Weir incorporated an early Chinese play of the Yuan dynasty, The Orphan of Zhao, as the centrepiece of Act 2 of her opera.
[11] The Kent Opera production was recorded for television by the BBC in 1988, directed by Barrie Gavin.
The orphan gradually learns his true birth identity and the fate of his parents, and joins the plot for revenge.
At one point, when he is surveying the canal, Chao meets an old woman who tells him of what happened to his father.
The actors who were performing The Chao Family Orphan then return to complete the play, where the son does succeed in avenging his father against General Tuan-Ku.