Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress

Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress is a Singapore Musical that tells the story of China's Legendary Empress Dowager Cixi. It was staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre originally on 17-19 October 2002 at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, as part of its opening festival, and back again in 2003 by popular demand and in 2006 as part of the IMF meetings in Singapore. It will have a world tour in 2008. Forbidden City was developed by Stephen Clark, Dick Lee and Steven Dexter. 15 years from its premiere, it was staged once again on Aug 2017 back at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.

Kate Carl, an American artist, is invited to paint the portrait of the Empress of China, Cixi. When she arrives in China she hears many rumours about the Empress. She also meets George Morrison, an English journalist on the train to Beijing. He tells her not to be intimidated by the rumours that they heard from the locals. After meeting the Empress, she was asked by the Empress when the work on the portrait can begin. Kate then tells her that she must know her before painting the portrait as art is a two way process. The empress is then suspicious of her at first, but begins her story which unfolds back fifty years ago when she was a young girl...

The empress who was known as Yehernara as a young girl, yearns to become the Emperor's escort after the then empress was pregnant. As was the custom, the Emperor would start to look for a new escort. Yehenara desperately wanted to be chosen by the Emperor to be his escort, and she was indeed chosen. After three months, she was pregnant and the emperor started choosing yet another escort. Yehernara was then taken to the Summer Palace as it was said to be the best place to give birth to a child, where she gave birth to a son, Tung Chih. This was the Emperor's first son and was very important to the dynasty. However, as was the custom, the baby was taken away from Yehenara to be brought up by the court.

Prince Tun, the emperor's scheming brother was devastated by the birth of Tung Chih as he had plans to take the throne for himself. However, whilst still at the Summer Palace, the British attacked and destroyed the Palace. The Royal party fled to the Winter Palace. By then, the Emperor was becoming very weak and was dying. Yehenara knew that if he died without naming Tung Chih as his heir, Prince Tun would claim the throne and her son's and her life would be in grave danger. She was prevented from finding her son so that Prince Tun would be the next Emperor but she found her son and rushed to the Emperor's chamber. No one could stop her while she was carrying the Emperor's son. With his last breath, the Emperor named Tung Chih as his successor and Yehenara as Regent.

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Wikipedia