Liao Zhai Rocks

The brochure offers theatregoers a first glimpse of the clashing worlds of humans and ghouls in this rock musical based on Liao Zhai Zhi Yi – a Chinese literary masterpiece on the supernatural. Upon opening the brochure, a sunlit scene of mortals and demi-gods hides the treacherous darkness of the netherworld on the flip side. The only hint lies in the yellow, unconventional Taoist talisman – it wards off humans instead of evil. Partly inspired by the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, the phrase on the talisman is loosely translated to ‘Doors of hell – the living shall not disturb, tickets required’. This tongue-in-cheek treatment parallels the unexpected twists in this contemporary stage extravaganza. Loose “talismans” were attached to a batch of brochures which doubled up as ticket discount coupons for the musical, while cheekily reinforcing the message of “tickets required”.