The mainland version of “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land” will be staged for two nights at the Shenzhen Grand Theater this weekend.

    The Putonghua production features top mainland TV drama actors, stars from Taipei’s Performance Workshop and players from the National Theater Company of China.

    In “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land,” two theater groups have mistakenly booked the same theater for rehearsal. One is performing a modern tragedy called “Secret Love,” which tells the story of an old, dying man in Taipei looking for his first love, a Shanghai girl he knew more than half a century ago. The other is performing the farce “In Peach Blossom Land,” which lampoons the fabled utopia of classical Chinese literature.

    They fight for the stage, but then resign themselves to sharing it. What happens is a juxtaposition of modern and ancient times, tragedy and comedy. Different though they seem, when put together, the two plays begin to point to a common theme. Audiences often leave asking themselves, “which really is the tragedy?”

    Since its debut in 1986, there have been four stage versions and one film version of “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land.”

    Time: 8 p.m., July 12-13

    Tickets: 180-980 yuan

    Reservations: 11185

    Venue: Shenzhen Grand Theater, 5018 Shennan Road East, Luohu District (罗湖区深南东路5018号深圳大剧院)

    Metro: Luobao or Shekou Line, Grand Theater Station (大剧院站), Exit B

    (SD News)