Be Seen by Zhao Hongcheng
With or without disability, everyone needs to be seen
Celebrity content creator Zhao Hongcheng presents a groundbreaking, woman solo-performance about the challenges of navigating everyday life and relationships as a female wheelchair user.
Alone in the spotlight, on the eve of a public speech, Zhao mulls over what to present to her audience. Recalling moments from her childhood, her working life, her medical treatments, intimate relationships and interactions with strangers – some positive, some humorous, some intensely vulnerable – she weighs up which version of herself is more authentic, and which she wants to share.
Alternately comic, heart-wrenching and eye-opening, Be Seen offers a frank glimpse into both the specific experiences of disabled women in mainland China and the universal issues faced by disabled communities everywhere. Drawing heavily on personal anecdotes from Zhao’s day-to-day life, the work is the creation of an all-female team: director Luo Xi, scriptwriter Chen Si’an and producer Mia Shen. The first domestic theatre production in mainland China to be told from the perspective of someone with a disability, Be Seen premiered in 2023 at the Shanghai Grand Theatre and Tianqiao Theatre Beijing to rave reviews in print and online, and was named Best Innovative Play at the 2023 Chinese Theatre Awards and the Annual Media Attention Award at the 2024 ONE Drama Awards.
Zhao Hongcheng
Influencer and wheelchair user Zhao Hongcheng is a mainland Chinese vlogger and content creator with over 400,000 followers across various platforms. Since 2019, Zhao has shared videos about her personal experiences as a wheelchair user on her social media channel, promoting accessibility at work and on public transport, and helping disabled individuals integrate into society.
Zhao has been interviewed by over 20 media outlets in China and internationally, including CCTV’s “News Weekly”, “People” magazine, and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). She has a Master’s degree from the Shanghai Institute of Technology, and currently participates in accessible art projects and works as a consultant in the field of accessibility. In 2023, she made her debut in theatre, starring in Be Seen. This performance earned her a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2023 Chinese Theatre Awards.
22 November – 11 December 2024
20% discount on all full-price tickets.
Starting from 22 November 2024, 10am
Half-price tickets are available for fulltime students, people with disabilities and a companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.
Discounts for full-time students are also applicable to children aged 6 and under. Concessionary ticket holders must produce evidence of their identity or age upon admission.
Starting from 12 December 2024, 00:00am
10% discount on purchases of 4-9 full-price tickets for the same programme.
20% discount on purchases of 10 or more full-price tickets for the same programme.
Starting from 12 December 2024, 00:00am
10% discount on purchases of 2-3 full-price tickets for multiple programmes.
20% discount on purchases of 4 or more full-price tickets for multiple programmes.
