Gao Bowen, head of the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, will perform a Pingtan adaptation of the novel Fan Hua.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Fei shares the same sentiment, noting that while SAIC Shanghai Culture Square has been significantly affected by the epidemic, it is still better off than its foreign counterparts.

"In the past months, we have done a lot of work that turned out futile. We also made many plans that were later scrapped. However, the difficulties we have faced seem like nothing when compared to those faced by our counterparts on Broadway or the West End," he says.