Dongpo: Life in Poems is at Esplanade Theatre on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December 2026. Esplanade lists Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 2.30pm and 7pm, with the Saturday evening show added to the schedule. The performance runs about 80 minutes with no interval.
Shen Wei’s contemporary operatic dance draws on the poetry and life of Song dynasty writer Su Dongpo. It is performed in Chinese with English captions and includes live guqin played by Zhao Xiaoxia. Standard tickets are listed from S$69 and admission is for ages six and above.
- Friday 4 December at 8pm; Saturday 5 December at 2.30pm or 7pm.
- Standard categories are S$69, S$99, S$139 and S$179. Esplanade also lists a S$249 VIP ticket.
- English captions accompany the Chinese-language performance. Check your seat and any access needs with Esplanade.
- Use the Esplanade Theatre entrance. Esplanade MRT and City Hall MRT are the nearby rail approaches.
Find what you need
Dongpo: Life in Poems dates and showtimes · How much are Dongpo tickets and which seats should you compare? · What is Dongpo: Life in Poems about? · How to get to Esplanade Theatre
Full guide contents
- Dongpo: Life in Poems dates and showtimes
- How much are Dongpo tickets and which seats should you compare?
- What is Dongpo: Life in Poems about?
- How to get to Esplanade Theatre
- How to watch the poetry, dance and music together
- Choosing between a first visit, an arts outing and a waterfront evening
- Frequently asked questions
| Date | Published start | Approximate finish |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 4 Dec | 8pm | 9.20pm |
| Sat 5 Dec | 2.30pm | 3.50pm |
| Sat 5 Dec | 7pm | 8.20pm |
Dongpo: Life in Poems dates and showtimes
The official Esplanade event listing gives three performances across the two dates. Friday offers the later evening start. Saturday has a matinee and a separate 7pm performance. Use the date and time together when selecting a seat. Ticket availability can differ between the two Saturday shows.
Which performance is easiest to fit into a day?
The 2.30pm show gives time for lunch before the theatre and finishes around 3.50pm if it runs to schedule. Saturday at 7pm lets you make an earlier evening plan than Friday at 8pm. For a group coming from work on Friday, agree how much time to leave between dinner and taking your seats. The finish estimates do not include time to get out of the building.
What should you know about the runtime?
The published runtime is 1 hour 20 minutes without an interval. Use the toilets before entering if needed, and ask staff about arrangements if you may need to step out. A short show without a break can be easier to fit into an evening. For a visitor who needs to move periodically, the absence of a planned intermission is also worth factoring into seat choice.
Which Esplanade venue is this?
The ticket should say Esplanade Theatre. The Concert Hall and other spaces in the same arts centre serve different programmes. Use the exact hall name in the group chat. If someone is arranging a pickup after the show, choose a named public location and allow for the walk from the theatre.
How much are Dongpo tickets and which seats should you compare?
Esplanade lists standard categories at S$69, S$99, S$139 and S$179, as well as a S$249 VIP ticket. Read the date-specific map and final amount in the official booking flow. A published starting price is a category price, and seats at that price may sell out for the performance you want.
A view of the movement and captions
People coming mainly for the dance may want a clear view across the stage. Anyone relying on captions should also ask about the caption placement and the best seats for reading them. A more expensive seat is not automatically the easiest one from which to take in both. Check the seat map and venue advice before selecting a category. If someone in the group needs a step-free route or companion seat, tell the venue which date you plan to attend.
Compare dates for two or more people
Open both Saturday times if the group is flexible. A lower-priced pair may be easier to find at the earlier show. If each person is booking separately, agree on the exact performance and section first. Buying two tickets for different Saturday sessions is an easy mistake when both are listed under the same date.
Check admission age
The venue lists ages six and above. Read the current admission instructions before purchasing for a child. The work uses movement, sound and visual material rather than a simple dialogue-led plot. Consider whether that format and the uninterrupted runtime suit the child in your party.
What is Dongpo: Life in Poems about?
The production draws on Su Dongpo’s poetry and life and uses contemporary dance, music and visual design to bring those ideas to the stage. Esplanade credits the China Oriental Performing Arts Group as producer and performer, Zhao Xiaoxia for live guqin and Chen Qigang as composer. Shen Wei is credited across direction, writing and design.
Who was Su Dongpo?
Esplanade identifies him as a poet of the Song dynasty who lived from 1037 to 1101. For a first visit, the main point is that the production explores a person’s experience through poetry rather than giving a conventional chronological account of a life. You can follow changes in mood and movement before trying to connect them to particular moments in his biography.
What to listen for in the live guqin
Notice when the sound gives the dancers room to pause, and when music and movement begin to feel more closely tied. If you are unfamiliar with the instrument, listen for differences in attack and silence rather than trying to identify every technique. One person in the group might notice the sound first while another notices a change in the stage picture. Comparing those details afterwards can make the piece easier to discuss.
