Hamlet has arrived in the Chinese capital. For the past week, the Beijing People's Art Theater has been busy rehearsing their production of the British play.

Described as "originating in Britain, processed by the Japanese and performed by the Chinese", the production brings a real mixture of cultural influences to the classic tragedy.

"To be or not to be, that is the question." The most famous line from Shakespeare's play, is echoing through the rehearsal hall at the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Directed by Keita Asari, art director of the Shiki Theatre Company in Japan and first performed by the Beijing People's Art Theatre in 2008, the adapted play forms a more compact plot and striking theme of conflict.

Poster of the rehearsal of Hamlet.

Xu Ang, executive director of Beijing People's Art Theater, says, "'Hamlet' has been a part of the Shiki Theatre Company's repertoire for over 50 years. In this cooperation, we've introduced new ideas, adding an element of modernity to the classic drama. I think modern audiences will enjoy it."

The Beijing People's Art Theatre production is based on Ying Ruocheng's translation, which modifies the classic text in 7 places, reducing the longer monologues, and making the story more compact.

Cheng Lisha who plays Ophelia, the heroine, talks about the difference in the interpretation of the play.

Cheng Lisha, actress of Beijing People's Art Theater, says, "The Japanese artists bring an appreciation of form, and we as the actors pay close attention to the characters' emotions and feelings."

Hamlet is a demanding role to play. He's stricken by the sadness of his father's death, tortured by the question of fate, consumed by love and hatred, and finally killed by vengeance. Although the story is set in a land and a time far away from today's China, the hero Wang Ban believes the universal themes are still of relevance for modern audiences.

Wang Ban, actor of Beijing People's Art Theater, says, "As our country moves forward, people can feel at a loss for moral reference points, I think Hamlet shows us there's always choice. A choice between being and not being, between what is noble and what is not. The importance of thinking about the consequences of ones actions is an important theme. I believe these are questions we should always be asking ourselves."

The play will open at Beijing People's Art Theater this Saturday and will run for a week.

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