A hard act to follow

"International audiences appreciate the plays that demonstrate a wider understanding of Shakespeare's works. The language itself is rhythmic. International and UK audiences often laugh in the same places, which proves that Shakespeare really does bridge boundaries," the director says. "During this trip, I realized particularly that Chinese audiences have a special relationship with Shakespeare's language, since many young people use his quotes."

The two comedies staged during the tour were chosen for their theme of "refugees", where they explore the ideas of "what it means to be at home" and about "people who get washed up on foreign shores", according to O'Hea.

"The two plays fit with the theme. There is also something poetic about a group of actors, who travel around the world performing plays that are about home, when the actors themselves are far from home," he adds.

One of Shakespeare's earliest works, The Comedy of Errors, is centered around a pair of separated twin brothers and their mistaken identities, which sets out to engage with the audience through puns, word play and humor.