Strange Tales from Liaozhai is a conceptual play for non-purists which explores the boundaries between the real and the supernatural. It is based on the collection of the same name of classical Chinese stories published in 1766, with more than 500 tales collected over 40 years. 

Presented by Yuerge Dance Theatre in collaboration with Shanghai International Dance Centre Theatre, it is a major production designed for a big stage, a rare gem in the Fringe’s ocean of dialogue-focused chamber productions.

When the night settles, the line between this world and others gets blurry, and the obsessive sins take over. The characters are possessed by their own unrealised desires for control, passion, and power.  

With a gothic, macabre touch, the absorbing atmosphere makes you shiver (quite literally in my case) and stop guessing. The tension builds up inside of you, but it is not stressful – it’s intriguing. It’s like when you watch a scary film: you cover your eyes but can’t stop looking, so you peek through your fingers.

The dancers transmit deliberate intensity in every move. With a devilish flair, they carefully craft a seductive, taboo-loaded environment. They masterfully embody your darkest desires – the ones you give in to hesitantly, but without remorse. Together, they form a sensual frame where legs, arms, heads and tails are just elements of something bigger.

You feel like you are looking through a kaleidoscope of evolving, wild temptations that look surreal and wonderfully close. Strange Tales from Liaozhai is a play that makes you wonder. 

The characters get punished for the trickery of the mind, fight their alter egos and discover their bolder selves. The classic artistic representations of punishment and redemption raise the key question – what is the difference between exorcising and being exorcised?

Strange Tales from Liaozhai is an aesthetically pleasing performance where the colour scheme and costumes do exactly what they are supposed to – tempt you. The dancers use numerous elaborate props: a blow-dryer, water, a spinning table, a shining mirror, spotlit curtains and a never-closed wardrobe. The music adds to the immersive experience without overshadowing it – the visual aspect is leading.

If you like black-or-white, binary performances, this is not the best show for you. However, if you are lured to the unknown and mesmerising ambiguity, you will be impressed.

There is only one thing wrong with Strange Tales from Liaozhai – its run on Fringe is, unfortunately, over. While you wait for it to return next year, you might get curious to read the book.

And if the devils and ghosts get to you, no need to worry. In the end, it is only in your head. Or is it?

Strange Tales from Liaozhai has finished its run