Award-winning play plunges audience into whirlwind journey

Chinese play Two Capitals, Fifteen Days was staged at the Hangzhou Grand Theatre on Sept 16 as part of the ongoing 19th China Theatre Festival.

With its remarkable artistic innovation and profound historical expression, the play won the prestigious "Outstanding Play" award at this year's festival.

Adapted from Ma Boyong's popular novel of the same name, the play, directed by Zhao Miao, premiered in 2022 and achieved tremendous success, performing 72 shows across 36 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Set against the backdrop of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the story follows Prince Zhu Zhanji on a whirlwind, life-and-death journey from Nanjing to Beijing along the Grand Canal — an impossibly dangerous mission spanning just 15 days. The journey becomes even more perilous when the prince's ship explodes, plunging him into a treacherous conspiracy to seize power and forcing him to confront external enemies and inner demons.

The stage version condenses the novel's 700,000 words into a highly intense 170-minute performance with no intermissions. Featuring 226 characters, the play immerses the audience in a thrilling drama filled with conflict, suspense and emotional turmoil.

Director Zhao notes that the stage production emphasizes the urgency of the story and dilemmas faced under extreme circumstances. The use of young actors, whose age matches the characters they portray, enhances the meaning of growth and choice. The set design, featuring palace silhouettes and intricate cutouts, creates an evocative space that is both poetic and realistic.

Following its recent win at the China Theatre Festival, the play continues its 2025 national tour.