The success of Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Woodcutters” in mainland China – Spectators’ reaction and official reviews

This publication is the second part of the article entitled “The success of Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances Persona. Marylin and Woodcutters in mainland China”. The second part is an in-depth research of Chinese spectators’ reaction and official reviews. In this part, the writer scrutinises the background of Polish director Krystian Lupa’s performances played in China, namely: the purpose of invitation, accessible knowledge about Kristin Lupa in China, Chinese spectators’ spontaneous reactions (recorded by local TV and noted on unofficial sites), theatrical environment backstage commentaries and official press reviews. Seeking for appropriate data is one of the most difficult issues that the writer had to deal with. A major part of the content was available only via Internet, the ephemeral nature of which was another difficulty in conducting the study. All the content was previously translated into Polish. As the translation was a part of the writer’s examination, it also required valuable input. Through the thesis, the author seeks for the component of the plays that the Chinese press reviewers pinpointed as the most signifi cant, as well as provides a detailed analysis of the differences between interpretations among Polish and Chinese audiences and links them to a particular sensitivity of these two cultures. At the same time, the thesis shows how interdisciplinary theatre can conquer culture confl icts and how meaningful are similar historical experiences.