English musical on ancient Silk Road staged in Beijing

"Silk … The Eternal Road," an English musical by students and teachers of the Asia-Pacific Experimental School of Beijing Normal University, premiered in Beijing on Nov. 1.

The musical tells the story of a girl, named Mei, who was lured into a strange, silky world, where she is able to travel in time and visit cities on the ancient Silk Road.

During her journey, Mei encounters famous figures from history, including Marco Polo, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) emperor, Kublai Khan, and Zhang Qian, a diplomat and imperial envoy of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).

A joint production between the Asia-Pacific Experimental School of Beijing Normal University and UKCI, a theater company run by Drama UK, the musical is co-directed and written by Ian Kellgren, and Deng Wenqi. The music is composed by Patrick Dineen and the performance is choreographed by Richard Bermange.

According to Chen Guangju, the vice-president of the Asia-Pacific Experimental School of Beijing Normal University, the cooperation between the school and UKCI started three years ago, aiming at offering students theater training.

More than 100 students from the Asia-Pacific Experimental School of Beijing Normal University are part of the musical.