In Shenzhen, an immersive theatre piece called The Deal suggests how opportunities for international collaboration in China are increasingly embedded within urban development. In inhabiting the Minghua cruiseliner harboured in Shekou Sea World, and with ambitions from the outset to run for seven years, the production signals a level of long-term investment for immersive theatre rarely seen in the UK.
Directed by Amit Lahav (Artistic Director of Gecko), The Deal invites audiences into the lower decks of the Minghua, transformed into a reimagining of 1920s Paris. Staged promenade-style, a cast of 36 performers and musicians carry us along a succession of courtyards, offices, jazz bars and tailor-shops, performing a story of love, ambition and consequence.
Upon disembarking the vessel, we return to Sea World: the leisure, hospitality, and culture district managed and overseen by China Merchants Shekou Holdings. Over the last decade, the property developers have steadily introduced cultural programming including a museum, annual festivals, and large-scale commissions, as part of a placemaking strategy. As leaders of the UK production company behind The Deal, Matt Runham and Pippa Fox from Tiny Dragon Productions share insights into the opportunities and challenges of working in this context.
Having previously worked for Gecko Theatre with tour booking and business development consultancy, Tiny Dragon became central to The Deal’s development from its early pitching stages. In this instance, close alignment with the developer allowed for an integrated approach marrying artistic process, audience management, and storytelling with the wider identity of Sea World. A feasibility study helped align artistic ambitions with commercial viability, with creative teams working alongside architects and construction teams from the outset.
“The combination of a bespoke venue, bespoke show, and bespoke destination created a rare opportunity to bring together our theatre producing and immersive experience at a completely new scale.”
Pippa Fox, Chief Operating Officer for Tiny Dragon Productions
For UK organisations, working at this scale may not always be achievable. Unlike many UK cultural placemaking initiatives, often time-limited around City of Culture programmes or major sporting events, The Deal was conceived as a cultural anchor within the district. Its commission provided the opportunity to work within the context of a relatively young city, influencing how local audiences and tourists would navigate the site for the first time.
Creative freedom within placemaking is likely dependent on the specific partner and context. Artistic intentions may need to sit alongside wider commercial objectives, requiring ongoing negotiation and compromise. Engaging in this kind of context requires careful due diligence and a clear understanding of partnership expectations.
Working in these contexts can involve contributing both artistic project work and the operational infrastructure built to sustain it. Long-term work requires long-term thinking.
What to consider before engaging in similar projects
Governance
Delivering a project on this scale requires a clear approach to governance that treats it as part of the creative process. In practice, this may involve establishing project-specific companies in the UK and China to avoid confusion over employment status, taxation, and financial responsibilities. Distinctions between UK-appointed staff and locally contracted teams need to be clearly defined to ensure compliance with Chinese legal frameworks.
Working across the UK and China means navigating different legal, financial, and employment systems from the outset, requiring ongoing communication between partners. Responsibility for financial and reputational risk is also important to clarify. With multiple stakeholders involved, it is important to determine who holds decision-making authority at different stages of the project.
Management
Differences in planning timelines can be significant. UK teams often work with long lead times, while decisions in China may be confirmed at shorter notice, requiring rapid adaptation. Expectations around contracts, working conditions, and delivery may also differ, making early negotiation essential in aligning standards across partners.
Working dynamics can affect how and when challenges are raised. International collaborators may sometimes have more flexibility to escalate issues, making it important to understand decision-making structures and lines of authority.
Establishing experienced personnel on the ground is critical. Mandarin-speaking production roles are essential for navigating legal frameworks, translating meetings and site visits, updating colleagues in the UK,and supporting relocation and day-to-day logistics in long-term residencies.
Infrastructure
“Construction delays and shifting timelines are almost inevitable when opening a brand-new venue. Having clearer backup plans in place would have helped manage the volume of last-minute changes and reduced confusion across teams and stakeholders”, said Matt Runham, Chief Executive for Tiny Dragon Productions.
As with many contexts internationally, building safety approvals are essential for venue licensing and subsequently for international performers’ work permits. Delays can have direct knock-on implications for rehearsal time, creative input on technical run-throughs, and cost implications for salaried staff.
Design considerations extend beyond set design, with infrastructure like rehearsal space, physiotherapy rooms, and offices being key in securing the health, wellbeing and operation of the company over time.
Finance
Working with a major developer means that standard theatre budgeting approaches might not always align with construction-based logic. In these contexts, financial planning can be structured around construction-based models, such as unit pricing and phased investment.
These systems can introduce a level of rigidity that contrasts with the iterative nature of some forms of performance such as devised theatre. For example, feasibility studies and early budget frameworks may become fixed reference points even as priorities change, and require attentive negotiation to safeguard artistic intention. Financial systems may also operate with a high degree of formality, with limited flexibility around expenses and procurement.
Cash flow management can also be complex in cross-border projects. Payment schedules may be tied to specific project milestones, and delays in construction alongside fluctuating exchange rates can place pressure on companies managing salaries and operational costs. Developing strong contractual protections can help alleviate that strain.
—
As immersive theatre continues to grow in China, opportunities to develop work alongside placemaking will likely increase. As The Deal has proven, success depends on early investment in governance, management, infrastructure and finance.
For UK organisations, a key difference lies in working with less flexible systems, requiring earlier prioritisation than is typical in UK-based projects. Establishing robust foundations from the beginning allows productions to adapt over time to audience demand, operational change, and the evolving ambitions of the development around them.
“For us, the project clarified the type of work that most excites us as a company: operating at the intersection of theatre, immersion and placemaking, and collaborating with partners who see culture as central to shaping destinations, communities and audience experiences.”
Pippa Fox, Chief Operating Officer for Tiny Dragon Productions
