Members of the Chinese National Peking Opera Company stage a performance at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, Britain, Oct. 21, 2017, as a celebration for the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Britain diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
The China National Peking Opera Company brought two traditional opera masterpieces The Phoenix Returns Home and A River all Red to Sadler's Wells Theatre in London on Saturday for a series of performances that will come to an end on Wednesday.
This is the Chinese opera troupe's fourth UK show. This year it coincides with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations between China and the UK.
With the troupe's first three tours in 2005, 2015, and 2016 well received by British audience and critics, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming called the troupe "a golden brand" for China and UK cultural exchange.
The shows are again headed by reputable Peking Opera stars Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu. Last year, they brought The General and the Prime Minister and The Legend of the White Snake to the UK as part of activities marking the Year of China-UK cultural exchange.
"After three tours to the UK, the passionate engagement of the audience and wide coverage by mainstream media have shown us that the British audience has a strong interest in traditional Chinese culture," said Yu Kuizhi, who is also the company's vice president and artistic director.
Kevin Zhang - director of Sinolink Production, the company that helped bring the troupe to the UK - told the Global Times, "The positive reviews in the past made us more confident about bringing more shows to UK."
Zhang said he was amazed that British audiences were not only impressed by the dancing, martial arts, and fantastic costumes and make-up on display, but also enjoyed the story and plot. In response, the troupe decided to bring something a bit more sophisticated to the UK this year.
To help the British audience better understand the performances, the troupe not only used English subtitles throughout, but also included a brief introduction to the stories and pointed out some of the highlights the audience should look for in the show's program.
Zhang said the shows have also been condensed from their original length into a two-and-a-half hour performance which includes an interval to better suit the habits of British theater audiences.
"The shows have kept the essence of the play and left out the less important bits to accustom to Western theater tradition," said Zhang.
"The two pieces we chose to stage in the UK are able to fully present the charm of Peking Opera, which is the most representative style of traditional Chinese theater and has been regarded as a national treasure", Li Shengsu told the Global Times.
Yu Kuizhi leads the cast for A River all Red. The show tells the story of one of China's most celebrated generals, Yue Fei, whose patriotism and bravery were answered with betrayal and death.
Combining singing, dancing and awesome acrobatic performances, the show presents the hero's outstanding military leadership and noble patriotism. During the final scene of the play, Yue remains calm even though he has reached the end of his life journey.
Li leads the cast of The Phoenix Returns Home, a light romantic-comedy that tells a beautiful story about marriage in ancient China.
In the play, a wide range of emotions - the happiness of a young woman about to marry the one she loves, the loss and frustration when misunderstandings happen, and the joy when everything is solved - are all presented in detail through beautiful singing, dancing and acting.
"I believe the fun and tenderness of this classic Chinese comedy is sure to win over British audiences and make them happy," Li said.
