During the 2026 European Culture Season in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival troupe joined local company Dayong Drama for a cross-cultural event themed "When Shakespeare Meets the Poet Sage."

The event was held at Du Fu Thatched Cottage, where thatched huts, bamboo groves, and stone pavilions provided an intimate and evocative setting.

Here, Eastern and Western traditions came together through performance.

Dayong Drama staged scenes inspired by Du Fu, reflecting his thoughts on family, country and the weight of history.

Meanwhile, the Cambridge troupe presented a musical adaptation from "Twelfth Night," using song to express themes of love, longing, and the complexities of human emotion.

Simple in form yet rich in meaning, the exchange created a strong cultural resonance, adding a distinctive Eastern dimension to this year's European Culture Season in Chengdu.