Do you need to understand Chinese?
The official listing specifies Chinese with English captions. If you depend on the captions, ask the venue about sightlines before booking. Some moments can be understood through sound, movement and design, while captions can give context to the words. You do not need to read Su Dongpo’s poems in advance to attend. If you want to prepare, read a short introduction to the poet and leave the interpretation to the performance.
How to get to Esplanade Theatre
Esplanade’s MRT walking guide gives routes from Esplanade (CC3) and City Hall (EW13/NS25). From Esplanade MRT, use Exit D and follow the directions through the linkway. From City Hall, follow the published route through CityLink Mall. Check current signs for lifts or route changes.
What to do before or after the show
For the matinee, choose lunch nearby or save a short waterfront walk for afterwards. For the evening, check when you need to leave the restaurant to reach the theatre. If you want a photograph, use a permitted public area before entering and follow the show’s recording rules. The header shows the Marina Bay waterfront with Esplanade in the distance. Use the official venue directions for the actual entrance.
Making the outing work in rain
Use the station approach that suits your line and check the linked route before leaving. Make the theatre the fixed point. A promenade visit can be optional if the weather is wet. If meeting people from different stations, choose a named foyer or public landmark in the complex rather than waiting at an unspecified street entrance.
How to watch the poetry, dance and music together
Begin with what is visible
At the start of an unfamiliar dance work, it can help to watch how performers share space. Notice whether a group moves together, whether one person is left apart and how the stage picture changes when people turn or leave. These are things you can see without identifying a specific poem. When a caption provides a phrase or image, see whether it changes what you notice in the movement.
Follow one sound through a scene
The presence of live guqin gives the audience a real instrument to listen for alongside the larger sound of the production. Listen to a note as it ends and notice whether the dancers continue, stop or shift their timing. In a later scene, see if the same relationship returns. A listener who prefers music can use that approach while a companion focuses on lighting, gesture or costume.
If you are bringing a student or first-time dance viewer
Give them one question rather than a summary of the whole production. Ask which gesture or change in light made a scene feel different. On the way home, compare that observation with something you noticed. They can answer using a detail from the performance without needing to offer a formal interpretation. If reading captions takes their attention away from a movement, they can choose which to follow in that moment.
Plan a conversation after the show
For the Friday performance, leave the discussion or drink until after the 9.20pm approximate finish only if the return route still suits everyone. For Saturday’s matinee, the earlier finish may give the group room for a short discussion or a waterfront walk. Choose what works for the people attending and leave some room for the time it takes to get out of the theatre.
Choosing between a first visit, an arts outing and a waterfront evening
A first contemporary dance performance
Choose the time that leaves you least rushed. Arriving after a long commute and a tight dinner can make it harder to settle into an unfamiliar performance. The matinee leaves time for a meal or a walk afterwards. The Saturday evening gives a clear start at 7pm. If you mainly want to sit together, compare the three seat maps before committing to your first choice.
A group coming for the poetry
Agree on how much preparation people want. One person may recognise a reference while someone else is drawn to the way a dancer moves or the sound of the guqin. You can bring those observations together afterwards. A brief note about Su Dongpo can provide enough context without setting up a single interpretation of the work. If someone wants to read more, they can follow their own interests before the performance.
A visit with a child or a student
Check the minimum age before comparing seats. Then consider whether a no-interval show fits the person’s needs. Plan an earlier meal and toilet break if helpful. For a student attending as part of an arts outing, ask them to choose one moment in which the music or lighting changed how they understood a gesture. That is more manageable than trying to describe all 80 minutes.
A party relying on captions or access support
Ask Esplanade which seats give the clearest view of the captions and what route suits the group. Include the date and hall when you ask. If the people attending have different needs, balance the stage view with the caption view and the route in. Give everyone the final seat information and a place to meet before entry.
Building a second stop around the theatre
If you want a waterfront walk or another performance, leave a buffer and treat the Dongpo ticket as the fixed booking. Friday’s approximate 9.20pm finish and Saturday’s approximate 8.20pm finish give different room for a meal afterwards. For the matinee, decide what to do only after you know how long your group wants to spend at Esplanade. Keep one part of the day flexible in case it rains.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Saturday night show?
Yes. Esplanade lists a 7pm performance on Saturday 5 December.
Is there an intermission?
No. The advertised running time is 80 minutes.
Are there English captions?
Yes. Esplanade lists Chinese with English captions.
What is the minimum age?
The venue lists admission from age six.
Is it at Esplanade Concert Hall?
No. The venue is Esplanade Theatre.
See the Singapore November and December events guide for more year-end outings.