A continuation of the story of “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land”, capturing an era of missed encounters.

Playwright and director Stan Lai composes a theatrical poem, capturing an era of missed encounters.
Chang Chen, Kimbo Hu and Hsiao Ai join forces on stage!

In his 40th original work, “Between River and Cloud”, Stan Lai creates a poetic theatrical piece that tells the story of two misplaced lovers and a missed era. The production stars Chang Chen and Hsiao Ai, with a special appearance by musical master Kimbo Hu.

The year 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land”, a landmark work that has profoundly shaped Chinese-language theatre and continues to shine on stage today. “Between River and Cloud” fills in the untold spaces behind this classic. The characters Jiang and Yun are in fact Jiang Binliu and Yun Zhifan from Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. While the original play presents only the beginning and end of their story, Between River and Cloud captures everything in between.

Beginning with letters that never reach their intended recipients, the play portrays nearly forty years of parallel lives in which the two lovers continuously miss each other. With his boundless theatrical imagination, Stan Lai constructs a poetic and melancholic narrative that transcends time and space through layered text and philosophically rich scenes. Renowned critic Peggy Chiao once remarked, “I thought Village of Families was Performance Workshop’s greatest work after Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, but Between River and Cloud is just as extraordinary.”

Set against the backdrop of displacement after 1949, the play depicts ordinary life in Taipei during the 1960s and 1970s. Stan Lai reflects: “That was the Taipei of my childhood. Though poor, it may have been the most interesting city in the world. Two million displaced people from the mainland were woven into Taiwanese society—including my own parents. Some appeared well-dressed, yet behind their smiles one could clearly see an unspoken sorrow.” This work pays tribute to that unique era.

Characters who briefly appeared in Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land—such as Yun Zhifan’s sister, mother, and elder brother, as well as Jiang Binliu’s friend Brother Han and his son—reappear on this kaleidoscopic stage. The play not only expands the story of its two protagonists but also offers a profound reflection on life and history.

“Fate is objective; happiness is subjective.”
Between River and Cloud is a portrait of an era, depicting two individuals searching for a place to belong amid displacement, while also searching for a love long lost yet never forgotten. “All these years, have you ever thought of me?” After nearly forty years, Stan Lai answers this unforgettable question through his theatrical poetry. Like flowing rivers and drifting clouds that leave no trace, he creates a new classic rooted in his own legacy.

Set designer Daniel Ostling employs a “memory box” structure composed of multiple compartments, vividly presenting the characters’ experiences across four decades and piecing together lives as fleeting as clouds. Former Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land performers Brigitte Lin and Ding Naizheng also contributed to the production by providing letters from different periods, enriching the play with meta-theatrical and literary depth.

The production features renowned actor Chang Chen and Hsiao Ai—who has portrayed Yun Zhifan since 1991. Stan Lai also composed an original piece, the “Jiang-Yun Tango,” which runs throughout the play with a subtle sense of melancholy. Additionally, live performances by Kimbo Hu, the father of Taiwanese folk music, are woven into the production, offering a fresh and evocative echo of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land.