100 Days of Theater: 2025 NCPA International Theater Festival
Get ready, theater buffs! From Apr 12 to Jul 20 of this year, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), with support from the Beijing Performing Arts Centre (BPAC), will host its spectacular annual celebration of the dramatic arts.
Launched in 2015, the NCPA International Theater Festival has provided an international platform for artists and audiences from all over the world to showcase and exchange their love of theater. Now in its 11th year, the festival is bigger than ever, gearing up to present more than 80 total performances of 17 Chinese and foreign works.
The performances will be organized into three main categories. While final performance details may change, here is a look at the list of plays we expect to see during the fest. Please double-check dates, times, locations, ticketing, and other details closer to the time of performance.
1. “In Beijing, Behold the World”: An Overview of the Essence of World Drama
- Apr 12-13,15-20 (NCPA Theatre): Lin Zexu – joint original production from the NCPA and the Guangzhou Theatre Arts Center
- Apr 25-27 (NCPA Theatre): The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov – play, starring acclaimed French actress Isabelle Huppert
- Apr 30-May 4 (BPAC Theatre): Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare – comedy, produced by the NCPA
- May 8-14 (NCPA Multi-functional Theatre): A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen – produced by the NCPA
- Jun 29-Jul 1 (NCPA Theatre): Red Beginning 《红色的起点》– play, produced by the National Theatre of China
- Jul 2-6 (NCPA Multi-functional Theatre): Every Brilliant Thing, Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe – solo performance, produced by the Shanghai Theatre Arts Centre
- Jul 11-13, 18-20 (BPAC Theatre): Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne – Sino-French co-creation
2. “Chinese Shows, Chinese Sentiments”: Promoting Traditional Chinese Culture
- Apr 19-20 (BPAC Theatre): Suo Lin Nang and Yu Tang Chun – Beijing opera (interpretation and review)
- May 15-16, 17-18 (NCPA Theatre): Dream of the Red Chamber and Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai – Yue opera from the Hangzhou Yue Opera Theater
- Jun 21-22 (BPAC Theatre): Teahouse – Beijing Quju opera, Beijing Opera Troupe
- Jun 22, 24-27 (NCPA Theatre): Returning Home on a Snowy Night – play, produced by the NCPA
3. “New Space, New Trend”: Unlocking Infinite Possibilities for Drama
- Apr 30-May 4 (NCPA Theatre): Magical Moment – stage production
- May 8-11 (NCPA Theatre): Parasite – stage production based on the Korean film of the same name
- Jun 5-8 (NCPA Theatre): The Invisible Guest – stage production adapted from the Spanish mystery thriller film
- Jun 12-15 (NCPA Theatre): Life of Pi, the original West End play adapted from the best-selling novel by Yann Martel
- Jun 13-15, 20-22, 27-29 (BPAC Multi-functional Theatre): Detective Zhao Gan'e – panoramic immersive interactive theater
More information about individual shows (including plot, cast, duration, show times, and language) can be found online on the NCPA website or through various event mini-programs.
NOTE: Foreign passport holders may be unable to purchase tickets for these performances through most mini programs or ticketing apps like Damai or Alipay. One option that seems to have been successful is purchasing tickets through the NCPA Smart Butler 国家大剧院智慧管家 mini program. Search for the Chinese name of the production you wish to see and follow the directions from there. If that does not work, then you can also try to purchase tickets online at www.chncpa.org or contact the NCPA box office via telephone at 010 6655 0000 or in person.
National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) 国家大剧院
North Gate of NCPA (Box Office)
2 Chang'an Xidajie, Xicheng District
西城区西长安街2号
NCPA Box Office Hours
9.30am-7.30pm on performance day
9.30am-6pm for days without performances
NCPA Phone Booking Hours
9.30am-6pm (Mon-Fri)
READ: A Spring of Theater With Middle Kingdom Creatives!
Images: courtesy of the venues
