So far, this passionate, painful and powerful love tale, which debuted in 1999, has been staged more than 1,000 times at home and abroad.

At 54, Meng is still pushing boundaries in theater. His new work, Sun and Temple, will premiere in Shenzhen on March 21 and 22.

The play, based on a script of the same title by Bertolt Brecht, is about an alcoholic billionaire who switches between different personalities under the influence of alcohol.

When rehearsing for the play, actors used to play musical instruments randomly. And Meng even encouraged his actors to compose for the play.

Speaking about this unusual process, Meng says: "The actors have performed in my works before and we are very close. So, I tried to offer them different perspectives to understand the script and the roles.