Chinese theater troupe rocks Edinburgh

A highly-anticipated adaptation of Shakespeare's "Coriolanus" has performed at the Edinburgh International Festival.

A highly-anticipated adaptation of Shakespeare's "Coriolanus" has performed at the Edinburgh International Festival. It's the first Shakespeare play produced by the Beijing Peoples Art theatre, and its European premiere has created quite a stir.

Shakespeare, heavy metal and Mandarin are not words that one would normally associate with each another.

But China's leading stage director Lin Zhaohua has mixed all of these in his experimental version of Shakespeare's tragedy, Coriolanus. Attracting thousands to the play's European premiere in Edinburgh.

An audience said, "I'd like something different, something boisterous, energetic and loud. I think.

At a press conference before the show the play's director Lin Zhaohua praised the forward thinking of the Edinburgh International festival, for bringing the play here.

Supporters of the show say this is a great chance to showcase Chinese work overseas.

Lady Davies, founder of KT Wong Foundation, said, "China is changing so much so quickly. We in China have so many western groups going over to China. Importing what they do. It is time for China to bring out to show what they can do. And they can compete and do things on many different levels. Basically competing or performing on the same turf."

The play re-interprets Coriolanus with a unique twist. Performed in Mandarin. Cast include leading Chinese actors - accompanied by two of China's well known heavy metal bands – Suffocated and Miserable faith.

A bold move many say as heavy metal is still a growing scene in China. But audiences seem to have enjoyed it.

One audience said, "They were magnetic, the music worked amazingly. It was incredibly beautiful and wonderfully acted."

The crowds have just come out of the opening night of the show here and everyone we talked to have nothing but praise for the show. So it looks like the tragedy of Coriolanus went down well here in the Scottish capital.