The actors perform in the drama Retrograde. It is estimated that about 540,000 medical personnel from Hubei province took the lead in fighting the epidemic.[Photo/Xinhua]

The anti-epidemic themed drama Retrograde by Wuhan People's Art Theater premiered in Wuhan Zhongnan Theater on Sept 10. In protective clothing and white coat, the actors offered a striking interpretation of the touching stories of the medical staff fighting the epidemic. This is the second anti-epidemic drama created by Wuhan People's Art Theater this year. Medical workers, community workers, volunteers and teachers who fought on the frontline of the epidemic attended the premiere.

The drama Retrograde is based on the "retrograde" deeds of Liu Yuxian, director of the department of respiratory medicine of a hospital in Wuhan. While battling with his own terminal illness, he keeps fighting the epidemic by saving lives. The drama has the extraordinary figure, the complex emotional entanglement and encouraging theme, in which Liu, along with his teacher Jiang Lingyun and the take-away rider Chen Hansheng, explores the heroic spirit of the Wuhan people in the fight against the epidemic.

The play is directed by Wang Xiaoying, vice chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, written by the famous playwright Zhao Ruitai, and vice president of Jinyintan Hospital Huang Chaolin as the medical consultant.

Lu Yu, the Chinese drama "Golden Lion Award" winner who plays the part of Liu Yuxian, says all the actors in this play are witnesses of the epidemic, and they can interpret the characters with genuine feelings.

"During the entire epidemic, many Party members from our theater were also in the forefront and they understood the situation wholeheartedly. In the drama we did our best to portray the praises and tears that have been manifested in the fight against the epidemic in Wuhan," he says.