Reinventing Western classics

Chinese opera artists reshape Shakespeare and Moliere, exploring human emotion while speaking to modern audiences, Wang Xin reports in Shanghai.

Wu Qun, 47, a celebrated performer at the Shanghai Yueju Opera House, has finally fulfilled a dream she first imagined in her 20s — presenting a distinctive adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear through the expressive language of traditional Chinese opera.

The Yueju Opera production, also titled King Lear, premiered at Wanping Theater in Shanghai on Feb 6 as part of the 2025 China Experimental Xiqu (Traditional Opera) Exhibition, drawing overwhelming applause from traditional opera enthusiasts.