Beijing Stories

About

“Beijing stories” is a visual, physical soundtrack conceived by director Jon Tombre in collaboration with sound artist Eirik Blekesaune. Based on texts Tombre wrote during a 2017 working visit to Beijing and part of his master’s project at the Academy of Theatre, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, the piece explores how identity shifts when one is a stranger in a vast metropolis. It blends digital sound design and bodily presence: the sound artist builds an audio environment while the director and five Chinese actors stage a sequence of encounters and rehearsals. Language is treated both as meaning and as sound, creating a hybrid of digital sound art and corporeal theatre. The work is technically lightweight and tourable, designed to be played with minimal setup in darkened spaces with a basic sound system.