Students combine for historic drama

Students from the University of Leeds in the UK pose for photos at the Heathrow Airport in London ahead of their flight arranged by China Eastern Airlines, Sept 12, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

This year marks not only 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, but also that of his Chinese counterpart, great Ming dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Under the Southern Bough is a contemporary adaptation and reimagining of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Tang Xianzu's Nanke Ji, one of his quartet of dream stories.

The global theatre collaboration features students from the University of Leeds in the UK and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. The production left for Beijing on Monday and will tour in China after premiered in Leeds and performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Professor Li Ruru at University of Leeds travels together with the production team.  Compared with obvious passion in Shakespeare research, Chinese academics have been neglecting Tang Xianzu, their own literature treassure, said Li.   [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]