Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalists

The Way Back creates ample and multilayered scenes of sound and light with colors that are vibrant but not kitsch, as well as objects that evoke child-like fun but not a childish manner, constructing the re-assembling and return of the headless limbs in a fluent and lively manner. Furthermore, it uses a theatrical narrative that is classical and magical to poetically transform cruel scenes and plots of wars, treating the heavy subject in a light way. The emerging group, The Double Theatre, spent three years developing The Way Back, which is by far the most mature production of the theatre company. Commendable for both the original script and theater production, the attempt to explore the subject of war in a children’s art festival is ground-breaking as well. Its achievement has surpassed the genre and category of “children’s theatre,” and is indeed an excellent piece that is representative of contemporary theater. (Commentator / WU Meng-Hsuan)

Artwork Introduction 

The Way Back is about an aspiring boy, whose body is brutally shattered into pieces in a war. However, longing for playing the guitar, his right hand escapes the accident and starts to look for other missing parts of his body, trying to bring them home together. In this journey, the missing parts of the body begin to gain a new understanding of what has happened to them, and is eventually able to gain real love and respect before they depart from this world. Utilizing different parts of the performers’ bodies, combined with dance and the component of mime, the full story of The Way Back is pieced together to not only captivate the audience with the narrative, but also inspire them to re-imagine their own bodies in a different way.

About the Artist

The Double Theatre is founded in 2014. Its theatrical works represent the human relationships in a globalized society. Incorporating different values, they use the theatre to engender refractions of life that prompt the audience to re-examine everyday realities through dissimilar perspectives and share their new discoveries with others. Their works primarily engage in themes related to the changing social environment and relationships of individuals, responding to the social realities faced by everyone through the stories of common people.

Production Team

Director/ Lee Cheng-jui

Playwright/ Lee Cheng-chun

Choreography/ Wang Heng

Dramaturg/ Wang Chun-yen

Puppetry Direction/ Hsueh Mei-hua

Actors/ Wang Ting, Wang Hsi-chun, Chen Hao-jen, Chen Lu-huan, Liu Jui-chu, Lo Chen-yu, Hsiao Ching-hsin

Puppet Design/ Huang Yu-chia

Music Design/ Liu Tzu-chi, Sheng Han

Stage Design/ Wu Tzu-ching

Lighting Design/ Wang You-chun

Executive Producer/ Chu Pei-tzu

Producer/ Kao Yi-kai