The Seventh Day

Yang Fei just died in an explosion. For this man from a humble background, to reach the other side is a reminder of his existence. How can he hope to be buried when he can’t afford a tomb? Yang Fei meets other members of the waiting dead wandering this other world: his ex-wife, the girl-rat and her companion, as well as many chess players. But his wanderings remain calm, driven by the desire to find his father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Adapted from the 2013 novel by Yu Hua based on actual events, The Seventh Day is inspired by the biblical myth of creation and driven by the universal hope of finding answers to personal questionings. After Teahouse, presented at the Festival d’Avignon in 2019, Chinese director Meng Jinghui continues his trailblazing exploration of Chinese society. A play of powerful formal beauty, with its troubling dark spheres that move with the wind and this strange shredder of which we can’t help but fear the awakening.

Published in 2013, The Seventh Day brought international recognition to novelist Yu Hua. Born in 1960, he has published several novels, including To Live (1993), which was adapted for the screen by Zhang Yimou, Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (1995), Brothers (2005), which won the Courrier International Prize for Best Foreign Book, as well as the essay collection China in Ten Words (2011).

Le Septième jour by Yu Hua, translated by Isabelle Rabut and Angel Pino, is published by Actes Sud. For the surtitles, adaptation by Pascale Wei Guinot.

With Chen Minghao, Han Shuo, Huang Xiangli, Mei Ting, Sun Yucheng, Wang Zihang, Xiao Dingchen

Text Yu Hua
Translation from Chinese Pascale Wei Guinot
Adaptation and direction Meng Jinghui
Music Hua Shan, Wang Chuang
Set design Zhang Wu
Lights Wang Qi
Sound Zhang Xinnan
Costumes Yu Lei
Assistant direction Li Huayi
Adaptation for the surtitles Pascale Wei Guinot

Production Wang Jing

Production Meng Theatre Studio
Co-production Hybridités France-Chine
In partnership with France Médias Monde