HAMPSTEAD THEATRE AT HOME: A HAMPSTEAD THEATRE PRODUCTION FROM 2013

#AIWW: THE ARREST OF AI WEIWEI

By HOWARD BRENTON, BASED ON AI WEIWEI'S ACCOUNT IN BARNABY MARTIN'S BOOK 'HANGING MAN'
Directed by JAMES MACDONALD

Running time: 2 hours

FREE (See ticket information)

But what crimes, what? What crimes? Why won't you say exactly what the crimes are? Admit what? What? What?

HAMPSTEAD THEATRE AT HOME

27 Apr - 3 May 2020
FREE

Box Office: 020 7722 9301

Details

Originally performed and live streamed in 2013, this unique recording of #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei returned as part of the Hampstead Theatre At Home series. Thank you to the whole company for kindly allowing us to share this incredible play again. #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei was available to watch on demand from Monday 27 April until Sunday 3 May. Find out more.


★★★★ The Times ★★★★ The Telegraph ★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★ The Independent★★★★ Financial Times ★★★★ Metro★★★★ Time Out

On 3 April 2011, as he was boarding a flight to Taipei, the Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Airport. Advised merely that his travel “could damage state security”, he was escorted to a van by officials after which he disappeared for 81 days. On his release, the government claimed that his imprisonment related to tax evasion.

Howard Brenton’s play is based on conversations with Ai in which he told the story of that imprisonment – by turns surreal, hilarious, and terrifying. A portrait of the Artist in extreme conditions, it is also an affirmation of the centrality of Art and of freedom of speech in civilised society.

Directed by James Macdonald (who also directed Hampstead Theatre At Home production Wild) and starring Benedict Wong as Ai Weiwei (Doctor StrangeThe Personal History of David Copperfield, Black Mirror, The Martian).  


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Cast

Artistic team

WRITER

HOWARD BRENTON

DIRECTOR

JAMES MACDONALD

DESIGNER

ASHLEY MARTIN DAVIS

LIGHTING

MATTHEW RICHARDSON

SOUND

EMMA LAXTON

SONG COMPOSER

SIMON DEACON

CHOREOGRAPHER

SCOTT AMBLER

Cast

News

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei: ★★★★ from The Independent

Posted on 19 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Michael Coveney, The Independent

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei: ★★★★ from The Financial Times

Posted on 19 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Sarah Hemming, The Financial Times

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei: ★★★★ from The Telegraph

Posted on 18 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Charles Spencer, The Telegraph

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei: ★★★★ from Metro

Posted on 18 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Robert Shore, Metro

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei : ★★★★ from The Times

Posted on 18 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Dominic Maxwell, The Times

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei : ★★★★ from Time Out

Posted on 18 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei: Press Night Photos

Posted on 18 April 2013

Taken by Iain Lanyon

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei : ★★★★ from WhatsOnStage.com

Posted on 18 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Michael Coveney, WhatsOnStage.com

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei : ★★★★ from The Guardian

Posted on 18 April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei review By Michael Billington, The Guardian

The Independent: Howard Brenton interview

Posted on 17 April 2013

Sowing the seeds of change?

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei: Production photos

Posted on 16 April 2013

Taken by Stephen Cummisky

The Evening Standard: 'A thorn in the side of Beijing'

Posted on 11 April 2013

Ai Weiwei play to go global on web… but risks block by China By Louise Jury, The Evening Standard

Ai Weiwei: His Art in pictures

Posted on 5 April 2013

From Beijing’s Olympic Stadium, the ‘Bird’s Nest’, to millions of ceramic Sunflower Seeds in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, Ai Weiwei’s Art is incredibly powerful and poignant.

Weiwei-isms: A selection of quotations from Ai

Posted on 5 April 2013

They all ask: Why?

Ai Weiwei discusses Brenton's new play with The Sunday Times

Posted on 2 April 2013

‘We are here to let people know what a bad man you are’The Sunday Times published 31 March By Leo Lewis

Howard Brenton: My play is dangerous for Ai Weiwei

Posted on 2 April 2013

Howard Brenton: My play is dangerous for Ai WeiweiThe Telegraph published 3 April By Tom Wicker

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei in rehearsals

Posted on 28 March 2013

On 3 April 2011, as he was boarding a flight to Taipei, the Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Airport.

Ai Weiwei: I think the most important medium of our time is Twitter

Posted on 15 March 2013

Ai Weiwei: I think the most important medium of our time is Twitter (Never Sorry, 2012)

Casting announced for #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei

Posted on 1 March 2013

A Hampstead Theatre Production/World Premiere

Video and Image Gallery

Christopher Goh (2nd Policeman), Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Policeman) Christopher Goh (2nd Policeman), Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Policeman)
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei)
David Lee-Jones ('Professor') and Richard Rees ('Minder') David Lee-Jones ('Professor') and Richard Rees ('Minder')
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei), David Lee-Jones ('Professor'), Andrew Leung (Thin Young Man) and Richard Rees ('Minder') Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei), David Lee-Jones ('Professor'), Andrew Leung (Thin Young Man) and Richard Rees ('Minder')
David Tse ('A') David Tse ('A')
Christopher Goh (2nd Soldier), Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Soldier) Christopher Goh (2nd Soldier), Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Soldier)
Orion Lee ('Sportsman') Orion Lee ('Sportsman')
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Soldier) Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Soldier)
Junix Inocian ('B') Junix Inocian ('B')
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei)
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei), Junix Inocian (Airport Official) and Netizens Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei), Junix Inocian (Airport Official) and Netizens
Christopher Goh (2nd Policeman), Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Policeman) Christopher Goh (2nd Policeman), Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) and Andrew Koji (1st Policeman)
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei)
Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei) Benedict Wong (Ai Weiwei)