Synopsis of The Fate Brought by Puppets: Xiao Yuan returns to her hometown, feeling bored and unhappy with the dull life in the village. She stumbles upon the once-popular puppet show Liang Zhu and her story with the puppetry heir “Crazy Old Man” begins...

The play is adapted from a true story, based on Zhang Jiecheng, the inheritor of Taixing rod puppetry in Jiangsu Province. It pays tribute to the “guardians of intangible cultural heritage,” represented by Zhang Jiecheng, who strive to preserve their traditional art forms. The play delves into the collision between traditional values and innovation, emphasising the importance of preserving not only the people and their skills but also the cultural essence that they carry.

Awards of the Work:

Second place in the First Prize Category of the High School Group at the 2023 Shenzhen Primary and Middle School Drama Festival;

First Prize in the High School Group at the 24th Shenzhen Reading Month and 14th Classic Novel Adaptation Short Drama Competition in 2023

Mao Haipeng is a drama teacher, young director, actor and member of the Longgang District Dramatists Association. He is also the head of SZHS(HSC) Student Theatre Group. He holds a bachelor's degree in puppetry from Shanghai Theatre Academy and a master’s degree from University College London, with a focus on research in the theatre market. He was also the former bass section leader of the Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers.

Directorial Works:

THE ACTOR IS MISSING, Original production in London’s West End

Original student plays Liang Zhu in the Old House, Let's Go to See the Sea, Beyond the Mountain is the Sea, Rushing to a Future Appointment

Major Acting Works: Puppetry plays Haiguan, Rhapsody in the Rain, The Tale of the White Snake, etc.

Awards and Achievements:

Led the team to win the First Prizes in Shenzhen Primary and Middle School Drama Festival, Shenzhen Science Popularization Drama Competition, Shenzhen Reading Month and Classic Novel Adaptation Short Drama Competition, etc.

Li Tong graduated with a bachelor's and master's degrees in Dance Choreography from Shaanxi Normal University.

During the master's programme, she choreographed the original dance piece titled He Wu, which won the Second Prize in the Sixth National Graduate Innovation Achievement of Shaanxi Province and the 2021 Stage Art Funding Project in Shaanxi Province; participated in the Official Ceremony of Xuanyuan Huangdi in the Tomb-Sweeping Day; performed in dance pieces Tian Xing Jian, Silk Road Praise, which won the Gold Award for Choreography and Performance at the Shaanxi Province Lotus Award; participated in the Sixth Silk Road International Arts Festival, performing in a modern dance piece Distance Formula; served as stage supervisor for the dance drama The Last Baton.