Chinese Drama Show 'Let the Bullets Fly' Presented by Wellington

This year, during the Chinese Drama Club's play selection process, some pupils recommended "Let the Bullets Fly". We were surprised that this old film would arouse pupils' interest. What was even more surprising was that many senior pupils immediately expressed their support. In the voting session, "Let the Bullets Fly" was voted overwhelmingly high and eventually became the play of the year. When we talked to other teachers, they were all surprised by this. The young people's depth of thought and artistic taste were beyond our expectations. Later, they demonstrated deep understanding through their stage performances.

"Let the Bullets Fly" has proven to be one of the most challenging productions ever undertaken by the Chinese Drama Club. The main difficulties of the performance stemmed from several factors. Firstly, the film script had to be adapted into a stage play suitable for a school production. This required significant alterations, as many elements that were easily achieved in the film could not be replicated on the school stage. Secondly, the story itself is complex, featuring numerous scenes, characters, and intricate plotlines. Many aspects of the production required the cooperation of multiple people, which made rehearsals particularly demanding. Thirdly, the production spanned the summer holidays, during which the cast experienced significant turnover. On the day of the performance, three crucial members of the cast were unexpectedly absent due to illness. Lastly, the majority of the pupils were first-time performers, and their lack of experience on stage posed a significant challenge during rehearsals.

Despite the challenges, the pupils brought more surprises. Due to the many roles, almost every member of the club was multitasking. All of the lead actors doubled as scriptwriters and helped others practise their acting skills. The technology, costumes, and props needed to match the complexity of the play made the job tedious. The publicity team spent three weeks taking stills of each actor. Many new pupils rapidly progressed from adaptation to proficiency to active problem-solving in just a few months. During the preparation process, I felt the pupils' great passion for the story and the performance. On the day of the performance, three members were unexpectedly absent due to illness. There were only three hours left before the final performance. The choreographers and directors urgently discussed the situation and took the approach of temporary substitutions and combining roles to make up for the gaps caused by the absence. Thank you to the pupils who saved the show, and also to the pupils in the technical and props teams. Your problem-solving skills and teamwork were amazing!

Tom (the Vice President, Writer, Director and Actor) from Year 13 said: "Let the Bullets Fly" is a classic film, and the best thing about this film is that it is fun and exciting for all ages. We want to raise awareness of the charm of Chinese drama and even Chinese culture through this play so that more people will enjoy and participate in the school's Chinese drama activities.