China in Britain: Myths & Realities – Theatre, Performance & Music – 18/7/12 – With David Yip, Anna Chen & Dongshin Chan

These conferences have been really great so far, organised by Anne Witchard at the University of Westminster and with funding from the AHRC. I would plug that there is also now a twitter feed (@chinamyths) that gives a lot of good links to things China in Britain and the sort of interests these conferences explore. This event will have some performances I think including David Yip (who I grew up watching in The Chinese Detective) and the rather wild Anna Chen – Madame Miaow!

China in Britain: Myths and Realities

Theatre/Performance and Music

July 18^th 2012 – Time 9:45:AM – 5:30PM

The Old Cinema, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW

Entrance – including lunch and refreshments – is free of charge so

for catering purposes it is essential to book your place by emailing

anne@translatingchina.info

Twitter: @chinamyths

The day will present an eclectic programme with presentations from actors and broadcasters and equally exciting academics (!) Dongshin Chang (City University of New York), Diana Yeh (Birkbeck College and University of East London), Simon Sladen (University of Winchester) and Ashley Thorpe (University of Reading) will present research that restores the history of China and Chineseness to the English stage – from Regency Extravaganzas, such as Chinese Sorcerer to chinoiserie theatre in the 1930s and Lady Precious Stream. We will look at subversive pantomime in Thatcher’s Britain, Poppy, and more recently Anna Chen’s Steampunk Opium Wars and Damon Albarn’s opera Monkey: Journey to the West.

The UK’s most high profile British Chinese actor, David Yip, remembered by many for his role as Detective Sergeant John Ho in The Chinese Detective will be talking about his new multimedia show Gold Mountain. There will be performances from comedienne, poet and political pundit, Anna Chen (aka Madame Miaow), actor David Lee-Jones, currently the lead in Richard III – the first British Chinese actor to be cast as one of Shakespeare’s English Kings – and Resonance Radio’s Lucky Cat DJ, Zoe Baxter, playing Korean Punk, Chinese Hip Hop and Reggae, Japanese Ska, Thai Country, and Singapore 60’s pop.

PS: This is also a great opportunity to the University of Westminster’s Old Cinema which has the proud claim of being the birthplace of British cinema. Here, in 1896, the Lumière brothers put on the first public show of moving pictures in this country. Now a space of fascinating historical interest, the Regent Street Old Cinema has retained its stage, decorative gilding, barrel vaulted ceiling and boasts a working 1936 Compton organ. A refurbishment campaign is underway to restore the theatre to its original Victorian glory. http://www.birthplaceofcinema.com/