The mainland stage production I Love Peach Blossom made its Hong Kong premiere at Freespace in the West Kowloon Cultural District on August 27, with a reported four-day run organised by the Beijing Association of Societies. The performance brought a production rooted in traditional Chinese culture to one of the city’s main arts venues.
Based on a legendary novel from the Tang dynasty, the play uses a play-within-a-play structure that shifts between ancient and modern settings. Its subject matter includes emotional entanglements and questions about human nature.
The Hong Kong production is directed by and stars Zhang Guoli, who plays Zhang Ying. It also features veteran actors from the 1980s television adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber alongside younger performers.
The play was first created in 2003 and has reportedly been staged more than 3,000 times in mainland China, according to the report on the Hong Kong production. The supplied reports do not independently verify the performance figure.
Sze Wing-wai, president of the Beijing Association of Societies, said the organisers hoped to bring quality mainland productions to Hong Kong and help residents learn more about China’s traditional culture.
Hong Kong Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law attended the premiere. She said Hong Kong is a centre for cultural and artistic exchange between China and foreign countries, and expressed hope that more mainland works would be staged in the city and use it as a platform to reach the world.
The reported four-day run is being held at Freespace, although the supplied reports do not specify its exact closing date. They also provide no ticket figures, audience data or critical assessment of the production.