Shining a light on history's heroes

According to Lei Wen, the general manager of the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, the company has produced several plays with revolutionary themes, such as The Road to Victory, which was also staged at the NCPA with four sold-out shows in July last year.

With a lineup of young star actors and actresses, such as Selena Li from Hong Kong and Xu Kaicheng, Lei says that The Unknown Heroes also attracted many fans during its Shanghai premiere.

"My grandmother is from Shanghai and lived there since 1937. My mother was also born in Shanghai. My grandmother passed away when I was in elementary school, and I miss her a lot," says Selena Li, who was born in Hong Kong in 1981, and who rose to fame by appearing in Hong Kong TV dramas, such as The Queen of News.

Growing up by speaking Cantonese and English, she also learned to speak Mandarin and the Shanghai dialect for her role in The Unknown Heroes as a teacher who works as a secret agent for the CPC.

"Drama can bring people closer together. Through the script, the rehearsals, and the performances, it feels like I can travel through time and see my grandmother in Shanghai during that period, experiencing her life firsthand," she says, adding that because of the play, she discovered that her mother could speak the Shanghai dialect.

"One day, I called her and spoke to her in the Shanghai dialect, and she understood what I said, which was a big surprise."