The new work by U-Theatre is touring Taichung and Kaohsiung, featuring dazzling high-tech stage effects!

By Liu Jiawen / Compiled & Reported

U-Theatre, which drew 150,000 spectators at the Expo’s Butterfly Dance Pavilion, premiered their brand-new annual production Beyond Time at Taipei’s National Theater in November. They will then perform at Taichung’s Zhongshan Hall from December 16 to 17, and finally move to Kaohsiung’s Zhidé Hall for shows on December 23 and 24. This work not only blends drumming, dance, and chanting, but also incorporates visual technology for the first time, creating a three-dimensional visual experience that offers audiences a fresh audiovisual feast.

Beyond the performance’s form and characteristics that continue U-Theatre’s meditative power, the greatest breakthrough and innovation lies in its deep integration with technology. Through theatrical techniques, it presents a clearer sense of three-dimensional stage space, transforming the stage into a void in an instant, conveying the relationship between “human” and “time-space.” The dancers’ simple, repetitive movements and the slow descent of the drumsticks interpret an eternal spirit where strength and beauty merge, achieving a harmonious unity between humans, nature, and the cosmos.

This work is a new creation by U-Theatre Artistic Director Liu Ruo-yu and Music Director Huang Zhiquan, developed over four years through the creative processes of three classic works: Dancing with You, Mountain Mist at Night, and Wind in the Empty Forest. It features a brand-new spatial imagery aesthetics designed by Asian theater lighting master Lin Kehua. The majestic performance has also been invited to be the opening show of next year’s Hong Kong New Vision Arts Festival. For ticket information, please contact the National Theater and Concert Hall.