mala voadora has been developing a number of artistic and institutional relationships with China. As part of this programmatic axis (from which we’ll see further developments soon), we invited Maria João Vicente a long-time collaborator of Mala Voadora to stage a play she has been working on, now aiming to create a radio version. Maria João explains the project:

Rhinoceros in Love, by Liao Yimei, is a love story in the tradition of the great tragic love stories of Chinese theater, such as The Western Chamber, by Kuang Han-King, or The Peony Pavilion, by T’ang Hsien-tsu. The action takes place at the turn of the 20th to the 21st century, in a Chinese city. The shy Ma Lu, a rhino keeper, falls in love and is willing to face any obstacle to win Ming Ming’s heart. With humor, lyricism, and songs that amplify the expression of the characters’ affections and internal conflicts in a rapidly changing consumerist world, Rhinoceros in Love proves to us that love can still be an act of resistance.