Basket: £0.00
Back to events
Myth, Dark comedy, Drama, Theatre, Immersive, International - Edinburgh Fringe

Backstage

Blue Eyes Theatre Company | CCW China Season

After being invited backstage following a cabaret performance aboard a luxury cruise ship, Lena expects a brief look behind the curtain. Instead, she discovers a world that feels strangely ordinary. The crew are warm. The routines are comforting. Every corridor and door seems familiar. Yet no one can tell her how to return to her cabin. As rehearsals blend into daily life and performances become indistinguishable from reality, Lena must decide whether she is simply lost – or quietly becoming part of the backstage herself. Backstage is an original psychological thriller combining live magic, dark comedy, and surreal theatre.

Lena | Change Jia
Iris | Bai Ruiying
Mike | Beatrice Paolucci
Sophie | Wendie Hou

Produced by | Haoming Li
Assistant Producer by | Yilin Yan
Stage Managed by | Jiaorong Yu

Directed by | Yi Qu
Creative Director | Haoming Li
Creative Producer | Jiaorong Yu
Original Playwright | Junhan Cheng
English Adaptation and Translation | Anlan Shi
Dramaturgs | Yi Qu and Suneha Iravally Doreyappa Gowda
Movement Director | Bai Ruiying
Choreographer | Wendie Hou
Art Director | Rui Lu
Intercultural Theatre Consultant | Mengjin Zhang
Visual Designed by | Jiaorong Yu
Set and Props Designer | Wendi Wu
Costume Designer | Shaojia Li
Sound & Music Designer | Yi Lu
Lighting Designed by | Tammy Cheng
Magic Designed by | Shang Ma

Language Performed in English

Format Live in-person

Get access to
    Please note the following fees may apply
    • Handling Fee of £1.00 per ticket (capped at £6.00)
    Event Image

    No performance available for Backstage

    Book your tickets for Backstage 


    Back to event

    Select seats and ticket type for

    Loading Seatmap...

    Book your tickets for Backstage 


    Back to event


    Select seats and ticket type for

    Venue

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Lauriston Halls, 28 Lauriston Street, Edinburgh EH3 9DJ (venue 6)

    +44 (0)131 581 5555

    main house

    Lauriston Halls, 28 Lauriston Street, Edinburgh EH3 9DJ (venue 6)

    Related Events

    Musicals and Opera, Theatre, International, Storytelling, New writing

    The Silk Road (Kinda)

    Peking Opera’s Yuji Aimee Yue and Oscar Wilde’s Salome, Megan Winstanley, have both died 10,000 times on stage. They suddenly find themselves brought together for a holiday to celebrate their ten-thousandth death. These two total strangers from East and West are both unsure who they really are. Will they be able to break away from who they’ve always been, or will society, cultural differences and time get the better of them…? This fusion musical brings together elements of Peking Opera and Western musical theatre to explore the interaction of women across time and culture.

    until 18 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Physical theatre, Educational, Universal, International, Dance Physical Theatre and Circus, Dance theatre

    Unbounded Growth

    Drawing on plant growth as its central metaphor, Unbounded Growth explores relationships and transformation within a symbiotic ecosystem. Performed by four dancers, it develops through shifting physical connections, forming multi-directional patterns resembling roots and branches. Inspired by Wa culture’s reverence for and harmony with nature, these ideas are translated into movement and choreographic structure. Emphasising process and multiplicity, the work unfolds through evolving spatial relationships, revealing how life continuously emerges through interaction with environment and others.

    until 14 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Physical theatre, Contemporary, Traditional, Children's, Dance, Storytelling

    A Magical Journey to Sichuan

    A dreamlike children’s dance show celebrating the vitality, tradition and imagination of Bashu culture. Childhood stories evoke the cultural heritage, local customs and natural scenery of Sichuan in a lively, innocent and expressive stage performance, rooted in Bashu culture and children’s artistic education. The troupe from Tianfu School focuses on creating original dance works that express the essence of Sichuan through the skills and imagination of these enchanting young Chengdu artists.

    until 9 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Myth, Dark comedy, Drama, Theatre, Immersive, International

