在荒野(Underpass)

Synopsis

In a grimy underpass beneath a Beijing train station, a makeshift community of outcasts and drifters clings to the margins of society.

Yan Donghua, a homeless mother, fiercely protects her young son Little One while navigating life among a cast of characters including Liu Wei, a terminally ill man abandoned by his wife, and Shen Li, a secretive and opportunistic drifter. Their precarious existence is upended when Shi Lei, a journalist posing as a beggar, publishes an exposé about their living conditions, leading to unintended and far-reaching consequences.

Si’an Chen’s powerful drama explores themes of social inequality, urban poverty, and the ethics of journalism in contemporary China. Through a series of interconnected vignettes, the play examines the complex relationships and power dynamics within this marginalised community, as well as the wider societal forces that shape their lives.