The Hong Kong Chung Ying Theatre Company will bring a captivating adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy Twelfth Night to the stage of the Guangzhou Opera House in Tianhe district on Nov 22-23.

The production is entitled Yuan Xiao, or literally Lantern Festival – the traditional event that falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month and bears good wishes of reunion. This Chinese adaptation was done by the late famous translator and playwright Rupert Chan in the 1980s.

With his witty proficiency in and sarcastically expressive use of the Chinese language, he utterly changed the play's setting to Guangzhou in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

A stage photo of Yuan Xiao, which was adapted from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]

This adapted rom-com unfolds the love story among the twins Ba-ting and Wai-lan, the provincial governor, and the wealthy Lady Ngok Luk-hua.

The plot is filled with enchanting elements such as love at first sight, girls dressed as boys, and the quest for true love, making it a delightful and engaging tale.

The play was first staged in 1986 and again in 2000. This year, it will be injected with new life by a new generation of actors from the Hong Kong Chung Ying Theatre Company under the direction of British director Ceri Sherlock.