{"product_id":"9781848423312-aiww-the-arrest-of-ai-weiwei-nhb-modern-plays","title":"#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cp\u003eA timely play based on the true story of an imprisoned Nobel Laureate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eA timely play based on the true story of an imprisoned Nobel Laureate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 3 April 2011, as he was boarding a flight to Taipei, the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Airport. Advised merely that his travel \"could damage state security\", he was escorted to a van by officials, after which he disappeared for eighty-one days. On his release, the government claimed that his imprisonment related to tax evasion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward Brenton's play is based on Ai Weiwei's account in Barnaby Martin's book \u003cem\u003eHanging Man\u003c\/em\u003e, in which he told the story of that imprisonment - by turns surreal, hilarious, and terrifying. A portrait of the artist in extreme conditions, it is also an affirmation of the centrality of art and freedom of speech in civilised society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei\u003c\/em\u003e was first performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, in April 2013.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41610634854497,"sku":"9781848423312","price":8.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_26947803.jpg?v=1721379264","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781848423312-aiww-the-arrest-of-ai-weiwei-nhb-modern-plays","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}