Wild Swans

Synopsis

China at the heart of the 20th Century. A nation transformed beyond recognition. Through the eyes of one fiercely courageous family, Wild Swans takes us on a journey from the early days of Communist hope and struggle, through the chaos and confusion of Mao s Cultural Revolution, to the birth of a superpower. An astonishing human story, Wild Swans has sold over 10 million copies in 30 languages, making it the best-selling non-fiction book in British publishing history.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 23 April 2012

Jung Chang’s Wild Swans is the story of twentieth century China and Mao’s Cultural Revolution as refracted through the lives of three generations of women (the author, her mother, her grandmother). It is one of the most extraordinary books of our time.

Twenty years on it seems no less extraordinary, especially in the light of the current story of political corruption and brutality surrounding the death of an English businessman. Chang’s book, an essay in cumulative disenchantment, poses a fascinating conundrum: nine hundred million Chinamen can’t be right, can they?

This brilliant stage adaptation by Alexandra Wood and directed by Sacha Wares is a co-production of the Young Vic, the American Repertory Theatre in Boston and the Actors Touring Company. It conveys the essence of a 500-page tome in under ninety minutes and proves a wonderful way of launching World Stages Lond...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 26 April 2012:

Just when the possibility of becoming jaded began to surface, Wild Swans reminded me of theatre's unique ability to amaze and astonish. Distilling Jung Chang's epic novel into 90 minutes would seem to be impossible but Alexandra Wood has produced a remarkable adaptation taking in the period from the dawn of the Communist revolution to China on the brink of becoming a modern industrial power and only rarely does it feel like events are being uncomfortably condensed. Although this only provides a snapshot of history we get a flavour of revolutionary optimism leading to the thought police of the local committees cleansing of past association with privelege and the robotic parrotting of Mao's Red Book by an unthinking army of followers. The centrepiece of the play focuses on the disastrous policies which caused a famine that killed millions whilst desperately needed food was sold to Russia in exchange for missile technology. Katie Leung is a bit out of her depth as the girl who grows up to become the author of the book Wild Swans, but Ka-Ling Cheung blazes with fury as her mother, denounced by her own husband for trying to reason with brainwashed officialdom and Orion Lee is impressively infuriating as the father who stubbornly refuses to give up his principles whatever the cost to his family. Miriam Buether has conceived another stage design of absolute genius and a couple of the scene changes brought gasps of admiration - in one the white walls of a hospital ward are transformed into colourful propaganda posters with water brushes, just like the books from childhood. Sacha Wares directs a multinational production which, by focussing on the stories of a handful of characters, brings to life a fascinating historical drama....

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