"Li Ruru's unique and valuable perspective combines the critical eye of the imaginative researcher with the intimate perspective of a true jingju insider--the daughter of one of the twentieth century's leading female performers. Impeccably researched, pass

"This book will act as a powerful introduction to the story of Beijing Opera over the course of the twentieth century with a particularly strong emphasis on the Communist period and its influence on contemporary performance. Using excellent oral history r

"This meticulously researched and colourful account of the highly complex performance form, jingju, will be of interest to a wide constituency of theatre scholars and cultural historians. Writing from the unique dual perspective of 'insider/practitioner'

Li Ruru is senior lecturer in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds. She runs Chinese theatre workshops and is the author of Shashibiya Staging Shakespeare in China and Translucent Jade Li Yuru on Stage and in Life.