"In the English and Danish languages, people can even talk about being 'Shanghaied' - to be tempted into something they perhaps shouldn't have said 'yes' and now cannot really get out of," Chen says.
"Much of what Kierkegaard wrote relates to questions we can ask ourselves today," Nyborg says. "The ethical and moral values are always present for us in our search for the 'good life.' But there's also a lot from Kierkegaard that we cannot relate to in our times. We don't bother about that in our show."
Kierkegaard (1813-1955) and Nietzsche are considered the fathers of existentialism.
The cabaret theater form, which creates atmosphere and generates emotion through music, is a good way to express the difficult Danish philosopher.
"All those words are the main reason that many people, myself included, don't bother to read him from start to finish, but just skim through some writings and enjoy other bits in detail," Nyborg says. "The Seducer's Diary" is singled out by many readers because it's interesting and vividly illustrates many key concepts.
"Traditional word theater would be a hard one for me to deal with Kierkegaard in," the director says.
The award-winning British cult band The Tiger Lillies, founded in 1989, has been recognized for the cult hit musical "Shockheaded Peter" and the album "The Gorey End."
Performing in English, their second language, puts pressure on the Chinese actors, "but the Shanghai Drama Arts Center has cooperated many times with international troupes, so we are very confidence about the performance," says producer Chen.
'The Seducer's Diary'
(English with Chinese subtitles)
Date: February 21-March 3 (except Mondays), 7:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Drama Arts Center/Drama Salon, F/3, 288 Anfu Rd
Tickets: 50-380 yuan
Tel: 6473-0123, 6473-4567
Online booking: sdac.taobao.com
Beijing fantasy emerges in dense fog
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