The Macao Cultural Centre, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents Mr. Shi and His Lover, a provocative musical drama to be staged in two shows at CCM’s Small Auditorium,  from November 22 to 23 (Friday to Saturday).

Raising complex questions about illusion and reality, perception and desire, this operatic recital allures the audience into a web of deceit and betrayal.  Mr. Shi and His Lover dissects a true scandal that rocked the diplomatic realm in the 1960’s when a French diplomat based in Beijing maintained a long love affair with a male opera performer, who turned out to be a spy.

Staged by Macao’s prolific director Johnny Tam, this intriguing story derives from the narrative of M. Butterfly, a play turned into a box office hit at Broadway and on the silver screen. Written by playwright Wong Teng Chi and performed to the music composed by Njo Kong Kie, this new approach conveys the classic story from a different perspective, inquiring the minds and memories of the two characters throughout seven vignettes. Slipping amongst strains of Beijing opera and its European equivalent, the performance hovers between a play and a recital with dashes of Eastern and Western vintage pop. Performed in Mandarin with Chinese and English surtitles, the piece features local actor Jordan Cheng and Canadian Derek Kwan. The acting duo were recognised with the prizes for Best Actor and Supporting Actor in a Musical by the Toronto Theatre Critic Awards in 2018, which also considered Mr. Shi and His Lover the Best New Musical of the same year.

Co-produced by the Macao Experimental Theatre and Toronto’s Music Picnic, Mr. Shi and His Lover will be staged in two shows scheduled for November at CCM’s Small Auditorium. Tickets will be available from September 20 (Friday) at CCM’s box office and Macao Ticketing Network outlets, subject to various discounts. For further information on promotional offers and ticketing, please visit www.ccm.gov.mo or call the credit card ticketing hotline on (853) 2840 0555.