Children in Sichuan will be offered another way to spend the long-expected May Day holiday - going to the theatre and enjoy their special tailored drama TEXT.

Produced by artists from the Sichuan People's Art Theatre, the drama aims to help students discover fun in textbooks, said the local news website newssc.org.

Actors perform during a commencement celebration for the children's drama TEXT in Sichuan on Sunday, April 6, 2008.

With its hero, elementary school student Tao Xiaole, going through adventures in stories from textbooks, the drama is full of imagination. And to cater to children's interests, the show has blended in many elements from Japanese cartoons and western style children's musicals.

"Children dramas are hard to compose as they need simple yet intriguing stories. But successful dramas imported from other cities and abroad have encouraged us to create our own show," Ao Xiaoyi, director from the composition department said.

TEXT is a children's carnival in a magic world, the director added, audience can also interact with the players.

The drama will open in the theatre on April 25 and will run through May 18, with two sessions each day during the May Day holiday.

(CRI April 7, 2008)