(Yicai Global) March 9 -- Shanghai’s theatres are making up for lost time, after attendance levels were severely limited during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a jam-packed schedule as major theater troupes swing back into action.

Some 931 performances are planned for March, a jump of 75.6 percent from 2019, according to the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

Performers are busier than ever, said Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of the Shanghai Grand Theatre. “Everyone wants to reclaim the days lost,” she said.

“This is what a theater should be like,” said Zhang, as people and props fill the rehearsal hall. In the last three years, the theatre was shut for 10 months, and attendance was limited to between 30 percent and 75 percent most of the time, she added.

The jump in performances does not mean that the industry is back to normal, a senior theatre producer told Yicai Global. The sector has taken a big hit from the pandemic. Many performing artists have left the industry and venues have shut, although some have pulled through.

Shanghai Grand Theatre stayed active throughout the pandemic, Zhang said. It co-operated with performers and private companies to launch the Chinese version of the musical “The Brothers Karamazov”, the Kunqu opera “Peony Pavilion”, the dance drama “White Snake” and other works.

The concept of ‘pent-up consumption’ needs to be treated with care. Audiences are becoming more cautious in their spending, Zhang said. They now buy their tickets a week or two in advance, which is much later than before the pandemic.

Other major cultural events, such as the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival and Shanghai International Arts Festival, will return this year after a hiatus of several years.

Shanghai Grand Theatre is gearing up for a blockbuster October, when the Shanghai International Arts Festival will be held. It will offer many foreign works, such as opera, dance, drama and symphony, Zhang said.

This year’s schedule for the Shanghai Grand Theatre is packed with high-quality original works and foreign performances, she added. They are still negotiating the program for next year and the year after that.

Editor: Kim Taylor