A stage photo. [Photo/WeChat account: zwntsg]

Mo Yan's play Crocodile, directed by Wang Keran, recently debuted in Jiangsu, receiving over 20 rounds of applause in just three hours. Hangzhou is the second stop of the nationwide tour of the play, which will include two shows at the Hangzhou Theater on May 10 and 11.

Considered a pivotal work marking Mo's transition from novelist to playwright, Crocodile is his first original play since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012. Inspired by his experiences and reflections as a journalist in his early years, the story unfolds in four acts and nine scenes, revolving around the protagonist Shan Wudan and the crocodile he receives as a birthday gift.

The play features Zhao Wenxuan as Shan Wudan, Zhang Kaili as Qiaoling, Deng Cuiwen as Shouma, Yao Hong as Dengzhao, and Bai Kainan as Niubu. Japanese musician Shigeru Umebayashi provides the original music, while the costumes, lighting, and stage design are provided by French artists.

Mo has always had a fondness for drama, with his debut play titled Divorce. Regarding Crocodile, he remarked that a good play mirrors real life, allowing each audience member to see themselves and identify with certain weaknesses shared by characters in the play.

The play will tour nationwide from May to early September, visiting cities including Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Yantai, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Wuhan, Nanchang, Shanghai, Taiyuan, Ningbo, Chengdu, and Beijing.

Mo Yan (center) answers a curtain call in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: zwntsg]