Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Beijing Comedy Theatre

Dates: February 02-04, 2018

Synopsis

The story is adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes.

Once upon a time, there lives an emperor, who loves wearing new clothes. He already owns a tremendous amount of new clothes, but he still wants to get more and more. So, people tag him as the “Emperor Large Amount” and as to his real name, very few people know it.

The emperor gives notice to the whole nation, requesting that all people should offer him new clothes before his birthday, and he will change his clothes once a day. If a minister fails to find new clothes or the new clothes cannot satisfy his wishes, he will spank the minister with a tailor’s tape.

Four ministers have been spanked so many times already. With their hands over their buttocks, they leave for every part of the world, and find the emperor new clothes in Arabia, America, Europe and ancient China. Nevertheless, the emperor doesn’t have an appreciation for the new wardrobes.

The news comes to two smart tailors Needle and Thread. They send out lots of new clothes to the emperor, who is dazzled by so many types to choose from. At a loss over which to wear, he cannot but ask the children present to form a selection team to help him pick out beautiful ones. So pleased, the emperor asks Needle and Thread to make new clothes for him and he will change his clothes every hour.

In the face of the emperor’s unjustifiable request, everybody is at a loss about what to do. Even smart Needle and Thread are spanked because of their failure to make new clothes for the emperor in time. But what shall they do?

The children present come up with an idea for Needle and Thread. Ha-ha! Following the idea, Needle and Thread not only play jokes on the emperor, who does not study hard nor govern the country well and just wants new clothes, but also to mete out punishment to the four ministers, who kiss up to the emperor all day long.

Yet, what’s the idea that comes to the kids’ minds?

Presenter

China Puppet Theater

China Puppet Art Theatre was founded in 1955, and was restructured on September 15th, 2006. In 2009, it was honoured with "advanced enterprise for national culture system reform" presented by Central Publicity Department, the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and the State Press and Publication Administration.

The theatre aims to carry forward China puppet art, develop children cultural creative industries. Over the past five years, the theatre has produced high-quality works. Every night, kungfu play Myth Martial Arts Circle is staged for two times, each year more than 2000 times, totaling over 10, 000 in five years. In 2009, Part I Monkey King · Mountain of Flowers and Fruits of new original fantasy drama Monkey King won the spiritual civilization construction "five one-good's project prize" presented by the Central Publicity Department, on May 26th, 2010, part II Monkey King · Brave the Journey to the East China Sea won six prizes of the first national drama culture award. Jingwei Legend won drama prize of "the first national children drama performance", and was listed as 2011 “outstanding work” programme of Beijing's publicity system by the Beijing municipal party committee publicity department, and ranked 14th in 51 outstanding work programmes. The company has shot the film Network Juvenile and TV play Network Era, Network Juvenile won the 10th spiritual civilisation construction "five one-good's project prize" presented by the Central Publicity Department, the 12th China Film Huabiao Award, education subject special award of 13th Beijing International Movie Festival of University Students; in 2008, Network Era won the Gold Hawk Award.