It's been reported that the Chinese ship "Dexinhai," along with its 25-member crew, were successfully rescued from Somali pirates on Monday, putting an end to the Somali pirate hijackings once and for all!

Wait, scratch that, this just in: what occurred was actually a stage production of "Somali Pirates" at the Haidian Theater in Beijing, which will be running every day from now until January 10.

Part of the an annual "The Joyous Fried Dough Twist" comedic drama series, the play features actors portraying parodies of Chinese pop singers Li Yuchun and Zeng Yike, who get kidnapped on the high seas off the coast of western Africa.

With a round up of all the past year's hot topics and Internet fads, "Somali Pirates" makes references to Internet games widely popular in China and even the Hollywood blockbuster "2012."

By the end of the play, the pirates have resumed their old jobs so that they can raise the one billion euros required to buy a ticket on one of the arks as seen in the disaster movie.

Surprisingly, the play's pirates do not come across as foolhardy, and instead seem to be professionally trained, kidnapping the leads with hitech equipment, treating them humanely and then promptly releasing them as soon as they receive their ransom.

"(The pirates) are portrayed as smart and professional, but they just want money," said Wang Rui, a Beijing resident who saw the show. "The play is funny, especially at the end when they do a Michael Jackson dance."

"Seeing Somali Pirates is like reading a list of the past year's hottest topics," said the play's director, Shen Teng, who has worked on "The Joyous Fried Dough Twist comedy series for six years.

"You're guaranteed to right from the beginning to the end."

Somali Pirates debuted on December 3 and has been staged a total of 20 times so far. Tickets up to January 3 have already sold out, but organizers have extended the play's run to January 10 to make sure more people are able to see it.

Venue: Haidian Theater

Time: Everyday until January 10, 7:30pm

Price: From 180 to 880 yuan

Tel: 86-010-5126 1058

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