Thunderstorm Review : A Submersion into Tragedy and Helplessness

Aurora Sturli reviews Thunderstorm at the ADC

Yizhen Wu’s rendition of Cao Yu’s Thunderstorm (1933) presents the viewer with a sophisticated game of projections, as well as the recurring theme of water, both of which create a sense of complete immersion in the story and in its suffocating domestic setting. The patriarchal violence and control are evoked through the characters’ persisting references to a state of asphyxiation and domestic claustrophobia, as well as the director’s choice of highlighting aquatic elements of the story through underwater images projected onto the stage. Alongside visual aids, the continuous dripping sounds convey the inevitability of an impending doomed future and the impossibility for the characters to escape their fate. These creative and technical choices throughout the production make it wonderfully unique. 

”inevitability of an impending doomed future”

The use of lights and white curtains makes for intricate shadows, highlighting the lies the characters hide behind throughout the story. They evoke a sense of haunted eeriness in the spectator, contributing to what is an overall sophisticated and elegant staging of the play. Although the use of props could have been more substantial in some instances, a minimalist stage, alongside the excellent costume design of the female characters emphasises the aristocratic setting. 

Photo by Xinyue Ma

In contrast to occasional instances of a rigid delivery of lines, such as in Zhou Puyan’s well-known monologue about fate, some performances shone through to the audience with a strong pathos, particularly in Act III. Queena Peng’s interpretation of a madwoman, guilted by incest, is powerful and occasionally terrifying. However, the scenes in which she and Zhou Ping (played by Sicong Li), discuss their past relationship could have displayed an even more self-horrified performance at the thought of the unspeakable act. Erin Tan proves an exceptional performer in her representation of Lu Shiping, delivered with poignancy and spontaneity, and the scenes focusing on her and Lu Sifeng (played by Xuefei He), impressively represent the complexity of the mother-daughter bond. 

“powerful and occasionally terrifying”

In Thunderstorm, the actors’ performances shine through most effectively when paired with the peculiar staging elements. This is the case for instance of the live-camera close-ups showing Sifeng or Fanyi swallowing white rose petals, projected on the white curtains on the stage, perhaps symbolising the inescapable repetition of fate and madness, stemming from patriarchal control and guilt. This particular element was inspired by an adaptation of Thunderstorm by the Théâtre du Rêve Expérimental company, which replicated a film set with the use of cameras and live projections on screen. This was paired with a fragmentation of the original plot, and titled Thunderstorm 2.0. Wu, however, keeps the play’s structure intact and inserts visual aids and sound innovations to walk the thin line between tradition and innovation.  These choices reflect the setting of the play itself, torn between a patriarchal society’s inflexible rules and the need for individual freedom and agency.   

“walk the thin line between tradition and innovation”

Thunderstorm displays creatively innovative and effective staging and a promising if sometimes immature, cast. It is an extremely valuable production, bringing to the stage a milestone of Chinese theatrical writing, something not seen every day in Cambridge.