Royal Court Theatre presents

Scenes from a Repatriation

By Joel Tan

Scenes from a Repatriation Top / Details / The Company
Fri 25 Apr - Sat 24 May 2025

‘All of human history? It’s basically people taking things from each other’   

A 1000-year-old statue of the Boddhisattva Guan Yin lives in The British Museum.  

When it emerges that the statue was stolen from its original home, the museum attempts to deflect both the public response and controversial repatriation claims from the Chinese government.   

As statesmen scheme and grease their palms, beneath the statue witches dance, a cleaner prays, and spirits weep. Guan Yin’s gaze falls over the broken shards of human life from empires old and new.  

Joel Tan’s shape-shifting play unfolds the statue’s journey from China to Britain and back again, stirring up centuries of ghosts. Directed by experimental theatre-makers emma + pj (Ghosts of the Near Future, Barbican), Scenes from a Repatriation questions who can claim cultural artefacts – and why.  

A Royal Court Theatre commission.  

Post-show Talk Tues 6 May

A conversation with writer Joel Tan. This event is free with a ticket to that evening’s performance.

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'Vast and scorchingly profound'

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'One of the most daring playwrights working today'

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'What theatre is for'

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'Innovative theatre, shining with intelligence'

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Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

Monday – Friday: 3pm and 7.45pm

Saturdays: 2pm and 6.45pm

Age recommendation: 14+

Running time: 2 hours 30 mins, including a 15 minute interval

This show contains haze, smoke & incense, Flashing lights, loud noises.

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Babes in Arms Performance: Tues 6 May, 3pm

Age UK & Captioned Performance: Tues 13 May, 3pm

Captioned Performance: Tues 13 May, 7:45pm

Chilled Performance: Sat 24 May, 2pm

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