Due to health problem, Mr. Ji Zhenhua will not be able to join the performances. The programme is revised as follows. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Excerpts:

Hu Village

An one-act short piece, with main character Hu Sanniang played by wudan (martial female role) and Wang Ying played by wuchou (martial clown role). The focus of acting for Hu Sanniang is the fighting scenes. Singing and speech declamation also form part of her fighting interaction with Wang Ying in battle.

The Hu family joined the Zhu family in an alliance against the Water Margins heroes. In a battle the latter was defeated and Hu Sanniang captured the short-legged Wang Ying. The Water Margins leader Song Jiang learnt from this defeat and changed his tactics, resulting in victory in their next encounter. This time Hu Sanniang was captured.

Cast: Gu Haohao, Ding Xiaochun, Sun Jinghua

Recovering from Blindness from The Story of the Wooden Hairpin

This piece includes two acts from the Yuan Dynasty play The Story of the Wooden Hairpin by Ke Danqiu. They are often performed together back to back. The three main characters are played in laowai (white bearded old male role), fumo laosheng and ermian (deviance clown role). Their rich gestures and movement sequences showing the travelers’ joy inspire the audience to imagine the breathtaking scenery seen by the characters.

Wang Shipeng was made governor of Ji’an. He sent his servant Li Cheng to his hometown to fetch his parents-in-law. When his letter was read aloud to his blind father-in-law, the old man was so pleased that he could see again. They set off with Li Cheng for Ji’an. On the way they disembarked from the boat and traveled on land, and admired the scenery with much pleasure.

Cast: Yuan Guoliang, Zhang Mingrong, Miao Bin

Hiding in the Boat from The Joys of the Fishing Folks

Written in the Qing Dynasty by Zhu Zuochao. Originally the excerpt was played as a ‘static piece’: the performers sang without much movement. In contemporary enactments, movement sequences are added to create more varied layers of dramatic expressions. The piece as a whole has become much more interesting dramatically.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty Liang Ji took control of the royal court and his authority overwhelmed even the emperor. As he planned to usurp the throne, Prince Qinghe fled to avoid being victimized. He reached somewhere on the riverbank and hid in a fishing boat. Soon a young fisher-woman returned to the boat from her father’s funeral and found him. In their conversation she found out that her father was killed by an arrow which was aiming at Prince Qinghe but missed. Having identified their shared enemy, the young woman decided to provide shelter for him. He was so moved that he made the promise of making her the royal consort if he succeeded to the throne in future.

Cast: Yue Meiti, Liang Guyin

Sounding the Bell and Disposing the Royal Family from Tie Guan Tu

The writer of this piece was anonymous but it was definitely written in the early Qing Dynasty. The main character is Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty played in daguansheng (principal hatted male role). The main dramatic actions focus the last moments of his life as the Dynasty fell. It is extremely demanding in the actor’s singing skills. Only highly virtuoso performers can cope.

In a storming evening as the wind and snow swept the streets, Emperor Chongzhen went around to the mansions of rich officials, hoping to raise funds for the military expenses. Without much success he resorted to sound the palace bell and gathered the court officials in the palace to discuss their situation. Yet the only person who showed up after three rounds of bell was General Du Xun, who had already reached an agreement with the rebel Li Zicheng to guarantee his own safety and fortune. At the end the Emperor performed his last ritual at the royal ancestors’ shrine, let his heir the royal prince flee, killed the princesses with his own sword, instructed his consorts to commit suicide, and set off to Mount Mei on his own to hang himself.

Cast: Cai Zhengren, Chen Li, Miao Bin

Excerpts:

Borrowing the Iron Fan from Journey to the West

This short piece is adapted from the famous novel Journey to the West by the playwright Yang Na. It was written between the last years of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty. The main characters are played in wudan and wusheng. Dance elements are of paramount importance in this piece. The accessories worn by the wudan, including the long feathers on her headgear, the elaborate cape, the fox tail and the long dress, all accentuate the dynamics of her movements.

