Watch #AIWW: The Arrest of Ai WeiWei
Written by Howard Brenton and directed by James Macdonald, this production was originally performed and live streamed in 2013. #AIWW: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei returns as part of the Hampstead Theatre At Home series.
#AIWW: The Arrest of Ai WeiWei is available to watch here for free from Monday 27 April, 10am – Sunday 3 May, 10pm (BST) 2020.
#AIWW: The Arrest of Ai WeiWei story
On 3 April 2011, as he was boarding a flight to Taipei, the Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Airport. Advised merely that his travel “could damage state security”, he was escorted to a van by officials after which he disappeared for 81 days. On his release, the government claimed that his imprisonment related to tax evasion.
Howard Brenton’s new play is based on recent conversations with Ai in which he told the story of that imprisonment – by turns surreal, hilarious, and terrifying. A portrait of the Artist in extreme conditions, it is also an affirmation of the centrality of Art and of freedom of speech in civilised society.
Performance information
Running Time: approx. 1 hours 45mins
Suggested Age Recommendation: 14+
Availability: Monday 27 April, 10am – Sunday 3 May, 10pm (BST) 2020
Thanks
Thank you to the whole company for kindly allowing Hampstead Theatre to share this incredible play.
A Hampstead Theatre Production
#AIWW: THE ARREST OF AI WEIWEI
By Howard Brenton
Director: James Macdonald
Designer: Ashley Martin Davis
Lighting: by Matthew Richardson
Sound: Emma Laxton
Composer: Simon Deacon
Choreography: Scott Ambler
Cast: Christopher Goh, Junix Inocian, Andrew Koji, Orion Lee, David Lee-Jones, Andrew Leung, Richard Rees, David Tse, Benedict Wong, With Josie Bloom, Gregory Champkin, Alexandra Donnachie, Roxy Dunn, Demi Jo Franks, Ceri-Rose Larcombe, Amy McCallum, Sam Churchill, Laura Riseborough, Craig Miller, Joshua Sanderson