The physical theater production “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water,” directed by Huang Junda and performed by the Hong Kong Greensleeves Theatre, recently made its Shanghai debut as part of the 2024 Jing’an Drama Valley showcase. This “wordless” physical theater piece offers Shanghai audiences a fresh perspective on the interpretation of wuxia (martial arts) stories. Through the highly expressive and captivating physical performances of the actors, a legendary tale of the Jianghu (martial arts world) unfolds before the audience’s eyes.
Born in Hong Kong, director Huang Junda has been fascinated by martial arts and action since childhood, and “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” was created with inspiration from Hong Kong wuxia and action films. However, unlike many wuxia works that focus on narrative,
Greensleeves Theatre’s “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” creates a world filled with openness and Eastern Zen aesthetics.
On the vast stage, with only a hemp rope as the main prop, the actors’ precise movements and lighting design seamlessly transport the audience between temples and rivers. The six actors, dressed in all-black costumes, dazzlingly switch between different identities throughout the 60-minute performance.
Corresponding to the rich details is the absence of dialogue and the “ambiguity” of the plot. This openness aligns perfectly with the blank spaces and impressionistic style found in Eastern culture. Huang Junda believes that feeling is more important than pursuing meaning. The actors create a ritualistic space, and the audience is drawn into this space, free to think, contemplate, and feel. The Jianghu in each person’s mind can be different. “The important thing is to have more and more audiences enter the theater, experience different types of drama, and participate in discussions,” Huang Junda said.
In “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water,” the actors’ performances blend Jacques Lecoq’s Western creative training with Eastern traditional artistic expressions, including martial arts, Chinese opera, tai chi, and Noh theater. Through months of intensive training, the actors continuously familiarize themselves with and integrate various modes of expression until they can more keenly utilize their bodies to create the stylized expressions unique to Greensleeves Theatre.
Huang Junda says that Greensleeves Theatre’s creative process is never about pursuing “completion,” but rather about truly creating through numerous experiments and explorations. “Therefore, it is normal and necessary to experience breakdowns. Without breakdowns, there are no challenges; without challenges, vitality cannot emerge. We and the actors must go through this process: tearing down and starting over, tearing down and starting over again, until some traces finally settle.” After participating in the Avignon OFF Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Wuzhen Theatre Festival, and Shenzhen Contemporary Theatre Biennale, “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” has arrived in Shanghai, bringing wuxia culture and innovative physical expression to one of China’s most vibrant performance markets.
Chen Dan, the person in charge of the Shanghai stop’s organizer, said, “Drama festivals are important windows for cultural exchange in a city. We are very honored to participate in this Jing’an Drama Valley and bring ‘Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water,’ a work representing cultural integration, to Shanghai, creating a refreshing artistic experience for the city’s residents.”
As they tour different cities, the actors of Greensleeves Theatre cherish every opportunity to interact with the audience and listen to their feedback. Gong Zhiye, an actor with Greensleeves Theatre, said, “If I were to make a comparison, I believe the director and we are creating a landscape painting each time. Often, you may only see a piece of ink, and you can say it’s a tree, grass, a person, or an animal. Many times, different meanings can be created due to different ways of viewing and reading. We really enjoy doing this kind of creation with endless imagination, letting the audience guess, like playing a puzzle game, and having a different feeling each time.”
The unique charm of “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” lies in its ability to break through the limitations of language and cultural barriers, allowing audiences from different backgrounds to find their own interpretations and emotional resonance within the performance. The open-ended nature of the piece encourages the audience to actively participate in the creation of meaning, making each viewing experience a unique and personal journey.
Through their innovative approach to physical theater and their bold reinterpretation of the wuxia genre, Greensleeves Theatre has created a thought-provoking and visually stunning work that challenges traditional narrative structures and invites the audience to explore the depths of their own imagination.
As “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” continues its journey across China and beyond, it serves as a testament to the power of theater to transcend boundaries and create meaningful connections between people and cultures. By blending Eastern and Western artistic traditions and embracing the ambiguity and openness of the human experience, this production offers a fresh perspective on the timeless themes of the Jianghu and the universal search for meaning and connection.
The success of “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” in Shanghai and other cities demonstrates the growing appetite for innovative and boundary-pushing theater that engages audiences on a deeper level. As more and more people seek out unique and transformative artistic experiences, works like this will continue to play an important role in shaping the cultural landscape and fostering dialogue and understanding across communities.
In a world that often feels divided and fragmented, productions like “Fallen Flowers, Flowing Water” remind us of the unifying power of art and the importance of embracing the unknown and the intangible. By inviting audiences to participate in the creation of meaning and to find their own path through the landscape of the Jianghu, Greensleeves Theatre has created a truly transformative and unforgettable theatrical experience that will continue to resonate with audiences long after the final curtain falls.