During Tang Dynasty Monk Xuanzang and his three disciples travelled west to collect Buddhist sutras. They reached Flaming Mountain and could go no further because of its heat. The Monkey King visited the Princess Iron Fan and tried to borrow the magical iron fan from her to fan off the flame, but she refused and cast him away with the big wind she created with her fan. Later the Monkey King returned with a magical pearl that could stop the wind. At last he defeated her and took the iron fan with him.

Cast: Gu Haohao, Zhao Lei

Jian Rentong Selling His Books and Forcing a Bride on Jian Rentong from The Joys of the Fishing Folks

The Joys of the Fishing Folks was written by Zhu Zuochao in the early years of Qing Dynasty. This extract features the side characters Jian Rentong and Ma Yaocao in The Joys. The character Jian is played in the fumo laosheng (second-line old male role) without beard. Some movement patterns of qiongsheng (male role in poverty) are incorporated in his characterization to show his circumstances. The veteran artist Zheng Chuanjian has described this character as someone ‘with hunched shoulders in the cold and constantly massaging his stomach to ease hunger’.

Jian Rentong was a scholar living in poverty. He was on the way to sell his books to get food. Fortunately he met the fisherman Wu and his daughter who gave him some rice. One night, he was in his shed alone. Ma Yaocao, the daughter of the rich Ma family, was cast out from her family and came to him. She insisted on becoming his wife despite his refusal. At the end they were married with Wu and his daughter as witness.

Cast: Yuan Guoliang, Yu Bin

Visiting Zhao Pu from A Meeting of Heroes

An act taken from the full-length piece A Meeting of Heroes. The play was written during the last years of the Yuan Dynasty and the early years of the Ming Dynasty by Luo Guanzhong. The main character Zhao Kuangyin is played in hongjing (red painted face role). It is a demanding part especially in the singing skills. Melodies typically used for laosheng (old male roles) and wusheng (martial male roles) are incorporated into his songs. The result is a combination in the characterization of the magnanimity of hongjing and the emotive sentiments of the laosheng and the wusheng.

Zhao Kuangyin had defeated his enemies and proclaimed himself emperor, but was yet to settle the wars in the south. In a snowy evening he visited his prime minister Zhao Pu. Zhao Pu drew lessons from Confucius’ Analects in his analysis of the current affairs. As a result, they sent four generals to take Jiangxi, Xicun, Guangdong and Guangxi, and Wuyue, in order to end the wars and bring peace to the people.

Cast: Wu Shuang, Miao Bin

Visiting the Sick from The Story of the Jade Hairpin

This piece is written by Gao Lian of Ming Dynasty. The entire play consists of 33 acts. Visiting the Sick features the dramatic interplay between jinsheng (kerchief male role), guimendan (domestic female role), laodan (old female role) and chou (clown role). All four performers need to achieve seamless interchange between their singing and speech declamation, and smooth interplay among themselves.

Young scholar Pan Bizheng failed in the imperial examination and stayed temporarily in the nunnery run by his aunt. He fell in love with the young nun Chen Miaochang, but his strong feelings for her made him ill. Chen found out about this and visited him with his aunt in his room.

Cast: Yue Meiti, Hou Zhe, Chen Li

Li Bai Writing in an Inebriated State from Surprise Encounter

This play was written by Wu Shimei in Ming Dynasty. The original title of this extract was Taking the Boots off and Writing Poetry, but the kunqu maestro Yu Zhenfei gave it its present title. The character Li Bai is played in the principal daguansheng. The drama is mainly carried forward by the player’s speech declamation. The character’s carefree and elevated personality is expressed in his inebriated state.

The Tang Emperor and his beloved consort Lady Yang were feasting and being entertained in the royal garden. As they were admiring the peonies, the Emperor summoned the poet Li Bai to write three poems to mark the joyous occasion. Li arrived drunk and did not exactly adopt the appropriate mannerisms in front of the royal couple. The Emperor loved him for his talent and let him off. Accompanying the royal couple was the Emperor’s favourite eunuch Gao, whose arrogance Li Bai had always found offensive. So, he appealed for the Emperor’s favour to order Gao to serve him by helping him take off his boots and mix the ink for him. Gao was humbled.

Cast: Cai Zhengren, Hu Gang, Yuan Guoliang, Yu Bin