    Backstage

    After being invited backstage following a cabaret performance aboard a luxury cruise ship, Lena expects a brief look behind the curtain. Instead, she discovers a world that feels strangely ordinary. The crew are warm. The routines are comforting. Every corridor and door seems familiar. Yet no one can tell her how to return to her cabin. As rehearsals blend into daily life and performances become indistinguishable from reality, Lena must decide whether she is simply lost – or quietly becoming part of the backstage herself. Backstage is an original psychological thriller combining live magic, dark comedy, and surreal theatre.Lena | Change JiaIris | Bai RuiyingMike | Beatrice PaolucciSophie | Wendie HouProduced by | Haoming LiAssistant Producer by | Yilin YanStage Managed by | Jiaorong YuDirected by | Yi QuCreative Director | Haoming LiCreative Producer | Jiaorong YuOriginal Playwright | Junhan ChengEnglish Adaptation and Translation | Anlan ShiDramaturgs | Yi Qu and Suneha Iravally Doreyappa GowdaMovement Director | Bai RuiyingChoreographer | Wendie HouArt Director | Rui LuIntercultural Theatre Consultant | Mengjin ZhangVisual Designed by | Jiaorong YuSet and Props Designer | Wendi WuCostume Designer | Shaojia LiSound & Music Designer | Yi LuLighting Designed by | Tammy ChengMagic Designed by | Shang Ma

    until 18 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Physical theatre, Contemporary, Visual art, Epic, International, Dance, Dance Physical Theatre and Circus

    Echoes of Being

    What lies beneath the surface of who we appear to be? This visually immersive choreographic work explores memory, identity, and emotional tension through the body. Drawing on colour psychology and the contrast between red and blue, this new dance piece reveals shifting inner states – between control and inner conflict, concealment and openness. As masks begin to dissolve, fragments of memory and lived experience emerge. Blending movement, colour, and perception, Echoes of Being invites audiences into a reflective space, where the boundary between performer and observer blurs, and traces of existence come into view.

    until 14 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Children's, Magic, International, Illusion

    Eastern Illusions Reimagined

    Perfect for families, this interactive performance introduces the rarely seen art of Ancient Chinese Magic. Award-winning magician and illusionist Keanu Ho, Hong Kong Magic Champion, combines traditional Chinese illusion techniques with contemporary magic. Trained by renowned American magician Rocco Silano, Keanu has dedicated his career to preserving and sharing this unique form of Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage. Audiences will witness astonishing illusions, uncover the stories behind old magical traditions, and even learn simple magic themselves. A captivating cultural adventure that delights children and adults alike while celebrating the artistry of East and West.

    until 16 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Fable, Family-friendly, Traditional, Theatre, International, Storytelling

    1617: Our Tale of Two Planets

    It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. An era of passion and love, yet also a period of war and unrest. It is a time when AI can assist in almost everything, and yet a time when moral depravity reaches its highest point. Chickenshed Theatre collaborates with ActLoud Theater Shanghai for the first time on a bold new Tales series. This is not a drill – it's an opportunity to hear from young adults as they share their visions of the kind of planet they wish to live in.

    until 8 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Physical theatre, Family-friendly, Circus, Dance, International

    Realm Beyond Boundless Dance

    A groundbreaking Chinese contemporary street dance production that fuses ancient mythology with the energy of modern movement. Created by a professional street dance troupe from Shanghai, the show re-imagines traditional cultural symbols, folk music, mythical characters, and Eastern aesthetics through innovative choreography. Featuring immersive holographic projections and spectacular wire stunts. It creates a visually captivating experience that bridges heritage and the future. Making its Edinburgh Fringe debut, Dance Realm showcases the creativity, diversity, and global evolution of Chinese street dance.

    until 13 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Contemporary, Classic story, Theatre, International, Storytelling, Experimental

    Ass Ass In

    An experimental theatre work adapted from the story of Yu Rang in Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian, the first major Chinese historian. Writing from prison, he meets the loyal assassin who disfigured himself and muted his voice to avenge his lord and becomes the narrator of this tale of Yu Rang's struggles. Through his encounter with a fellow soul in despair, he forges a bond of loyalty to him and affirms his own life mission. Blending devised theatre and realism, this is a raw, visceral reflection on faith, fate and legacy.Directed by | Yin YuhaoPlaywright | Li SiyiComposer | Liu Rong

    until 7 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More
    Physical theatre, Universal, Spiritual, International, Dance Physical Theatre and Circus, Dance theatre

    The Bride

    When no-one tells us who to become, are we willing to take responsibility for choosing? A physical theatre work where movement carries memory and language reveals consciousness. This is not a memorial, but a ritual of becoming. The body on stage moves through states of mechanism, imitation, adaptation, disorientation, awareness and choice. At the final altar, Er’er completes a long-rehearsed dance, not in rage or collapse, but by stepping away. The cocoon does not break into a new identity or heroic rebirth, but into an undefined body – an open state.

    until 14 August 2026

    C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

    Discover More