Bard fans in China get to watch his Prince Hal in action

Gregory Doran. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Readers of his plays are also fascinated by Shakespeare's insights into politics, his layered characters and the "360 degrees" projection of their emotions－love, passion, obsession, jealousy, ambition, grief and despair.

"Shakespeare gives us words where words fail us. He understands us, he knows our capacity for greatness and for cruelty. He is the greatest humanist, the greatest storyteller, and the most compassionate writer known to us," Doran adds.

The RSC will also hold workshops for Chinese theater directors and actors at the NCPA on Monday.

Jacqui O'Hanlon from the theater company gave classes to children on Saturday.

This tour is just the start of the RSC's work in China. They are working on translated Chinese dramas and plan to take them to Shanghai in October.

Doran directed The Orphan of Zhao, a Chinese play, in 2012, upon a Chinese dramatist's recommendation.

He says that during his research for the play, he discovered a rich theme of drama prevalent toward the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

There is little knowledge about this in the UK.

He wanted to find out more about it but translations of old Chinese plays weren't widely available in English.

The RSC then got involved in a project with some Chinese theaters to translate more Chinese plays and classics into English.

Related:

Shakespeare's Kings come to Beijing

Shanghai to stage Shakespeare film exhibition

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