Thunderstorm is a dance-drama inspired by the classic play of the same name written in 1933 by Cao Yu, reputedly China’s Shakespeare. Co-choreographed by Xing Liang and Mui Cheuk-Yin, the critically acclaimed piece blends classical, folk and modern dance to create a fresh dance vocabulary and new interpretation of physical theatre. Complete with evocative period costumes and staged with a contemporary aesthetic, this production–the first of its kind in Hong Kong and also the world–succeeds in depicting the complex characters and relationships of the play without a single line of dialogue.

Xing and Mui received the 2013 Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement for having “fashioned a totally natural choreographic language where nothing is done for show and every movement has meaning” and being “masters of the medium with vividly delineated characters and clear, compelling story-telling.” For Thunderstorm, renowned theatre director Tang Shu-Wing also received the 2013 Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Direction for Dance.