(Ecns.cn)--After staying three days in Edinburgh, Scotland, and having watched over 16 plays during the Edinburgh Festival of Music and Drama that began last August, famous Chinese play director Tian Qinxin is still focused on making Chinese plays known to the international community.
"The plays shown during the festival were good, but with no big surprises," said Tian. She thinks highly of the festival, which has been put on annually since 1947, saying that the atmosphere, the audience and the operation are good. However, what really inspired her about the festival were not the plays, but something else...
The Chinese image
In England, people watch Shakespeare plays, in Greece, they turn to mythology, while in Russia, audiences seek out plays written by Anton Chekhov. But what about China? Although many directors here have adapted Shakespeare plays to attract audiences, they have often failed to present true Chinese characters or depict a genuine Chinese image.
"Many foreign people associate the Chinese image with a funny and smart person, like Jackie Chan, or the Kungfu guy Jet Li, but the Chinese image is more than that," said Tian. "Chinese people are versatile, brave and humorous, but at the same time also suffer greatly."
In the history of Chinese plays, there are famous works such as "The Teahouse" and "The Four Generations Living under One Roof," but seldom have people in the world seen these plays. In 1980, the old version of "The Teahouse" was performed in Europe, where it was praised by famous director Peter Brooker, who said the play and the acting were amazing.
"There was a time when Chinese plays were praised, but as time goes by, we need to inherit the good qualities of those plays and also develop new characters that are suitable for the new era," said Tian.
"Although the budget for the Edinburgh Festival of Music and Drama has shrunk over the years, the employees at the festival work contentedly," said Tian. "In China, we also hold such drama festivals, but the working environment among employees is not this pleasant."
Every year during the festival, the number of tourists in Edinburgh increases to three times the usual amount. "The drama culture has supported the development of the festival," said Tian.
"The plays in England have their Shakespeare flavor; the ones in Russia and Greece also present their own characteristics; but the characteristics of Chinese plays remain a question unanswered," said Tian.
