TPAC select: Dark Eyes Performance Lab-Journey into the Apocalypse

2025.1.6 (一) 12:00 TPAC Member pre-sale

2025.1.13 (一) 12:00 Tickets can be purchased

Franz Schubert's Winterreise, a song cycle, is a cherished gem of classical music and a perfect union of music and poetry. With his richly varied and expressive musical style, Schubert sets to music 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Müller, portraying the journey of a heartbroken wanderer.

In the production, Winterreise is reimagined by Dark Eyes Performance Lab's artistic director and poet Hung Hung , who brings its subtle poetry to life. In addition to presenting this tale of doomed love as a complete stage narrative, he charts a course from contemporary Taiwan to an apocalyptic future, recasting the work as an allegory of civilization and societal evolution.

The entire production transforms the stage into a dreamlike spectacle where sun dogs, green fields, and destruction intertwine. Characters survive, play, work, and struggle in this world, while fleeting glimpses of hope occasionally emerge. Schubert's exquisite and profound music becomes the greatest source of comfort and ultimate redemption. The stage design by Liao Yin-chiao, in collaboration with images and lighting, creates an incredible visual experience of light and shadow. The dance segments, choreographed by Yu Yan-fang and performed by Tian Xiao-ci, offer a unique perspective. What audiences most anticipate is the presentation of the production in two versions!

Journey into the Apocalypse will be presented in two versions: the classical version, A Timeless Reproduction of the Classic, featuring baritone Zhao Fang-hao performing Schubert's original German version with piano accompaniment; and the jazz version, Rebirth through Jazz, with jazz singer Mars Lin (Lin Li-hui) performing a new Taiwanese version arranged by Xie Ming-yan. In addition to experiencing Schubert's music in its original and timeless form, audiences will also be immersed in a bold, contemporary jazz reinterpretation. From blending musical genres to transcending language barriers, the performers take on the role of wanderers, traversing the changing tides of time, emotional shifts, and the transition between languages and music. Like a storyteller bridging the past and present, this performance not only offers a re-interpretation of the classic but also an adventurous fusion of Taiwanese literature and music.

Director｜Hung Hung
A poet, writer and director in theatre and film, Hung Hung is currently the artistic director of Dark Eyes Ltd. and Dark Eyes Performance Lab.  He has published 9 poetry collections which include Jump and Song of Mobs, and directed more than 40 theatre productions, apart from operas such as Richard WAGNER's Tannhäuser for National Taichung Theater, La Damnation de Faust with National Symphony Orchestra, La Traviata with Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Puccini vs. Puccini with Philharmonia Moments Musicaux, as well as original opera productions Potent and The Ravishing of the Twice-Blossoming Flower by Shintrun Taiwanese Opera Troupe.