Early July sees three modern Peking operas performed by the Peking Opera Theatre of Shanghai: Taking Tiger Mountain by Stratagem, excerpts from The Red Lantern and Sha-Jia-Bang, and The Azalea Mountain.
The Peking Opera Theatre of Shanghai, accredited as a national key troupe for Peking Opera, was established in 1955 by founding president and opera master Zhou Xinfang.
The company is recognised for its humanist style and richly diverse cultural background. Some of the most influential performances have included The Story of Song Shijie, Li Kui the Black Hurricane, Taking Tiger Mountain by Stratagem, The Harbour, and How a Son Revenged His Father's Murder.
The Peking Opera Theatre of Shanghai continues to expand its repertoire while trying to build the popularity of Peking Opera. It organises shows, activities and touring performances to groom young talent, and has won a large following with all age groups. It has also won many accolades, including the Grand Prix at the China Arts Festival, the Wenhua Grand Prix, the Gold Award at the China Peking Opera Festival, and Five 'One' Project Awards.
The company has a young to middle-aged cast of outstanding artists, with Shang Changrong, Shi Yihong (Shi Min), Li Jun, Tang Yuancai, He Shu, Hu Xuan and Zhao Qun being the star performers in the Hong Kong shows. Taking Tiger Mountain by Stratagem is set in the winter of 1946. The People's Liberation Army is following chairman Mao's directive to 'fortify the base in the Northeast', but soldiers come across a Kuomintang bandit gang led by the 'Mountain-Guarding Condor'. Scout platoon leader Comrade Yang Zirong has to outwit his enemies until the final showdown.
The Red Lantern takes place during the Sino-Japanese war. Li Yuhe, an underground agent, is betrayed by his friend and co-agent. Li's daughter, Tiemei, is imprisoned but with the help of the Communist Party and the people, she escapes and takes up her father's battle. Sha-Jia-Bang, set during the War of Resistance against Japan, sees a battle of wits between a liaison officer, called A Qing's Wife, and Commandant Hu Chuankui of the puppet 'Salvation Army', under the control of the Japanese.
