Reviews

Meng Jinghui revives Mayakovsky's satirical classic The Bedbug, blending absurdity, satire, and imaginative depth. His adaptation playfully conveys Mayakovsky's profound human insights, while infectious rock music fully expresses the contradictions and helplessness of these century-old characters.

Xinmin Evening News, Xinmin website

At the beginning of rehearsals for The Bedbug, Meng Jinghui wanted to continue Mayakovsky’s pioneering spirit, to “catch in one net” all the little crawling insects of desire in the human mind, and at the same time, to declare war on small-minded mediocrity, to inspire people's love for ideals, sensitivity to reality, and reflection on their own self-satisfied mediocrity.

China News

In The Bedbug the cast offers the audience a subdued and poignant conclusion centered on the character of Prisypkin. This absurd play is an idealistic tragedy.

Phoenix News Media

He resurrected Mayakovsky, who unearthed what we had overlooked: the destiny of the collective, intricately linked to the individual.

French arts journal La Terrasse

About The Bedbug

One hundred years ago, a man caught in a fire was frozen by the water used to fight it. He is a hedonist with a mischievous sense of humor, a pioneer with a forward-looking perspective on life, and a rebel with a mind teeming with unbridled desires.

Fast forward one hundred years, and time and freezing have corroded the wild thoughts in this rogue's mind, while the companion frozen alongside him has returned to life...

In addition to the highly ironic texts of Mayakovsky, Meng Jinghui delves into the eternal contradiction between societal visions and individual circumstances in human history through music, physicality, and the unconscious interpretation of cruel youth. He steps into the distant future of humanity's continuous exploration in the arena of rules and debates.

Credits

Adapted from a play by Mayakovsky (Russian)

Director: Meng Jinghui

Dramaturgy: Sebastian Kaiser

Cast: Peng Lou, Wang Zihang, Wang Ying, Zhang Han, Han Xu, Wei Jia, Liu Yanan, Sun Rongjing, Wang Shuhao, Wang Yusheng

Live Band: EB Virus｜Hua Shan, Wang Chuang, Li Yibo, Song Yang

Stage Design: Zhang Wu

Lighting Design: Wang Qi

Costume Design: Yu Lei

Stylist: Yu Lei

Sound Supervisor: Hua Shan

Composer: Hua Shan / Wang Chuang / The Bronze Band

Lyricist: Liao Yimei

Director Assistant: Li Huayi

Production Supervisor: Wen Ronghua

Production Coordinator: Cao Shang

Stage Supervisor: Yu Lei

Stage Supervisor Assistant: Jia Yuying

Stage Management: Xi Shengli

Choreographic installation: Zhao Yan, Guo Sansan

Lighting: Hu Zexi

Sound: Li Chenyang, Liu Beining

Makeup: Liu Jing

Costume: Liu Yingxuan

Executive Producer: Gao Ruiqi

Publicity Director: Wang Hao

Publicity: Zhang Yue, Miao Dan, Du Yuge

Poster Design: Huang Yijie

About Meng Jinghui

Meng Jinghui is the most influential stage director in contemporary Chinese theatre. His productions have transformed the theatre scene in China with their sharp wit and social critique, nurturing a torrent of diverse new voices onto the stage. Their diversity and creativity have become a cultural phenomenon, with more than 50 works staged since the 1990s, all eliciting strong reactions. This is his tenth production at Wuzhen.

About MENG Theatre Studio

MENG Theatre Studio was established in 1997. Its creative foundation has always been the principal of diversification and the spirit of the avant-garde. On this basis, the MENG Theatre Studio has presented more than 50 pieces of contemporary theatre work—works which have been at the forefront of Chinese theatre art.

In addition, MENG Theatre Studio has traveled all over the world to present their theatre works and to participate in international theatre festivals in, for example, Japan, Korea, Mexico, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria, Brazil, and Egypt.