This play is adapted from the Italian Nobel laureate Dario Fo's tragicomedy, which shows people a picture of police brutality, official corruption, and tyrannical absurdity in Italy in the 1960s. Several decades later, this play was modernized and localized by Meng Jinghui and his actors, who satirized almost every element of contemporary Chinese society worth targeting.

In this play, Meng added lots of material (including references to the lyrics of the often-censored rock star Cui Jian, Lao She's venerated theater classic Tea House, and Jiang Qing's Cultural Revolution "model operas."), It is a satire about human dignity, and makes fun of elements in Chinese society that many Chinese can relate to.

In many people's eyes, this play is considered one of Meng's most representative works.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.