"Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring" premiered in 1991 at the National Theater in Taipei. It can be seen once again by Beijing audiences next week at the Peking University Hall.

As one of the most successful modern plays, "Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring" uses an innovative approach to tell two stories, a comedy and a tragedy, on one stage. The story revolves around two independent drama troupes that are forced to rehearse at the same time because of the theater's tight schedule. One is called "Secret Love" and the other, "Peach Blossom Spring."

The play first came to the mainland in 2006, amazing audiences with local actors Huang Lei, He Jiong and Xie Na, all of whom went on to make their name as TV host, singer and actor. This time around, the comedy part has been changed a little. The crew also has two new faces: Yang Lele, a host on Hunan TV, will take Xie's part to play the leading female character Chun Hua.

The director Stan Lai picked Yang after watching one of her comic sketches. The young actor Tian Yu will play Lao Tao, who has to suffer his wife's love affairs.

7 pm, May 25-27
Peking University Hall, inside Peking University, Haidian district
6275-2279

(China Daily May 22, 2009)