Chimerica @ Harold Pinter Theatre

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by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)

Freelance writer and poet from London; if you would like to read my poetry, please check out my book, 'Poems on the Page', available from goo.gl/Ta4oAX.

Event: 17/08/2013 - 19/10/2013

A 20 Year Old Cryptic Message

Benedict Wong, by Johan Persson

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The word 'Chimerica' is a portmanteau originally coined by the British historian, Niall Ferguson. It is a combination of the words China and America, and has been used to describe the economic relationship between the two countries.

The term haas recently been adopted by playwright, Lucy Kirkwood, who used it as the title of her new play. Chimerica is currently showing at the Harold Pinter Theatre, and is based on the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989.

In the 1980s, China went through some radical reforms, in which collective farms became separated, industrialisation increased, and the fixed priced system changed to allow competitive pricing. This led to concerns about corruption, and after the death of their former Communist Party General Secretary, Hu Yaobang, students began to protest in Tiananmen Square. On the 4th June 1989, the military intervened with troops, tanks, and riffles. Hundreds, if not thousands were killed in the massacre.

Chimerica follows the story of Joe, and American photojournalist, who captures an important moment during the incident. Twenty years later he is determined to uncover the mystery of what happened to the unknown hero he caught on film.

Tickets are between £10-£49.50, with showing times at 2pm and 7.30pm.