Shanghai’s MIFA 1862 Theater Announces 2025/2026 Season Featuring Global Premieres, Kerry Ellis & More
The new season, branded as “1862 1:X,” features productions from China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Argentina, including new immersive and mixed-reality works.
By: Joshua Wright Oct. 14, 2025
China Culture reports that Shanghai’s MIFA 1862 Theater has announced its 2025/2026 performance season, unveiling an international lineup of productions from China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Argentina. The new season, branded as “1862 1:X,” emphasizes innovation, technology, and cultural exchange, with several world and national premieres planned.
About 70 percent of the season’s main stage productions are either new creations or Chinese premieres. The diverse programming includes environmental, immersive, and mixed-reality shows, as well as performances developed through the theater’s new idol platform.
Among the season’s highlights is the return of the Chinese-British co-production Lady M, an English-language musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Featuring international performers such as Maya Hakvoort, Kerry Ellis, and Gian Marco Schiaretti, the production employs an innovative double-sided stage design and has already drawn more than 40,000 attendees across three runs.
Technological innovation features prominently this year with Taixu DreamScape, a mixed-reality immersive production combining volumetric video and Apple Vision Pro technology. The show, based on The Dream of the Red Chamber, allows audiences to engage with both live and virtual performers simultaneously.
The program also includes The Sound of Oriental Wisdom, an immersive folk music experience featuring 20 young musicians performing on more than 100 traditional Chinese instruments.
International offerings include Argentina’s Fuerza Bruta Aven, an interactive show that has attracted 6.8 million viewers in 37 countries, and Russia’s Slava’s Snow Show, known for its 60 million custom-made snowflakes and massive stage installations. The world premiere of Barbershop Boys, a co-production between West End and Chinese creatives, will transform the audience space into a London barbershop for a fully immersive experience.
The theater will continue its popular Show in the Rain series with Show in the Rain II, debuting in May 2026 with upgraded water effects and surround sound technology.
In addition to mainstage performances, the venue’s smaller “cabin one” and “cabin three” spaces will host resident productions, including Wet Show, a Russian-Chinese interactive dinner theater experience. Off-site programming will extend to city spaces with Silent Disco, a British urban dance experience offering guided tours across Shanghai landmarks such as the Rockbund and the Bund Finance Center.
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