Seven years after his debut hit, Celestial Human World, premiered in Beijing, writer-director Yin Tao presents Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The second round of the comic drama opens this weekend.

It tells the story of Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang, sister of the Wu kingdom (229-280) ruler. The king Sun Quan wanted to marry her to the Shu Kingdom ruler, Liu Bei. He planned to use her marriage as a bait to kill Liu Bei. However, Sun Shangxiang falls in love with Liu when she sees him. Sun Quan's plans do not work and Liu Bei leaves with Sun Shangxiang back to the Shu Kingdom.

The story has been adapted into traditional Peking Opera as also as a movie. But Yin, a China Central Television director, introduces a number of modern elements into this version.

Like Celestial Human World, which borrows from a traditional Chinese story, Romance of Three Kingdoms adapts the rhythmic patters of traditional Chinese opera to modern language, causing much mirth among the audience. The setting of the play is also given a modern twist with Liu Bei having to deal with office politics, Sun Shangxiang desperate for love, and Zhao Yun complaining about work pressures.

All the actors are professional Peking Opera singers.

Today and tomorrow at the PLA Theater. No 60 Deshengmennei Dajie, southeast corner of Jishuitan Bridge. 400-600-8012

(China Daily July 25, 2009)