Hong Kong Dance Company Cultural Centre Grand Theatre Sept 10-11, 7.45pm; Sep 11-12, 3pm
Having brought a number of popular Louis Cha martial arts novels to the stage, including last year's Eagle Companions, the Hong Kong Dance Company's latest adaptation of the literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the most ambitious yet.
Written by Luo Guanzhong, the novel has 120 chapters and almost 600,000 words. It charts the rise and fall of the dynasty of the Three Kingdoms (220-265). At the end of the Han dynasty, warlords carved up the former superpower into small states. The allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao's army at the Battle of Red Cliff, balancing power among the three. The Three Kingdoms lasted 46 years before the ascent of the Jin dynasty.
Script and research director Gerard Tsang Chu-chiu says their version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is a dance drama, will feature seven of the most exciting episodes, including Zhou Yu Sets Fire to Cao Cao's Chained Warships at the Red Cliff.
'These events lead up to the Battle of the Red Cliff, and are set in a time before the stand-off between the Three Kingdoms. Only [strategist] Zhuge Liang's story has been brought forward in time,' says Tsang.
'In this performance, we want to capture the characters' thoughts and feelings - from emotions within and critical situations to the dance and stage movements. Each stage decision hinges on the wish to sketch out their personality, not just simply recreating history and telling the story.'