The original cast regroups　Photo／Gao Shang 

In December 2012, NCPA's anniversary drama Returning Home on a Snowy Night premiered. Thanks to a time-honoured script and a creative team valuing the stage as their lives, the drama has harvested wide acclaims from both professional critics and ordinary audience since it was born. The year 2013 marks the 10^th anniversary of the passing-away of Mr. Wu Zuguang, the playwright. On the night of April 25^th, the original cast of the drama regrouped for a story about youth, dream and enlightenment. NCPA hopes to commemorate the playwriting master with a timeless classic which also has won heartfelt applause from the audience. 

NCPA chooses the original version and puts more emphasis on humanity
Photo／Gao Shang

A poetic benchmark of classic 

As a classic by Wu Zuguang, Returning Home on a Snowy Night has been well received by the audience since it was born in 1942. In more than two decades, this work about the love tragedy between Wei Liansheng and Yu Chun was adapted to Cantonese opera, Pingju opera and ballet, but not a classic drama up to par. NCPA's production filled in a big gap in this field. 

Ever since it was premiered, it has won great acclaims in and out of the drama circle. The son of the playwright, Wu Huan hailed it as a "benchmark work". He once said, "All their performances are penetrating." Xiao Fuxing, a renowned writer commented after watching the drama, "Everything perfectly matches the plot, no matter it is the direction, or the costume and stage design, or the music. The main theme of the drama is well connected with the reality. The beauty and ugliness, the nobleness and meanness, and the control and the freedom, all these are soul piercing." The drama researcher from the China Academy of Art, Song Baozhen said: "The NCPA's production of Returning Home on a Snowy Night, with its realistic and smooth story-telling, unaffected and implicit artistic style, perfectly embodies the wordless poetry and affection, and the pursuit of independent personality and freedom of life for the ordinary people." 

Wu Zuguang revised the drama several times, especially the ending. The daughter of the playwright, Wu Shuang told the reporter, "I'm familiar with it, and I appreciate that NCPA chose the original version, because it puts more emphasis onto humanity. At the end of the drama, when Wei Liansheng, as a ghost, dances in the flakes of snow, we can still dream our dream. The beauty of the humanity will last forever." 

Each figure had his or her own personality 

The creative team of the drama boasts of the best Chinese directors, drama and film actors including famous director Ren Ming, outstanding actors and actresses like Feng Yuanzheng, Yu Shaoqun, Cheng Lisha, Liang Danni, etc., and they work together to showcase a classic drama that is both aesthetically beautiful and dramatically tense.   

Yu Shaoqun acts as Wei Liansheng, a Peking Opera star 　Photo／Gao Shang 

In its premiere, Yu Shaoqun's Wei Liansheng moved the audience with natural elegance and he shocked everyone in the theatre with rich experience in the second round. 

Feng Yuanzheng brings life to Su Hongji　Photo／Gao Shang 

Feng Yuanzheng, a veteran drama actor, portrayed a bureaucrat in old time totally different to what we thought about. He told the reporter in the interview, "I designed different types of laughter for Su Hongji. I want to show his tragedy with laughter."  

Cheng Lisha acts as Yu Chun. The playwright rested all best hopes on her　Photo／Gao Shang 

Liang Danni's Aunt Ma is suffering in poverty but full of maternal instincts　Photo／Gao Shang 

Cheng Lisha and Liang Danni's performances were also worthy of note. Cheng Lisha's Yu Chun is tender, smart and kind-hearted, and the playwright rested all best hopes on her; Liang Danni's Aunt Ma is suffering in poverty but full of maternal instincts. Just as what the famous director Wang Yansong said, "All of them performed well. Su Hongji is sophisticated, Yu Chun full of charm and Wei Liangsheng has a star’s demeanor." 

The drama's second round show will be on stage from April 25^th to May 4^th.