About the Show

The untold story of two women shaping China's fate amidst revolution and art.

In 1930s Shanghai, two struggling actresses forge an intense bond while auditioning for Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. As political turmoil sweeps across China, their complex friendship will not only change their lives forever but also shape the nation’s history. One will rise to become China’s first female director, while the other becomes a key figure in the Cultural Revolution.

Amy Ng’s latest play explores the intertwined lives of Madam Mao and Sun Weishi, revealing how the personal and political are deeply connected in the stories of these remarkable women.

Critic Reviews (7)

"The production is pacily directed by Katie Posner and Ng packs a great deal into the 80-minute running time so that it feels like a miniature epic."
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"Whatever its flaws as a piece of drama, I came away from this both informed and stimulated."
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"Sadly, Amy Ng’s drab two-hander at the Kiln in London — a co-production with Paines Plough — manages to be didactic and oddly confusing. "
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"It’s a thoroughly exasperating watch."
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"Packed into a scant 70 minutes, this complex, epic tale of giant forces at work needs much more powerful resources to make an impact."
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"Half a century’s worth of history squashed down into just 80 minutes is a mission so ambitious that it feels doomed to fail."
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"Shanghai Dolls is a play with flashes of brilliance and a solid foundation with its rich historical backdrop, fascinating characters, and urgent themes."
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Cast and creative team