The Tibetan version of "Hamlet" made its debut at Shanghai on May 8, wining high recognition and praise from audiences and famous actors.

All actors of this drama are students of the 2017 Shanghai Theatre Academy from southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. As the school's first batch of Tibetan college graduates, their graduation show attracted great attention.

Photo shows actors of the Tibetan version  of "Hamlet". [China Tibet News/Chang Chuan, Jiang Cuilian]

Thanks to school's support, this drama was widely promoted. It was directed by Pu Cunxin, the chairman of Chinese Dramatists Association, composed by renowned translator Li Jianming, and translated into Tibetan by famous Tibetan dramatists Nyima Dondrup and Kelzang Drolkar. Chinese artist Han Meilin, who designed the Beijing Olympic's mascots, also wrote an inscription for it.

"Most of students come from pastoral areas, thus they are not good at mandarin. However, their simplicity and sincerity are touching, which will be unique advantages once being developed," said Pu Cunxin. The Tibetan version of Hamlet not only aroused their sincere emotions, but also was an attempt to play "Hamlet" with Tibetan language and culture.

This drama was played in both mandarin and Tibetan. It also added traditional Tibetan songs and dances, such as "the Crane". After watching the play, Pu Cunxin gave it ten out of ten.

Next, these 2017 Shanghai Theater Academy students who come from Tibet will play the Tibetan version of Hamlet in various performing arts festivals nationwide. Meanwhile, they are also expected to play this world classic drama in both mandarin and Tibetan in their hometown.

At the beginning of 1962, graduates from the first batch of Tibetan acting major of Shanghai Theater Academy put "Princess Wincheng" on stage and was cordially received by then-Premier Zhou Enlai. When they went back to Tibet, they established the region's first repertory theatre (Tibet Repertory Theatre).