A Legendary Chinese Female Pirate's Story Comes to the Stage

The legendary story of Shi Xianggu (1775–1844), a female pirate from China's Qing Dynasty, has been adapted into the musical "The Pirate Queen," which will meet Shanghai audiences in May.

Shi was born Shi Yang into a boat-dwelling family in Xinhui, Guangdong Province. Growing up in poverty, she was sold into prostitution on a boat. Her legend began in 1801 when she was captured and taken as wife by the pirate chief Zheng Yi, launching her epic career at sea.

"Shi Xianggu was not a literary prodigy, nor did she come from a powerful family," said playwright Li Yicheng. "But she was not weak. She had ambition, strength, and a desire to find value in her life. These are qualities of contemporary women, and I want to bring them to the stage."

Director Xu Jun hopes the musical will inspire new directions and themes for Chinese musical theater.

"There are very few artistic works about Chinese female pirates," said Xu. "I remember some in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, but I wasn't satisfied with how the character was portrayed. So here comes our creation."

Choreographer Yang Kun noted that to create this brand-new work, the entire creative team visited the China Maritime Museum to learn about nautical culture across different dynasties.

"These research trips gave our work a solid foundation, and also provided a basis and inspiration for costumes and stage design," she said.

"In terms of choreography, we drew on elements of ethnic dance from southeastern China. Some of the dance sequences are very explosive," she added.

The musical will make its debut in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, on May 15. It will be staged at Shanghai Culture Square from May 21 to 24.

Performance info

Dates: May 21-24, 2pm/7:30pm

Tickets: 80-980 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Culture Square 上海文化广场

Address: 597 Fuxing Rd M 复兴中路597号