Celebrated play "Xiaojing Hutong" returns to Beijing's theater

"Xiaojing Hutong," a beloved play that portrays everyday life in Beijing's traditional hutong alleyways in the second half of last century, will return to the city's main theater next week.

The National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) says it will stage the play from April 11 to 14 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Making its debut in 1985, "Xiaojing Hutong" follows the changing lives of residents in an ordinary hutong in southern Beijing over the three decades from late 1940s to mid 1970s.

There are nearly 50 characters, forming a wide spectrum of professions that include a tram worker, a noodle restauranteur, a petty proprietor and a former prostitute.

The ups and downs of the lives of these people reflect the extraordinary road the PRC took in its first 30 years, the NCPA said in an introduction.

The play's debut at the Capital Theater in the 1980s met with tremendous success as it was staged more than 110 times in a row.

The one to be staged at the NCPA is a remake by actor-turned-director Yang Lixin in 2013.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)