'Legend of Zhen Huan' hits stage

In 2011, the period drama "Legend of Zhen Huan" took China by storm on TV. Now, a stage version of the phenomenal show has been staged at Poly Theater in Beijing. And just like the TV series, the stage version is like a magnet, luring in a full house of audiences.

Audiences can't get enough of the 76-episode TV series "Legend of Zhen Huan", so much that its been brought to live onstage.

The drama tells the story of Zhen Huan, who was chosen to be Emperor Yongzheng's concubine in ancient China's Qing Dynasty. Its a tale of survival in a palace full of cunning plots and deceit, and the protagonist manages to defeat her enemies.

Although both the stage version and the TV show are based on the novel with the same title by Liu Lianzi, the production team says the stage version is slightly different from the onscreen series.

"There are a lot characters in the TV version as it has 76 episodes. But with time constraints on the stage, we have to tell the same story within two hours. So we use a new structure and only focus on Zhen Huan's story, on how she rises in the palace," said Yang Yikun, the scriptwriter of "Legend of Zhen Huan".

Zhuang Yi, who co-wrote the script of the stage version, says audience has another reason to come to the theater.

"Adaptation work is very much like. But good things are the immediacy and the energy of the actors, they can be transmitted directly to the audience," said Zhuang Yi.

The original series, which was 76 episodes long, first aired in the Chinese mainland in 2011 to with record-breaking success. It achieved widespread popularity in many other Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan.

And the show still is expanding its influence.

American TV channel HBO has turned the drama series into a six-episode television movie series, with each episode lasting 90 minutes. The English version also added the narrative of Zhen Huan's later years, which was filmed last September.

But will the show make a huge splash with western audiences the same way it did in China and Southeast Asian countries?

"The storytelling is good. The western audience will look at it through the lens of their own culture, but the exotic setting has a great appeal to them. And there's not much," said Zhuang Yi.

"Legend of Zhen Huan" will be staged at the Poly Theater from Wednesday to Sunday, with plans for a tour around the country.