French adaptation of Bergman play makes a scene in Beijing

The lead roles are performed by French actress and actor, Laetitia Casta and Raphael Personnaz.

"I play the role of the wife as a woman, not as an actress," explained Casta. "I feel her pain and anxiety in marriage."

Personnaz adds that the couple in the play are well-educated and have decent jobs, but they cannot open up to each other in their marriage.

"They hold back their emotions and they are lost when they face marriage," Personnaz observes. "It happens to many couples of different ages and cultures.

"When we stage the play in China, we are sure that Chinese audiences will spare a thought for their own marriages."

In 2008, the first Chinese stage production of Scenes from a Marriage was created by Ke Center for Contemporary Arts and premiered at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre before coming to Beijing.

Director Zhou Ke said about the play at the time: "Although the film and TV program were directed by Bergman in 1973, many Chinese can relate to the turmoil and love that binds the couple together in the play.

"Through the re-staging of Bergman's masterpiece, we hope that people can reflect on issues in their own marriages and cherish their current relationships."

The most recent Chinese adaptation was in last December, when director Guo Shixing put on the play in Beijing.

The play is part of the ongoing 2018 NCPA International Theater Festival, which will see Chinese theaters, alongside theaters from France, Germany, Australia and Denmark perform 20 plays over 84 performances.

The festival, which started in May, will run through Sept 15.