KE Zin is the dutiful daughter of the title and at the heart of this ambitious East-West collaboration between the Playhouse and the Sichuan People's Art Theatre in China.

This princess of the Isle of Joy obeys her royal father to the letter, until a mad sea captain with amnesia enters her life. She faces a choice between two fathers and two suitors, the lowly chef's son she's known since childhood or the husband chosen by her father.

Writer Charles Way uses a group of storytelling actors to frame the main narrative, which is inspired by Pericles. As this is one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, this won't be much help in following the plot.

Gail McIntyre's colourful production uses British and Chinese actors, speaking both English and Mandarin without any translation through surtitles. The only help provided in scenes in which Sichuan actors Gong Wei and Huang Liangyu speak totally in Mandarin are a few key phrases in English spoken as asides by other actors.

Overcome this sense of frustration - it's like being abroad and unable to speak the language - and you can enjoy an unusual collaboration rich in theatricality, if not clarity of plot.

Wei and Liangyu have a natural grace and energy that is wonderful to watch, even when you don't know what they're saying. Nicholas Camm makes a salty sea dog and Gary Simpson an authoritative king, even if I did keep thinking he'd strayed in from a production of The King And I.

* Runs until Saturday then tours to schools. Tickets: 0113-213 7700.

Published: 10/05/2006