The international best-selling non-fiction book, Wild Swans, was confirmed for a production at the Young Vic, which ran throughout April and May 2012 following its announcement in late 2011. With a real life epic story spanning large proportions of 20th Century Chinese history, the production wasn’t an easy one to pull off, but it turned out to be one of the most interesting plays on London’s West End in spring 2012.
There aren’t many countries that have roiled as significantly as China over the last hundred years and Jung Chang’s book, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, adapted for theatre by Alexandra Wood, covers them in monumental proportions. Directed by Sacha Wares, the cast for the production was largely unknown, but included Oliver Biles, Eric Chan, Annie Chang and Ka-Ling Cheung.
Living through the experiences of a family caught in the middle of it all, Wild Swans sways from the early days of the idealistic communist uprising, right the away through Moao’s “cultural revolution” and into the opening gambits of China’s move to the superpower that it has now become.
Cruelty, bravery and survival are all themes that are covered within the story of the women’s lives. Spanning three generations of the same family from the grandmother that fell under the control of a warlord as his concubine, to the communist embracing mother and her determined daughter, it’s a massive undertaking for a theatre production, which is why the Young Vic’s production is so noteworthy.
Wild Swans opened at the Young Vic on the 13th April and ran through until the 13th May 2012. Performances started at 19:30 with Wednesday and Saturday matinees on the 25th & 28th April, and the 2nd, 5th, 9th, 12th & 13th May starting at 14:30. Tickets were £29.50, £25, £17.50 and £10 with previews tickets for the 13th – 19th April 2012 at just £17.50 and £10.
The production received favourable reviews from the press, including four out of five stars from The Guardian, The Daily Express, The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Express, Time Out and The Independent.
