Theater director Li Liuyi's Chinese adaptation of the famous Shakespearean play Hamlet will be shown at the Shanghai Grand Theater on Jan 16 and 17. [PHOTO BY LI CHUNGUANG/FOR CHINA DAILY]

"You will have no difficulty distinguishing the two characters," Li Liuyi says. "Lu Fang is one of the best actresses from the Beijing People's Art Theater, and you can analyze my design of her two roles using the Oedipus complex theories, but her rich-layered performance will tell more than just that."

Veteran actor Pu Cunxin, who is the chairman of the China Theater Association, will play the role of Claudius and the ghost of the late king.

RSC's Shakespeare Folio Translation Project aims to have all 36 of the playwright's works translated to create a new collection of Chinese translations by 2023. The translations are tested through a series of workshops and rehearsals.

"Together, theater workers and translators will unpick the clues about meaning, character and pacing that have been ignored in previous translations," says RSC artistic director Gregory Doran.

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn