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A red-tinted photo with a statue of the Goddess of Democracy, the Chinese character "thirty" is overlayed.

Tiananmen 30

To mark the 30th anniversary of the protest in Tiananmen Square, the brutal crackdown of the democracy movement in China 1984, British East Asian artists unite in London to present a 5-hour programme of political theatre.

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1 Jun 2019 5pm – 10pm
Omnibus Theatre, London

“…It was a time of hope in China which came to a brutal end with a violent government crackdown which began on the night preceding 4 June 1989…”
Bella in a white one-piece dress is performing a monologue.
Bonnie Chan performs with an eye shield and a red backpack on. The banner hanged behind says. "Liberty or death".
Siu-See Hung holds a scripts as she engages in a dialogue with another actor out of frame.

In the 1980’s, a democracy movement gathered pace in China, culminating around a million people occupying Tiananmen Square, Beijing alongside protest action in multiple cities across the country. In the 30 years since, the government of the People’s Republic of China has erased this event from their history.

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British East Asian playwrights, actors, theatre-makers and creatives exploring the themes of protest, press freedom and human rights; and how this living memory impacts the artists’ personal identity and today’s political world. 

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“This evening presents the voices of the British East Asian and East Asian diaspora artists, reflecting on the events of 1989 in the context of today’s politics, and audience members will encounter powerful lived experiences, rarely heard in the West.” 
- Clarissa Widya, Artistic Director

??? performs in the middle as the audience surrounds him. There are three tents set up in three corners.
Daniel performs in front of a banner that says "Liberty or Death".
Bella and Steven reads from a piece of paper.
Shao Jiang addresses the audience.
Clarissa and two audience members sits on the floor and share a phone screen.
T 30-128.jpg
Clarrisa stands with her arms open, surrounded by the audience.
Bonnie holds an iPad, stands with a black helmet on.
Yik Sau in a brown shirt holds both of her hands up in the middle of the stage.
Julia Tang receives a bowl from a dancer.

Performances

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'Zero Four Zero Six Zero Four Zero Zero'
- Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen, monologue

'Directions' - Isabella Leung, poem

'A Personal Protest' - Naomi Yang, monologue

'The Square Of Eight' - Jennifer Lim, poem

'VIIV' - Jennifer Lim, poem

'But hey…' - Tony Tang, monologue

'June 4th Backdrop' - Daniel York Loh, spoken word

'Some Thing In Between' - Isabella Leung, poem

'Mirage'
- Bonnie Chan and Yik Sau Chung, devised work

'The Woman Of Tiananmen Square'
- Kathryn Golding, monologue

‘Clouds over Beijing’
- Neil Chang-Clarke, a play reading

'Eternal Peace' - Gabby Wong

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Exhibition

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Essay and photographs - Gregory Lee

HK Tianamen Vigil photographs - Ryan Chang

Photographs of 1989 London China Town and Chinese Embassy vigil and protest loaned Stephen Ng

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Sound design - Nicola Chang

Set dressings - Nemo Martin

Event curation - Kim Pearce
Production - Clarissa Widya

An audience member and Tian Brown-Sampson performing a dialogue.
Siu-See Hang turns her head to the left while performing with a script in her left hand.
Bella and other audience members in the back are ????
Bella in a white dress interacts with the audience members.
Audience sitting at the peripheral in a black box theatre while Yik Sau performs in the middle
Actor raises his hand.
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