Actors Liu Heng performs in the latest Kunqu Opera, A Commander's Introspective, produced by the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hu graduated from the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts with a major in directing, and premiered his debut theatrical production The Wheel of Time as a student back in 2014. The one-man show, which later toured nationwide, earned Hu a significant fan base and enabled him to further his theatrical experiments through a group, Xu Ge, which he set up in 2016 along with members of his team.

"All of the cast members are young actors and actresses of the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre, but when we worked on the play, we didn't find it challenging since we realized that we had everything we needed. Every element of Kunqu Opera, from the singing down to the movements, each has its own rules. What we need to do is to tell a good story and put on a show based on the rules of Kunqu Opera," Hu says.