Despite being the only two performers on stage, veteran actor Pu Cunxin and actress Gong Lijun played the part convincingly. [Photo/CCTV.com]

"Till now I cannot figure out what in the play has baffled me. Everyday I have to read the whole script once again, each time before the performance I have to read the whole script from top to bottom. It's the first time I did this in my over twenty years of acting," Gong says.

But judging by the audience's response, the hard work has paid off.

"I thought I would be very boring considering there're only two actors. But their acting was so convincing! Pretty good!" says an audience.

Breathing fresh air into a classic play is what director Tang Ye had exactly in mind.

"Unlike the previous version, we put more emphasis on the status of elderly people. How to face it when you're getting old? This is a question that everyone might encounter," Tang says.

The play will run for two weeks at the Capital Theater until next Sunday.