Zishen (Cindy) Gao is a London-based independent theatre-maker and production specialist, originally from China, where she developed her practice in high-scale theatrical production and design. A graduate of University of the Arts London, her work navigates the sharp friction between human identity and bureaucratic machinery. Zishen creates darkly ironic works that dissect the administrative and emotional cost of belonging—a theme she has explored extensively in her native China and is now bringing to the UK stage for the first time. Drawing on her professional background in West End technical coordination, she uses metaphor and visceral movement to expose the 'cracks' within systemic structures. Visa, Drama, and Other Disasters marks her UK debut, offering a unique cross-cultural perspective on the universal struggle to remain.
