Immersive dramas have become all the rage in recent years. Theater-goers not only watch a play as audience members, but they also become part of its plot. At the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, a new drama of this kind is taking children and their parents on a sea journey never to be forgotten, as Li Qiong reports.

Getting on-board in hope. Some dream of life upon arrival. Others anticipate meeting someone across the ocean. Audience members, both young and old, are passengers and storytellers of this unique adventure.

The show is created by two different theater companies from two island nations, Australia and Indonesia. Each provides some important yet sad details for inspiration.

In Java, Indonesia, a fishing village sank all of its boats to the bottom of the sea before the Second World War, so that they couldn't be used for battle.

On the Australian side.

EMILY TOMLINS AUSTRALIAN ACTOR "A seven-year-old boy who made his way from Sri Lanka on a boat to Australia. He made it. His family made it, but he did talk about how scary it was to travel by sea. You know, we've built the show about five years and children from Indonesia and from Australia have all contributed to the story. And a lot of them are happy stories, but of course there is the sad side of those stories as well. I think our audience feels that when they travel with us."

Everything looks beautiful and peaceful on stage even after the boat sinks. Combining puppetry, song, shadow imagery and sound, the show bustles with life of the ocean. For children, it's an exciting underwater world adventure.

"I saw fishes."

"Did you feel you were on the boat or in the ocean?"

"In the ocean."

"Is it a funny game to you?"

"Yes."

But his mother was in a totally different mood.

"When the boat was sinking, I suddenly couldn't find my son. The cloth (pretending the seawater) blocked my sight. I looked around and found he was helping the boat crew. That moment was so special that I'd never experienced. At that time, all I was thinking was that no matter what, all the family members should be together."

The show invites only one parent and his or her kids to join the journey, while other family members sit in the audience.

Without any dramatic plots, or even words, the 50-minute piece often has viewers in tears.

They say it's not just about sailing or putting on a show. It's about the feeling of being separated from loved ones and realizing the importance of family.

LI QIONG BEIJING "When the song 'Hero' comes on, the whole story ends. Indeed, some see innocence in the play, while others see the cruel side of life. The story could arouse different feelings in different people, children or adults, aboard the boat or on the shore. It's a family show, but different generations find it hard to share the same views on it. And THAT might be the most interesting part of it."

"Child Story" has been performed around the world within the past three years, and is currently being staged at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center until April 14th. LQ, CGTN, BJ.