Shangri-La

★★★★ WhatsOnStage

Shangri-La is not a myth. Shangri-La is a place. The Himalayan foothills of China’s Yunnan Province were officially renamed ‘Shangri-La’ in a successful bid for the tourist dollar.

Bunny, a young indigenous woman, has witnessed her family’s livelihood destroyed by mass tourism. She dreams of escape — as a globe-trotting photographer. Nelson, her liberal Chinese boss, dreams of a new kind of tourism that’s sustainable and enables genuine cultural exchange. Their white Western clients yearn for escape, for the touch of something authentic. These desires collide head on in Shangri-La, the first play to put contemporary Tibet on the UK stage.

What happens when the only thing you have to sell is your culture? When the only way to free yourself is to betray your roots? Based on her personal experiences, new playwright Amy Ng lays bare the contradictions and private pain of cultural tourism.

Shangri-La is Amy Ng’s first full length play. It was developed at the Tricycle Theatre and received a staged reading at Vibrant 2014 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights. It is directed by acclaimed director Charlotte Westenra.

Wednesday 20th July  – The Fight for Shangri-La.
A discussion about the competition between provinces in China to be named Shangri-La, and the effects on the local people Amy Ng, Michael Sherringham (The Meridian Club) and Tricia Kehoe (PHD Candidate, Contemporary Chinese Studies)

Thursday 21st July – Can Tourism Ever Be Respectful of Local Cultures?
Amy Ng, Helen Jennings and Peter Bishop (Tourism Concern) Including: FRAMING THE OTHER screening hosted by Tourism Concern

Friday 22nd July – FRAMING THE OTHER screening hosted by Tourism Concern
Introduced by Helen Jennings (Tourism Concern)