The Beijing People's Art Theatre will perform its theatre-version production of "Hamlet" in Suzhou from November 6 to 8, marking the company's first staging of the play in the city, according to 中国新闻周刊. The production is directed by Feng Yuanzheng, with Zheng Yunlong playing the prince. The cast also includes Lu Lu, Jing Hao, and other actors from the company.
At a media event held on November 3, the creative team met with press ahead of the run. According to 中国新闻周刊, Feng Yuanzheng said the production treats "choice" as its central question, aiming to make the more than 400-year-old play something closer to a living inquiry for audiences today rather than a distant classic.
Why it matters
"Hamlet" has been staged by the Beijing People's Art Theatre in several different versions over the decades, and this theatre-version production adds another interpretation to that history. Bringing it to Suzhou for the first time extends the company's reach beyond Beijing and gives local audiences a chance to see how one of Shakespeare's most performed tragedies is being reworked for the contemporary stage.
The emphasis on "choice" also signals how this production departs from a straightforward reading of the revenge plot. According to 中国新闻周刊, Feng Yuanzheng said the theme belongs not only to Hamlet himself but to every character in the play, each of whom faces a decision of their own.
A "choice"-centred reading of the play
Feng Yuanzheng described the production's focus as the decisions that confront Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius, Claudius, and the other figures in the story. 中国新闻周刊 reports his view that people in every era must make their own choices, and that even small decisions can carry great weight.
The director also said the production does not treat "choice" as Hamlet's burden alone. Each character in the play, he said, is confronted with a question of what to do, and the production builds its drama around those moments.
According to 中国新闻周刊, the creative team has cut some passages from the text and reshaped others to sharpen the production's contemporary feel and to narrow the distance between the play and present-day audiences.
Zheng Yunlong's return to the stage
Zheng Yunlong, who plays Hamlet, said at the November 3 event that he had seen Feng Yuanzheng's earlier production of the play as a student and had been struck by its staging, according to 中国新闻周刊. He described the experience of watching it as memorable and said it left a strong impression on him.
Zheng also spoke about how the role has affected him personally. 中国新闻周刊 reports that he described the part as demanding and said the production's approach to the character had given him a new perspective on the play.
Feng Yuanzheng, for his part, said he had worked with Zheng before and had followed his development as a performer. According to 中国新闻周刊, Feng said he was pleased to have Zheng in the title role and that the actor had brought his own qualities to the part.
A first for Suzhou
The Suzhou run is the first time the Beijing People's Art Theatre has brought "Hamlet" to the city. 中国新闻周刊 reports that the company has previously performed the play in other versions and that this staging represents a new chapter in its long relationship with the text.
Feng Yuanzheng also reflected on the company's broader touring history and on how audiences in different cities respond to its work. According to 中国新闻周刊, he noted that the company has brought productions to Suzhou before and that he hoped local audiences would find something of their own in this "Hamlet."
The production's Suzhou dates follow a run in Nanjing, where the company also presented the theatre-version "Hamlet," according to 紫牛新闻. In coverage of that stop, Feng Yuanzheng was quoted describing this "Hamlet" as one that does not centre on revenge and as a production shaped by present-day concerns.
What to watch
The Suzhou performances are scheduled for November 6 to 8. Audiences and critics will be watching to see how the production's "choice"-centred reading lands with a Suzhou audience, and whether the company extends the run to further cities after this stop.
