'The Litchi Road' hits theatres in adaptation

A scene from The Litchi Road, a play adapted from Ma Boyong's popular eponymous novel and premieres in Shanghai on May 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Litchi Road, a play adapted from Ma Boyong's popular eponymous novel, premiered on Thursday at Theatre Above in Shanghai.

The play tells a story of a nearly impossible task unexpectedly assigned to a low-ranking official named Li Shande in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Designated as a "Lychee Ambassador," he is forced to transport fresh lychees, which spoil quickly in a few days, over a distance of thousands of miles from Lingnan in southern China to the capital Chang'an (today's Xi'an, Shaanxi province) under extreme time constraints and harsh conditions.

The original novel has also been adapted into a film and a TV series, both of which will hit the screen shortly this year. Compared with the other two adaptations, the play takes a unique approach of presentation and expression on stage, featuring more vibrant body movements of the performers and a special stage design using LED tube lightning to better connect to the modern world, said Li Mengze, director of the play, at a meeting on Wednesday in Shanghai.

"We are not seeking to tell the story in a totally ancient or modern way, but want to bridge the past and the present through the play. We stick to traditional costumes on one hand, and explore a refreshing visual presentation combined with modern elements at the same time. It is not only the story of how Li Shande completes the impossible, but also indicates the challenges and choices that everyone is facing at different times," Li added.

Li's ideas echoed with the production team. Ren Xueying, producer of the play and deputy general manager of Xi'an Performing Arts Group, said at the meeting: "Li Shande is every one of us, who keeps running for life, bound by rules, but always bursts with the most resilience at the most critical moments."

Following its premiere in Shanghai, the play is set to hit the stage in Xi'an next month and many other cities across China, such as Ningbo and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Shenyang in Liaoning province, Kunshan in Jiangsu province, Haikou in Hainan province and Nanchang in Jiangxi province.