Veteran comedian Chen Peisi will grace the local stage, starring in a comedic drama directed by himself. “The Stage,” also starring Yang Lixin from Beijing People’s Art Theater, premiered in Beijing in July and has been performed more than 20 sold-out nights.

    The period drama is set in China in the early 20th century, when the country was divided by warlords who fought against each other. Chen, playing the head of a Beijing opera troupe, is to stage three nights of show in collaboration with a big shot singer.

    Unprepared-for scenarios, however, continue to pop up, where the big shot singer turns out to be using drugs, and gangsters break in to extort some money. Then, a warlord who is an avid fan of Beijing opera wants to change the plotline of the show.

    Taking the structure of a play within a play, the comedy follows the classical drama tradition that arranges all the happenings within a day.

    Though best known for his stand-up comedy shows at the CCTV Chinese New Year galas between 1984 and 1998, Chen shot to fame in 1980 starring in a movie “Look at This Family” alongside his father. His role as a kind-hearted yet a little lazy and rebellious young man Erzi in a series of movies won the heart of many fans. In 1988, Chen was named the best supporting actor at the Hundred Flowers Awards. His mini comedy shows with partner Zhu Shimao at the CCTV galas made him a household name to Chinese families.

    In 2001, Chen made his theater debut with the first of his comedy trilogy “Fraudster” (《托儿》), which ran 120 nights in nearly 50 Chinese cities. His 2004 comedy “Balcony” (《阳台》) ran more than 150 nights, presented in three dialect versions.

    In May 2015, Chen founded Beijing Comedy Theater, launching his latest work “The Stage” (《戏台》) under the banner in July.

    Tickets: 280-880 yuan

    Time: 8 p.m., Jan. 22-24

    Tel: 8637-1698, 8637-1699

    Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, intersection of Wenxin Road 5 and Houhaibin Road, Nanshan District (南山区后海滨路与文心五路交界处深圳保利剧院)

    Metro: Shekou Line, Houhai Station (后海站), Exit E (SD News)