The mainland version of "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land" is to be
staged at Shanghai Grand Theatre on December 8.
The sell-out production features China's top TV drama actors as well as stars
from Taipei's Performance Workshop and players from the National Theatre Company
of China.
Taiwan director Lai Sheng-chuan (Stan Lai) said it was an honour to perform
at the Capital Theatre, where so many great plays, such as the "Teahouse" and
"Thunderstorm " have played.
Though "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land" is not quite like any play that
the Capital Theatre has seen in the past, it is very likely to be added to the
list of the great plays in the theatre's history.
In "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land," two theatre groups are mistakenly
booked into the same theatre for rehearsal. One is performing a modern tragedy
called "Secret Love," which tells about a dying old man in Taipei looking for
his first love from Shanghai more than half a century ago. The other is
performing the farce "In Peach Blossom Land," lampooning the fabled utopia of
classical Chinese literature.
They fight for the stage, and resign to sharing it. What happens is a
juxtaposition of modern and ancient times, tragedy and comedy. However different
they seem, when put together, the two plays begin to point to a common theme,
and the result makes one question, which really is the tragedy.
"Compared to 'Secret Love,' 'In Peach Blossom Land' is actually a heavier
tragedy," said Beijing-based drama critic Shui Jing. "The sadness of 'Secret
Love' can be attributed to a time, but the sadness of 'In Peach Blossom Land'
can only be attributed to man himself."
Huang Lei, who plays Jiang Binliu, hero of "Secret Love," also said he found
great tragic elements in "In Peach Blossom Land," and would like to try this
part's hero fisherman Tao sometime in the future. In fact during rehearsals he
has already tried fisherman Tao and enjoyed it very much.
Since its debut in 1986, there have been four drama versions and a film
version of "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land," the casts having included such
famous actors and actresses as Brigette Lin (Lin Qingxia), Chin Shih-chieh (Jin
Shiji e) and Lee Li-chun (Li Liqun). Every time Lai re-directed the play, he
would come up with some new gadgets, but the structure and plot of the play have
remained the same. "I have a principle of not to repair something unless it is
broken," said Lai.
The mainland version of "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land" is closest to the
play's original form, except that some details are inserted with new lines that
accord with life in today's Beijing.
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