SoFTA and Suzhou Cultural and Arts Centre co-host a cast and crew talk for "A Submarine in the Night"

On the evening of 18 September, the School of Film and TV Arts at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, in collaboration with the Suzhou Cultural and Arts Centre, successfully hosted a talk with the cast and crew of the play A Submarine in the Night in the School’s cinema on the South Campus. The event drew a large audience of SoFTA students, staff, and theatre enthusiasts, creating a lively atmosphere with active interaction.

The event began with a speech by Professor Li-Chuan Evelyn Mai, Dean of SoFTA. She expressed her heartfelt thanks to the Suzhou Cultural and Arts Centre for their support, highlighting the importance of this collaboration in enhancing the practical skills of SoFTA students. Professor Mai noted that the School is dedicated to nurturing film and TV talent with an international perspective and innovative spirit. The partnership with Suzhou Cultural and Arts Centre, along with the visit from A Submarine in the Night team, is a tangible reflection of this educational philosophy.

Following this, the play’s writer and director, Tianran Chen, together with lead actor Zhuoming Bai, shared insights into the play’s background and their experience performing it. Director Chen explained that the play is adapted from the novel of the same name by post-90s author Chuncheng Chen. Through a boy’s fantastical journey, the story explores the relationship between growing up, imagination, and reality. Lead actor Zhuoming Bai discussed how he brought the novel’s characters to life on stage through his performance.

During the Q&A session, students eagerly posed questions, which the cast and crew patiently answered. There was keen interest in the creative process behind the play, character development, and the challenges of stage performance.

After the event, students expressed how much they had gained from the experience. The interaction with the creative team deepened their understanding of theatre and offered valuable inspiration for their future artistic endeavours and career planning.

This cast and crew talk was not only a cultural exchange but also a significant step forward for SoFTA in the field of arts education. The School will continue to explore further opportunities for collaboration with industry, providing students with more diverse learning resources and broader opportunities for development.