LONDON June 12 (People's Daily Online)—— During the Globe to Globe festival of international Shakespeare, from 20 to 25 July, the National Theatre of China will perform their Richard III in Mandarin. Then from 17 to 23 August, the Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio from Hong Kong will stage their brand new production of Macbeth in Cantonese. Both productions will have scene synopses in English.

In 2012, the Globe invited theatre companies from around the world to stage all 37 of Shakespeare’s works in 37 different languages for the Globe to Globe festival, part of the Cultural Olympiad. Since then, foreign companies have been invited back each summer to perform Shakespeare’s work in their own languages.

Following their first visit to the UK during the 2012 festival, the National Theatre of China will once again present their Richard III in Mandarin. Described as the ‘alchemist of minimalist theatre’, Hong Kong’s Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio works with pared-back staging, voice and movement to release the energies of classic texts.

Tom Bird, Executive Producer of the Globe Theatre, said: “The Globe has been engaged in a conversation with Chinese theatre artists since 2012, when the Globe to Globe festival included plays in both Mandarin and Cantonese. In 2014, our large-scale tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream travelled to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Hong Kong, incorporating traditional Chinese instruments into its musical score. We are thrilled that this dialogue continues in 2015, as our worldwide Hamlet tour visits China, and the National Theatre of China and Tang Shu-wing Studio return to the Globe, with two extraordinary shows that will appeal to British and Chinese audiences alike.”