 |
|||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Put aside your Chinese history textbooks for an evening and learn more about legendary Ming Dynasty explorer Zheng He through a lively drama to be performed by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRep) in May.
Zheng He and the Emperor is a new play written by Stephen Shin Gei-yin - who is also the director - and Brian Chung Wai-kuen. In the play, they will re-enact the adventures of the courageous explorer at Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium.
"It is especially significant for us to stage the play this year because 2005 is the 600th anniversary of the beginning of Zheng He's navigating career." Shin said.
Between 1405 and 1433. Zheng led one of the largest fleets in history - 260 ships with a 30,000 story crew - to the West seven times.
He opened up the Marine Silk Road, establishing good relationships with foreign countries and spreading Chinese culture around the world. He died in India in 1433 on his way back from a voyage to the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Africa.
Being a eunuch, Zheng's glorious life was not recorded in China's official historical records. Yet, according to some contemporary archaeological evidence, he is the first person who "discovered the world", at least 70 years earlier than Columbus. Sun Wai-keung will play the role of Zheng in the drama. Sun said it was a great honour to portray such a historically significant man.
To prepare for the role, the actor read a lot of books to learn about Zheng's personality.
"I lay in bed for a few days to understand the feelings of paralysed patients for the previous drama, but obviously I can't use this mentioned to understand what it's like to be a eunuch." Sun said jokingly.
HKRep also plans to stage other dramas during spring and summer.
It has invited movie stars Leung Ka-fai, Louisa So Yuk-wa and Alice Lau to perform Love in a Fallen City 2005, adapted from a novel by renown female writer Eileen Chang.
The drama will be staged in August.
Tickets for Zheng He and the Emperor will be available at Urbtix from April 4.
For more details, call 3103 5930 or visit www.hkrep.com