A tasteful production

For Chinese scriptwriter Zhang Heping, who has written scripts for TV dramas and movies and currently serves as the president of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, one of the highlights of his decadeslong career was being the president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre from 2007 to 2014.

The top theater is known for its long list of classic plays, such as Teahouse, Beneath the Red Banner and The Top Restaurant, which enjoy huge popularity throughout the country.

"Creating more classic plays was always a top priority when I worked with the Beijing People's Art Theatre and, even after my resignation, it is still my wish," says Zhang, 77.

Now, Zhang is working with his longtime friend, scriptwriter Liu Heng, and veteran director Lang Kun, on a new original Chinese play, titled From West to East, which is about the rise and fall, and rise again, of the century-old Beijing Muslim hot pot restaurant Dong Lai Shun.

"Beijing People's Art Theatre created The Top Restaurant, which premiered in 1988 and tells the story of the famous Peking duck restaurant Fu Ju De. When I read the script of From West to East, I was very excited. I know it will become a classic because it's about Chinese food, recounting Chinese history and connecting with Chinese people. Along with the creative team, we revised the script eight times, hoping to present the little-known story about the time-honored brand," says Zhang, adding that the play will premiere in the capital on Sept 16 and will run for five days before touring nationwide.

The play tells the story of the restaurant from its very beginning to 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded. Established by Ding Deshan, a man from Cangzhou, Hebei province, in 1903, the restaurant started from a small booth in Dong'an market, a commercial area located in the bustling Wangfujing street, and became famous for its distinctive copper pots, thin-sliced strips of mutton and sugar garlic. In its 120-year history, the restaurant went through many ups and downs, which reflected the fortunes of Chinese society. Now, Dong Lai Shun has more than 150 branch restaurants across the country.

Veteran Chinese actor Liu Peiqi will play the leading role of Ding Deshan. At 65, Liu is known for his roles in TV dramas and movies. He attributes his major breakthrough to Zhang, who traveled to meet Liu at his home in Tianjin with the script for The Days Without My Comrade, which is about Lei Feng — a soldier and a national icon. The movie, written by Zhang, was premiered in 1996 and Liu rose to fame by playing the role Qiao Anshan, one of Lei Feng's former colleagues.

"Twenty-seven years ago, he (Zhang Heping) gave me the chance to play the role of Qiao Anshan and now he came to me with the script of From West to East. I am very grateful and I hope that the play will be enjoyed by the audience," says Liu.

"Chinese food culture is famous worldwide. Food culture is closely related to society. Dong Lai Shun is known for doing hot pot the northern way, also known as shuanyangrou, or instant-boiled mutton. There's plenty of competition these days, but the restaurant remains popular," says Lang, who has directed CCTV's annual Spring Festival gala — one of the most-watched TV shows in the country — five times and directed his first dance drama, The Flower of War, in March.

"We went through the materials about Ding Deshan, learning his stories. He was a man with determination and a warm heart. He wanted to make delicious food for people, so although the restaurant was destroyed several times due to fire, he was strong enough to start over again and again," says Lang.

Lang notes that there will be more than 50 characters in the play. Famous actors and actresses, such as comedian Cai Ming, and young xiangsheng (crosstalk) performer Yang Jiulang, will feature among the cast.