“We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month, in the same year; we merely hope to die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year.”

Upon this oath, three patriots ­– Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei – become sworn brothers. A legendary moment amidst peach blossom trees in war-torn China, famously depicted in Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, it has inspired rituals of brotherhood up till even today.

This powerful declaration is revisited by director Goh Boon Teck in Deciphering The Peach Garden Oath.

A contemplative study of fraternal loyalty and brotherly love, it peers into what lies beneath these men and their unyielding bond, revealing their feelings of gratitude, resentment and longing. During tumultuous times, are commands from the court more important than the survival of the people? When the call of duty sounds, do the valiant heroes hear the repeated cries of hearts and souls?

The multi-talented Goh retells the story with an impressionist’s brush. Against a backdrop of multimedia art, an original soundscape and a set design of floating stages, Chinese opera masters Christopher Choo, Jack Peng and Qin Zhan Bao bring these iconic characters to life, performing in Cantonese, Hainanese and Beijing opera respectively.

A brand new work that reinvents Chinese opera and renews a timeless Chinese classic with contemporary energy.

Playwright/ Director/ Set Design : Goh Boon Teck
Sound Artist : Darren Ng
Lighting Design : Lim Woan Wen
Multi-Media Design : Brian Gothong Tan
Costume Design : Chia Wei Choong

A Huayi 2011 festival commission, co-produced by
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Toy Factory Productions.