Stage photo of The Girl, the Devil and the Mill. [Photo by Ruan Fan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Can you guess how would the Chinese children react?

I guess the Chinese children will not be so reserved and calm as the Japanese children, and also not the parents. (laughing) I myself like those naughty ones better. (laughing)

You said the play is about hope. Why do you say so?

The fairytales are filled with the true, the good and the beautiful, but the world we live in is not like that, it is not Disneyland. I hope the play could help them understand the real world, which sometimes is filled with pain and sorrow. This is life. But it is also a play of hope. Just like the chopped hands of the girl grow out again, so is people's longing for happiness – you can't cut it off for good, it will always grow.

About Olivier Py

The writer, director and actor Olivier Py is a revered giant of French theater. He directs both his own work and that of others, from contemporary playwrights to the classics. In 1998, he was named director of the Orleans National Center for Drama. In 2007, he was given direction of the Odéon-Théatre de l'Europe. And in 2013 he was charged with directing the Avignon Festival.