rhinoceros keeper Ma Lu (马路) falls in love with his neighbour Ming Ming (明明) and does everything to win her heart. However, Ming loves another man who does not care about her. On a rainy night Ma becomes so desperate he kidnaps Ming in the name of love.

This contemporary, energetic and popular production dusted with dark romance unveils the extremes people go to for love.

There have been over 800 performances of the show and four versions. The fourth version by the best contemporary theatre in China has been performed in 25 cities since 2009 and makes its Australian debut at the OzAsia Festival before heading to the Brisbane Festival and Melbourne Festival.

Note: In Mandarin with English surtitles; contains some coarse language
Post-show Q & A follows Friday 16 September performance

Director: Meng Jinghui
Playwright: Liao Yimei