New version of 'Thunderstorm' staged in Tianjin

Chinese play, Thunderstorm, by Beijing People’s Art Theater, was staged in Tianjin on Oct 9 and 10.

The new version of the classic Chinese playpremiered in 2021, featuring director-actor Pu Cunxin and director Tang Ye.

Written by Chinese playwright Cao Yu (1910-96), Thunderstorm has been staged by the established theater company with different versions since its debut in 1954.

Young and veteran actors and actresses of the company performed in the new version.

According to Feng Yuanzheng, president of Beijing People’s Art Theater, the Tianjin performances saw the first time that the company staged outside the capital since the pandemic.

The performances were also part of the inaugural Haihe Theater Festival, which runs from September to December with a dozen of theatrical productions being staged in Tianjin.

Paying tribute to Cao Yu, the festival also staged the playwright’s The Wilderness by Tianjin People’s Art Theater.