Fringe Hit Golden Dragon at Exchange, Manchester

Following the British premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, The Golden Dragon – Germany’s most lauded new play – continues its UK Tour with a run at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Studio next month.

Set in the frenetic kitchen of a local Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant, which are ubiquitous throughout every town and city in Europe, the play charts a journey from far off China to your local takeaway, looking at the humorous and tragic moments in a deconstructed soap opera that moves everywhere and nowhere.

Produced in a Brechtian style, a cast of five actors will play a multitude of characters, going against age, gender, ethnicity and species, to universalise the themes of migration in a world of globalisation.

The Golden Dragon is written by contemporary playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig, one of Germany’s fastest emerging talents. In 2010, Schimmelpfennig was awarded the Mühlheimer Dramatists Award for this play and also received the highest Playwriting Award in Germany – the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Prize to honour his entire oeuvre.

His previous work performed in the UK includes Ramin Gray’s production of Push Up at the Royal Court Theatre and ATC’s Arabian Nights, which played at the Exchange in 2001.

The creative team includes Johannes Schutz (Aesthetic Inspiration), Natasha Piper (Design Associate), Stephen Andrews (Lighting Designer), Zenghui Qui (Musical Arrangement) and Alex Caplen (Sound). The cast featuresDavid Beames, Adam Best, Ann Firbank, Kathryn O’Reilly, and Jack Tarlton.

The Golden Dragon is at the Royal Exchange Studio from 4 – 8 October.