Plays of Shakespeare, Tang Xianzu become bridge between British, Chinese students

"As a student of the Chinese language and culture, I was intrigued to hear that Tang Xianzu is often dubbed 'the Chinese Shakespeare', which sparked my initial interest in him," said George Clifford, an actor of the project.

He said Tang Xianzu makes extensive use of dreams to explore themes in human relationships, and this technique is also used by Shakespeare.

"Both playwrights were pioneers in using dreams as a vehicle to explore alternative aspects of the human psyche which, in both their cases, was unique at the time," he said.

Arlie Haslam, who is studying theater and performance at the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at the University of Leeds said she only came to know about Tang Xianzu and his works through this project.

"I would certainly say that in learning more about Tang's work, we can also learn so much more about Chinese culture. Tang's work is such a big part of China's theatrical history, just as how Shakespeare is for Britain," she told Xinhua.

Steve Ansell, director of DREAMING Under the Southern Bough, and also the artistic director stage@leedscompany, said learning Tang's work is a gateway for his company to Chinese culture.

The work itself undoubtedly provides some context and understanding for their cast, while cooperating with a Chinese company and students will also have a profound effect on his company and their understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, he added.

The debut of A Midsummer Night's DEARMING Under the Southern Bough is expected to be shown at the opening of Leeds Intercultural Theater Festival in July.