When I was eight, my family endured several deaths in quick succession. While other kids were being chauffeured to weekend soccer games, I was being driven to the cemetery to perform 100-death-day ceremonies. Aunties and uncles would direct me where to stand and what gestures to make. As a dutiful son whose aversion to speaking up would lead to a dyslexia diagnosis years later, I never worked up the courage to question what we were doing or why.

Well, Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim didn’t just work up the nerve to ask; they created an entire Chinese cyberpunk opera about it.

Opera for the Dead 祭歌 is a collaborative performance between award-winning composer-musicians Wang and Lim. The inspiration for the show stemmed from the passing of Wang’s father in 2015. Through a haze of grief, she observed the unspoken formalities that were expected of her at such an intense time. Years later, Wang brought the idea to Lim, and both were instantly fascinated by the unique juxtaposition between spirituality and modernity born of death. Following their curiosity and desire to further collaborate, they jumped into the studio and got to work. The result is an experimental exploration of the rituals we use to mourn. Through electronic landscapes, 3D animation, and shifting architecture, Opera for the Dead 祭歌 reshapes what we expect a funeral to look and feel like.

Thanks to Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim for taking the time to chat. Special shout outs to the good people at Common State and Sydney Festival for making this happen. Click here more info and where to buy tickets.