The programme notes for this sweet little piece state that it was written in the fourth century in China, and that little is known about how it was performed. There is evidence that the form of theatre created at that time, called zaju, had a system of stylised gestures but there is no definite record of what they were. This production uses four actors to play the six characters; they employ a vast repertoire of hand and body movements, giving it a lyrical dance-like feel. 
      The beautiful set is reminiscent of the cover of Jung Chang's bestselling novel Wild Swans. There is a backdrop of burnished green with a stream of gold running through it and reams of bamboo sticks hanging from the roof on either side. The four actors, dressed in simple tunics over trousers, are on stage throughout, coming forward to announce their character at the beginning and again when they change characters. A simple story is told, of a boy and a girl, engaged before one of them is even born, who fall immediately in love when they finally meet as young adults. But the man, Wang Wen-Chu, has to go to take his Imperial examination in order to become an official and so leaves Chi'en-nu shortly after meeting her. She is so worried that he will marry someone else that her soul leaves to go with him while her body becomes weak and she takes to her bed. Wang Wen-Chu believes her soul (played by a different actress) to be the reality and although initially worried about her following him he is soon thrilled to have her with him. Unfortunately this causes some confusion when he writes to her mother to tell her he is finally returning, with his mistress, but it all eventually works out, with spirit and body rejoining. 
      It is always a pleasure to see something new and different on the London stage. Apart from the novelty here, the acting is impressive, the writing poetic and the complex gestures fascinating to watch. My only reservation was that I kept wondering if these movements, in themselves, were supposed to mean something. At first they seemed to be very precise but became less so as the piece went on. I liked the idea that the production was trying to recreate the play as it would originally have been performed, but it would have been better had it been made clear even if only in the programme notes whether each movement was a physical representation of something specific or was simply intended to give a general feeling of the period.
Francine Brody