The Peasant Prince, the children’s version of Li Cunxin’s iconic autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, brings to life a story that has inspired millions of readers worldwide.
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It follows Li Cunxin, a young boy from a poor village in China who was unexpectedly chosen from nearly 70 million children to study ballet at the Beijing Dance Academy.
Defying all odds, Cunxin’s journey takes him from his humble village to the world’s most prestigious ballet stages — a testament to his exceptional spirit and determination.
On August 27, Monkey Baa Theatre Company brought this remarkable story to the Riverlinks stage in Shepparton, captivating a packed audience of school groups and community members.
The room was buzzing with ecstatic excitement. Students perched on their seats to get a better view; laughter filled the room during the funny moments, and you could almost feel them holding their breath during the tense parts. They seemed so fully present, immersed in the story unfolding before them.
The stage is simple, yet the talent of the actors pulls you right into the heart of the story. For a moment, you’re no longer in Shepparton but transported to a remote village in China or the noisy streets of Beijing.
Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge, and Tim McGarry brilliantly brought the adaptation of The Peasant Prince to life. I had the honour of interviewing Eva Di Cesare to delve deeper into the creative process behind this heartfelt production.
Monkey Baa’s production received the Best Production awards at both The Glugs and The Sydney Theatre Awards, along with a Drover’s Award for Best Tour in 2016.
The idea to adapt The Peasant Prince for the stage came about in the most unexpected way — inside a Queensland classroom. While running workshops, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry asked children to grab their favourite picture books and act out a scene. One group chose The Peasant Prince.
Intrigued by the kids’ performance, they were curious about the powerful story. After discovering it was based on Li Cunxin’s autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, they asked the Australian-based author for permission to bring it to the stage. In 2015, the adaptation journey began.
Actors Agnes Choi, Jonathan Lim, Gerwin Widjaja and Alan Zhu. Photo: Clare Hawley.
Why did you pick this book to adapt to the stage?
“It is such an incredible story—the chance that a young boy can be chosen out of nearly 70 million is phenomenal. We love the relationship with his brothers, and it is something that young people can really relate to. The connection to family, but also following your dreams - this is your one chance,” Ms Di Cesare said.
“His mother really pushed him to dream and to reach for those dreams, especially when that opportunity came. It’s just such a deep and beautiful story.”
Can you tell us more about the creative process?
“It was an incredible time adapting the work. We spent quite a long time on it (not full-time), and Li Cunxin played a big part in it. The adaptation process takes us up to 18 months because we do a couple of script development and creative development processes,” Ms Di Cesare said.
“After we had created the script draft, Li flew down to spend a few days with us and our team, which was fantastic to have the actual person there.
“It’s such a humbling experience for us. He was so proud of the play and loved it. And then to have him there for the opening in 2016 was pretty incredible, too, Li Cunxin went to see the show when it was touring in Queensland, took some friends and family and loved it again. He speaks very, very highly of the work, which is so humbling.
“When we adapt the work of a writer, the spirit of their story is there in the play as well. We don’t sort of just go off and do our own thing. So, their approval and their love for our work is just as important to us.”
What is touring like?
“On-the-road touring can be really, really incredible because you get to see the country in a different way, and you get to see it through the eyes of children and audiences that are from those communities,” Ms Di Cesare said.
“It’s a really beautiful way to see the country and to be immersed in communities in remote and regional Australia. That’s why we started the company - we saw that young people in those regions did not have access to good theatre.
“It was always education, things like ‘how to brush your teeth’ and ‘how to cross the road,’ and this was many years ago now. There are some wonderful companies for children now, including ours, that really make sure that young people in remote and regional Australia have that access to live experiences.
“Last year, I toured remote Western Australia down in Esperance and met teachers and young people from schools that only had 20 students and had travelled for two hours to the theatre.
“Meeting those incredible people and being able to offer our theatre shows to them is very moving, especially when they have such an amazing time.
“That’s just been an amazing 27 years for me and it’s a blessing to be able to continue to do that work.”
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