APPLAUSE and bravos echoed through the Pingshan Theater on Jan. 4 as the Chinese version of “The Shawshank Redemption” had its much-anticipated debut.

Adapted from the original English play by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, the boundary-breaking Chinese rendition was hailed for its remarkable performance presented by a cast of foreign talents who can speak superb Chinese.

Produced by Shenzhen and crafted by Pingshan, the play stars 11 expat actors hailing from eight countries: Finland, Canada, the U.S., France, Argentina, Italy, Russia and Australia. Directed by esteemed Chinese actor Zhang Guoli, this production marks a groundbreaking moment, as Stephen King’s classic story is performed entirely in Chinese by all foreign artists, promoting world cultural exchange through the art of drama.

Leading the cast are James Clarke and Mark Rowswell, portraying Andy Dufresne and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, respectively. They are joined by Andy Friend, Matt William Knowles, Shawn Patrick Moore, Andrey Lazarev, Matti E. Lehtonen and others. All these actors have either pursued education in China or have been living and working in the country for many years.

Clarke is a national director of the Australia China Business Council and president of its WA Branch. Rowswell, a Canadian artist better known in China as Dashan, is renowned for his exceptional xiangsheng performances and his role as a cultural ambassador bridging China and the West over the last three decades.

Beijing-born-and-raised U.S. actor Friend, who plays the warden in the drama, studied Chinese painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the 1980s. He has appeared in many Chinese movies and participated in the special effect production of several Hollywood blockbusters.

Arriving in Shenzhen in early December, the cast dedicated themselves to intensive rehearsals at the Pingshan Theater.

During the curtain call Jan. 4, Rowswell warmly expressed to the audience a deep connection with Shenzhen and Pingshan. “Once you come to Shenzhen, you thus become a Shenzhener. Now we come to Pingshan and we would like to stay here, be cultural ambassadors, and promote this drama that was created and rehearsed in Pingshan to the whole country,” he said.

Tackling powerful themes, including hope, friendship and resilience, the “Shawshank Redemption” play is adapted from Stephen King’s novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” and its 1994 movie adaptation is a favorite among movie lovers worldwide.

The story centers on a banker who is wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in the notorious Shawshank prison. He must rely on his wit and friendship to keep his hope alive. The English stage version debuted in 2009 at Dublin’s Gaiety Theater and later was shown at London’s West End.

The Chinese version, jointly made by Longma Studio and CDE Live, is the first production since Pingshan District signed a collaborative agreement with Longma Studio in June 2023. According to the agreement, they will collaborate on producing outstanding original works, initiating artist-in-residence programs, fostering cultural and artistic exchanges, nurturing the theater industry, and inaugurating the Pingshan International Theater Festival.

Following its successful debut at the Pingshan Theater, “The Shawshank Redemption” is scheduled for performances at Shenzhen Poly Theater on Jan. 12-14, with subsequent showings in Shanghai and Beijing this month.

Founded in 2008 by playwrights Zou Jingzhi, Liu Heng and Wan Fang, Longma Studio has a rich experience in operating artistic spaces and has created or produced multiple outstanding dramas, experimental plays, avant-garde works, children’s plays and stand-up comedies. This year, a batch of original dramas, such as “I Love Peach Blossoms” and “Eloquent Ji Xiaolan,” will also be created, rehearsed and premiered in Pingshan.

Pingshan and Longma Studio are establishing a theater base on Maluan Mountain to offer various drama-themed activities. Through displaying drama culture, the initiative aims to let locals get closer to drama.

A drama troupe to nurture professionals and roll out outstanding productions, and a drama theater to showcase exceptional dramas and hold art exchange events are also planned in Pingshan, striving to make the district a theater hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, catering to drama enthusiasts worldwide. (Cao Zhen)