As 2024 comes around, so does Chinese New Year, as well as the Esplanade’s annual Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts. As a time of gathering for families and loved ones, Huayi has also been planned to achieve that and encapsulate those values, to share an arts experience with friends and family, as it returns this February.

On the contemporary theatre front, look out for Hong Kong theatre company Zuni Icosahedron’s 13•67. Drawing from the crime and police thriller genre synonymous with Hong Kong film, 13•67. adapts Chan Ho-Kei’s classic crime fiction novel The Borrowed and follows retiring ace detective Kwan Chun-dok’s final case, travelling back in time from 2013 to 1967 to uncover the mysteries of the past. These cases are aligned with Hong Kong’s striking social and political landscapes, meticulously and lovingly conjured through multimedia stagecraft featuring evocative visuals and popular music through the decades.

Following an impressive commission in 2022, Nine Years Theatre returns with a brand new production for Huayi 2024. Titled Everything For You, director and playwright Nelson Chia reunites cast members from the critically-acclaimed Between You and Me, with Jean Ng, Sharon Au and Mia Chee once again playing three sisters who gather at their aunt’s place to celebrate the lunar new year. Each sister holding the weight of their own anxieties and concerns, get ready for another heartfelt realist play depicting bittersweet moments that invoke both joy and sadness, laughter and tears.

The Finger Players join forces with Singaporean Vedic metal band RUDRA to present Transplant. Written and directed by Oliver Chong, Transplant combines puppetry, Vedic metal and theatre to this production that examines human desire and the supernatural, combining various tales from the classic text Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio to portray a family manipulated by inner demons incidentally rooted in the Vedas, ultimately leading to their demise and destruction.

On the classical side, watch the heroes of Cantonese opera in Woman Warrior: Mu Gui Ying and The Sassy Princess—starring veteran Hong Kong actress and actor, Liza Wang and Law Ka-ying—prove that this age-old genre is still a timeless delight. In Woman Warrior, a domineering wife causes her more-than-capable husband to suffer humiliation in battle. What happens next when their relationship too becomes a battlefield? This Cantonese Opera presentation features the legendary Northern Song dynasty heroine Mu Gui Ying, whose imperiousness results in a bitter clash with her warrior husband Yang Zongbao. 

Meanwhile, The Sassy Princess is a charming love story between the sassy Princess Feng Jia and the heroic war commander Fei Xiong. She started a war by offending neighbouring countries. He had to fight in it and bring victory to the kingdom. But who will emerge victorious when the two come head-to-head?  These Cantonese Opera presentations are a multisensory feast that promises a thrilling evening at the theatre, featuring a heady combination of singing, speaking, acting and acrobatic fighting. Striking opera sets are vividly brought to life together with elaborate costumes and exquisite make-up.

Laugh to your heart’s content with the witty crosstalk of Dear Governor Bao by Comedians Workshop of Taiwan, taking on a relentlessly comedic look at the iconic figure of Justice Bao in Chinese history and popular culture, and humorously tears into his well-known cases “The Case of the Black Basin”, “Raccoon for a Prince”, and “The Chalk Circle”. Watch out for an unpredictable surprise ending.

In Chou Shi-yi’s Dance a Dance from My Body, a regional team of artists from Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, embark on a journey to find out why we dance, in an exploration of Asian Chinese identity through time, discovering the different places from which dancers emerge. Through the performance, Chou invites audiences to imagine our futures through the movements of our bodies and our lives, delving into the relationships between dancers and the lands they come from to find out where they began dancing, particularly with how the multiculturalism and openness of both Singapore and Taiwan has encouraged the endless flow of exchanges with the world outside.

On the music front, revel in the charm of the traditional pingtan art form with The Four Beauties of ancient China, as the renowned Shanghai Pingtan Troupe will perform stories of The Four Beauties of ancient China—Xi Shi, Diao Chan, Wang Zhaojun and Yang Guifei. Beyond waxing lyrical about the allure of the four beauties, the performance will creatively narrate the touching sacrifices the four made for their country and its people.

From Malaysia, come discover a sonic tea ceremony with Shaman Tearoom’s Microcosm, inviting us to look within ourselves to understand the world around us.  Blurring art and life, Microcosm creates a space for audience members to escape the pressures of the everyday. Inspired by the Tao Te Ching, this immersive experience features musical improvisation using a digital music workstation, acoustic music instruments, written text, and vocals. All these elements are brought together in a tea ceremony, in an exploration of how we can harmoniously exist within ourselves and evolve along with the world around us. 

Look out for concerts from the biggest stars and rising acts as well, including the likes of Taiwanese songstress waa wei and Guangdong band WUTIAOREN, both at the Esplanade Concert Hall. Over at the Esplanade Annexe Studio, catch Chinese post-rock band Zhaoze, hip-hop/R&B artist Gareth.T, award-winning singer-songwriter Pei-Yu Hung, and 2018 Jungle Voice winner Yo Lee.

Families are welcome to join in the festivities as well – not only can children enjoy Drama Box’s heartwarming The Dog Who Wasn’t Useful, everyone can partake in fun workshops, from creative stone seal carving, punch needling and jagua tatooing inspired by Chinese ink paintings. Even if you’re just passing by, try to catch some of the free programmes as well, including the lion dance curtain-raiser by award-winning Yi Wei Athletic Association. Come together as a family and watch some of the best Mandarin performing arts the region has to offer, only at Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2024.

Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts runs from 16th to 25th February 2024 at the Esplanade. Tickets and full programme available here