Based on the story of a fictional Cantonese family, this dramatic project from 2018 discusses the deep impact that state and society have on the fate of people. The people in this family saga speak Cantonese (their mother tongue) as well as standard Mandarin (the official language). This coexistence of two languages inspires us to ponder the political and historical consequences of using language to exercise power. The play also shows the parallels between speaking and eating, between processing food and dominating people. Consequently, there will be cooking and eating during the performance. Ein gutes »Jahr, 1. Akt« is an example of Chinese documentary theatre that can be experienced first hand.

In a world premiere, we show »Ein gutes Jahr, 1. Akt« as scenic-culinary reading in cooperation with and directed by the author Xu Hongchang.