NOODLES (面条)
COMEDY SHOW IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE · PREMIERE season 2026-27
In English and Mandarin Chinese (level HSK 1) · PREMIERE season 2026-27
No prior knowledge of Chinese is required. The show is suitable for all high school students, not just those studying Chinese.
A table, a chair. Two characters — an American man and a Chinese woman — have to explain to the audience how to make noodles. But things quickly get out of hand. Who has the last word? Who leads and who follows? Who actually knows what noodles really are?
In an explosion of physical comedy and theatrical play, the differences between East and West are unmasked one by one. The struggle for status becomes a pretext to make people laugh, think, and discover that the only possible solution is to embrace each other’s differences — and learn how to make noodles.
A show for anyone who wants to learn more about Chinese culture and language and, above all… for noodle lovers!
DOWNLOAD THE DIDACTIC PROJECT OF NOODLES
WRITTEN BY: Tom Corradini
PERFORMED BY: Xinyu Li and Tom Corradini
LANGUAGE: English + Mandarin Chinese (HSK 1 level)
GENRE: Physical comedy with musical elements
TARGET AUDIENCE: High school students. No prior knowledge of Chinese required.
RUNNING TIME: 60 minutes + 20-minute Q&A with the actors (in English)
EDUCATIONAL TOPICS COVERED IN THE SHOW
The show touches upon linguistic, historical, and philosophical themes that can be further explored in class after the performance.
Linguistic Elements: Mandarin Chinese as a tonal language, the four tones and how they change the meaning of words, the Pinyin system, an introduction to Hanzi (Chinese writing), basic grammar, and vocabulary.
History and Philosophy: Confucianism and the values of modern Chinese society, Taoism and the principle of Yin and Yang, the Century of Humiliation (1839–1949) and how it continues to shape Chinese national identity today.
Other Elements: Cuisine as a cultural language, the geography and administrative structure of China.
Along with the show, teachers will receive a complimentary copy of the full script and an educational toolkit for classroom activities.
XINYU LI
Bilingual English-Chinese artist, originally from Zhengzhou (China) and based in the Netherlands. She completed her acting training at the Mulholland Academy and the Cours Florent. She has since worked in film and musical theatre, with a strong inclination towards international productions. Among her main projects, she has played leading roles in the series Your Lord of Nine Circles and The Heir to the Tycoon Family. In theatre, in the Netherlands, she played the co-lead role in the musical Chicago and took part in the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
