Photo: Courtesy of Yunfeng Theatre

Life & Times of Michael K, a stage adaptation of the classic novel by South African Nobel Prize-winning author John Maxwell Coetzee, will be staged at the Jing'an Modern Drama Valley's Yunfeng Theatre in Shanghai from May 10 to 12.

Created by South African playwright Laura Ford and the Tony Award-winning South African Handspring Puppet Company, this production won the 2023 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Production and Best Puppetry Design, as well as other notable nominations for best lighting design, best costume design, best performance by an ensem-ble, best sound design, original music, and best soundscape or live performance.

Set against the backdrop of Michael K's life during the apartheid era in South Africa, the story presents a human journey full of hope and challenges. This multi-layer theoretical stage presentation combines puppetry, performance, film and evocative music. Through the clever fusion of puppets and actors, audiences are sure to be deeply touched by the subtle movements as well as emotional expressions presented on stage.