CULTURAL CELEBRATION

Matilda The Musical today performed a version of Quiet for Xi Jinping, President of The People’s Republic of China, as it represented theatre at a showcase of Britain’s cultural industries.

As part of a state visit by The President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Xi Jinping accompanied by Madame Peng Liyuan, Lancaster House in central London hosted the showcase. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were also present for the celebrations.

A short video featuring previous theatrical exports to China, including The Phantom Of The Opera, Mamma Mia! and War Horse, also featured as part of the Society of London Theatre’s (SOLT) presentation. 

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of SOLT, commented: “Theatre has always been one of the United Kingdom’s greatest exports and the new emerging Chinese cultural market provides a huge and exciting opportunity for this key industry. Theatre in the United Kingdom is a world leader and stands to benefit from this international investment. Writers, directors, actors and producers in the United Kingdom are creating exhilarating drama contributing to a new theatrical golden age and so we look forward to strengthening our cultural and economic ties with China.”

Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director of the RSC, added: “It is a great honour for our production of Matilda The Musical to feature in today’s event.  Theatre helps us tell our stories and express our values and we understand one another better when we share those experiences.  As well as inviting Chinese visitors to enjoy the very best of British culture when they come to the UK, British theatre companies are learning so much from our collaborations with partners in China.  As part of a long term cultural exchange programme, the RSC is undertaking a major tour to China next year with Shakespeare’s History plays, and we have already embarked on significant projects with Chinese partners to translate Shakespeare into Mandarin and Chinese classical drama into English.  We are eager to share the very best of both cultures with a wider audience.”

In addition to SOLT, the BBC, BAFTA, ITV, Universal Music, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Victoria & Albert Museum were also part of the event held earlier today as part of the Chinese President’s state visit to the UK.