Qiaoran Li — Theatre Producer

Theatre Producer · London

Qiaoran
Li

李 巧 然

Cross-cultural theatre producer working between Chinese and British performance traditions. MA Applied Theatre, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. August 2026: The Death of Hundun — London & Edinburgh.

Executive Producer Physical Theatre Cross-Cultural Fringe London Mandarin · English
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Qiaoran Li

Two traditions.
One practice.

Qiaoran Li is a London-based theatre producer trained across more than a decade of Chinese and British performance. Fluent in Mandarin and English, she works fluidly across both industries — from pitch to premiere, in both languages. She graduated in Musical Theatre Performance from the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts and began her career with the Shanghai Anke Musical Troupe before transitioning into production at the Shanghai Theatre Academy Cultural Development Co., Ltd.

Her Chinese credits include working under Professor Li Dun — a pioneer of original Chinese-language musical theatre — and producing the historical costume drama Anle Zhuan, which accumulated over 22 million online views following its 2023 premiere.

Since arriving in the UK, Li has built two fringe credits in under a year and is preparing to premiere her own production in August 2026. She is currently completing her MA in Applied Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

She also holds advanced advertising certifications across Amazon, LinkedIn, X, and Reddit — allowing her to manage paid promotion in-house, from concept to campaign.

Anle Zhuan — character map, Youku 2023

A production
that reached millions

Before arriving in the UK, Qiaoran Li worked as Production Assistant on Anle Zhuan (安乐传) — a large-scale historical costume drama produced by the Shanghai Theatre Academy Cultural Development Co., Ltd. and streamed exclusively on Youku in summer 2023.

The production became a cultural event: topping Youku's heat index ten times, trending simultaneously across 55 Weibo topics and 7 Douyin channels, and running 10-city outdoor billboard campaigns across Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and seven other major cities.

27.6B
Weibo topic reads
30.65B
Douyin topic plays
10,000
Peak heat index (max score)

Staged work

The Mask Policy — poster

2025

The Mask Policy

Executive Producer

Hen & Chickens Theatre, London

A short physical comedy exploring workplace identity and conformity. Written by Tianjiao Tan, directed by Yi Tang. Li's first major UK production credit.

★★★

Everything Theatre — "witty and engaging"

March 2026

While We Wait

Production Assistant

Arches Lane Theatre, London

A romantic comedy with a unique narrative structure. Written by Craig Doe Wilmann, directed by Scott Le Crass. Received split critical reception across two publications.

★★★★★

Curtain Call Reviews — "deep emotional resonance"

August 2026

The Death of Hundun

Producer

London & Edinburgh

Ancient Chinese philosophy meets modern physical theatre. A woman's psychological journey between emotional collapse and rational restraint — exploring the tension between chaos and order in human civilisation.

Press & reviews

Deep emotional resonance — a production whose ensemble work lifts an ambitious romantic concept into something genuinely felt.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Curtain Call Reviews

While We Wait, Arches Lane Theatre

Witty and engaging — strong physical performances that make the most of a sharp comedic premise about who we pretend to be at work.
★ ★ ★

Everything Theatre

The Mask Policy, Hen & Chickens Theatre

Unique narrative concept that challenges the conventions of romantic storytelling in the fringe format — ambitious and considered.
★ ★ ★

Everything Theatre

While We Wait, Arches Lane Theatre

"The Death of Hundun combines ancient Chinese philosophy with modern physical theatre — a contemporary interpretation of traditional culture, showcasing the possibilities of cross-cultural storytelling."

Qiaoran Li on The Death of Hundun

Theatre as a social practice

Alongside commercial production, Li has sustained a decade of workshop and community programming. In China, she organised over ten theatre events and educational workshops at institutions including Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, focusing on narrative performance, improvisation, and ensemble practice.

In 2026, she extended this work to the UK — leading inclusive arts workshops for participants with intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome. Drawing on movement-based performance and collaborative enactment, the sessions prioritise accessibility across communication styles. Participant feedback has consistently reported increased confidence in group settings.

This dual track — commercial production and community practice — reflects both her Applied Theatre training and a broader shift in UK arts organisations toward treating inclusive work as central rather than supplementary.

22M

Online views — Anle Zhuan (2023)

10+

Workshops & events produced in China

3

UK productions in under one year

2

Countries for August 2026 premiere

Training & certification

Education

Royal Central School of Speech & Drama

MA Applied Theatre

In progress · 2026

Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts

BA Musical Theatre Performance

Graduated 2021

Amazon Ads Academy

Amazon Ads Academy

Sponsored Ads Advanced Certification

Advanced

Jun 2026 · Expires Jun 2028

Amazon Ads Academy

DSP Advanced Certification

Advanced

Jun 2026

Amazon Ads Academy

Ads for Retail Advanced Certification

Advanced

Jun 2026 · Expires Jun 2028

Amazon Ads Academy

DSP Certification

Certified

Jun 2026

Amazon Ads Academy

Campaign Planning Certification

Certified

Jun 2026

Amazon / Twitch

Twitch Ads Certification

Certified

Jun 2026

Platform Certifications

LinkedIn

Marketing Strategy Certification

Certified

Jun 2026

X (Twitter)

Ads Manager Fundamentals Badge

Certified

Jun 2026

X (Twitter)

Cross-Border Advertising Certification

Certified

Jun 2026

Reddit for Business

Ads Boost Certification

Certified

Jun 2026

Work together

Available for production collaborations, workshop commissions, and cross-cultural theatre projects. Based in London, working across the UK.