Guangdong Chiu Chow Opera Theatre Number One Troupe and
Sun Hon Kwong Chiu Chow Opera Troupe
28-29/6 (Fri-Sat) 7:30pm
30/6 (Sun) 2:30pm
Theatre, Ko Shan Theatre
With Chinese and English surtitles.
Members of the audience are strongly advised to arrive punctually. Latecomers and those who leave their seats during the performance will only be admitted and allowed to return to their seats respectively during the intermission or at a suitable break.
Enquiries: 2268 7325 (Programme) /
3166 1100 (Ticketing)
Booking: 3166 1288 / www.urbtix.hk
Chiuchow Opera is a regional operatic genre that originated in the Chiuchow area of Guangdong Province, and is famed for its performing style and musical characteristics, performed in the charming Chiuchow dialect.
The Guangdong Chiu Chow Opera Theatre Number One Troupe and Hong Kong's Sun Hon Kwong Chiu Chow Opera Troupe will be bringing us the Chiuchow Opera classic Princess of Eastern Wu, featuring Plum Blossom Award winner Zhang Yihuang and Lin Chufa, famous for his xiaosheng (young male) roles, while Plum Blossom Award-winning work Poet Li Shangyin tells the anecdotes from the life of the romantic poet. Selected excerpts from famous traditional plays are showcased, highlighting the genre's unique artistic techniques. These exquisite performances allow audiences to experience the distinctive charm and beauty of Chiuchow Opera.
28/6 7:30pm
Excerpt Mu Guiying's Marriage Proposal
Main Cast: Wu Yimin, Lin Waimao
Princess of Eastern Wu
Main Cast: Zhang Yihuang, Lin Chufa, Zheng Jianying, Lin Wuyan
Mu Guiying's Marriage Proposal is an excerpt from the Chiuchow Opera Mu Guiying. Emphasis is placed on the duets and stage movements of the two main characters. After a number of setbacks, Mu proposes to Yang Zongbao and discusses strategies to break through the Liao army's formation, showcasing her heroic valour that rivals that of men. Princess of Eastern Wu is based on the love story of Sun Shangxiang and Liu Bei from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Despite a ten-year separation, their feelings for each other remained strong. Zhang Yihuang won the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award with her portrayal of Sun. In it, she focused on expressing the character's subtle emotions and conveying her sentimental and virtuous nature. Since its premiere, the work has received seven Class One Awards in categories such as script, directing, performance, music, and costumes.
29/6 7:30pm
Excerpt Snow at the Plum Pavilion
Main Cast: Chen Chuyun, Lin Bifang
Poet Li Shangyin
Main Cast: Lin Yanyun, Zhan Chunxiang, Huang Yingwei
Featuring beautiful lyrics and a moving melody, the excerpt Snow at the Plum Pavilion is an iconic work by Chiuchow Opera composer Huang Qinci, with the aria “Duet at the Plum Pavilion” being widely known in the Chaozhou-Shantou region. The new adaptation of the Chiuchow Opera Poet Li Shangyin is based on the Yue Opera A Poet's Lament. Lin Yanyun won the 29th China Theatre Plum Blossom Award for her portrayal of the titular character. Lin performs with a distinct scholarly charm, portraying Li as an intellectual in search of love, conscience, morality and justice, much to the delight of the audience. The design of the stage is elegant and simple, which serves to bring out the character's integrity and pure-heartedness, along with the aesthetics of Chiuchow Opera performances.
30/6 2:30pm
Excerpts A Misunderstanding Caused by a Hairpin, Pawning His Wife, The Sagacious Empress, Meeting at the Pavilion, Wreaking Havoc in Kaifeng
Main Cast: Zhan Shaojun, Lin Yanyun, Huang Yingwei, Weng Songmei, Wang Meifang, Zhan Chunxiang
A master selection of Chiuchow Opera excerpts will bring a series of opera works with magnificent vocals and acting. In A Misunderstanding Caused by a Hairpin, over 30 types of folding fan techniques are skilfully integrated with the characters and storyline. Pawning His Wife breaks away from the tradition of conveying emotions with water sleeves, putting the female lead's grasp on her character's emotions to the test. The Sagacious Empress is about Emperor Taizong making a pair of candles for Empress Zhangsun, who has accompanied him on military campaigns over the years. Meeting at the Pavilion tells of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai's reluctance to part with each other, putting their anguish on display. In Wreaking Havoc in Kaifeng, the actor playing the laosheng role uses movements of the beard, sleeves, and hat wings to showcase the artistic charm of Chiuchow Opera.
The running time of each performance is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes including an intermission of 15 minutes.
Chiuchow Opera
Chiuchow Opera, performed in the Chiuchow dialect, is especially popular in the eastern part of the province, southern Fujian, Hong Kong, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia. During the Ming dynasty, it was referred to as the Chiuchow melody or Chiuchow tune. In the early years of the Qing dynasty, it became known as Quanchiu melody (with 'Quan' referring to Quanzhou in Fujian) or Chiuchow theatre. The name Chiuchow Opera has only been adopted towards the end of the Qing dynasty and the beginning of the republic.
The tunes of Chiuchow Opera were shaped by a wide range of sources and influences, including music from the ancient 'northern' and 'southern' genres, Kunqu Opera, yiyangqiang, Clapper Opera and huangpai music, as well as local narrative singing, songbooks and folk ditties. The musical accompaniment is a combination of Chiuchow daluogu (gong-and-drum) music, Chaoyang 'dizi suite drum music', string poems, xiyue and temple music, which together give the music its strong vernacular colour. The repertory of Chiuchow Opera draws from plays of Southern opera from the Song and Yuan periods. It also comprises works adapted from folk legends and vernacular texts.
In the genre's early days, there were seven role types, which eventually pared down to the first four as the form matured. In particular, the chou (comic) role, further categorised into ten sub-types with finer differences, is well known for its witty depictions, while the dan (female lead) role is equally varied with seven possible presentations. These precise distinctions reflect one of Chiuchow Opera's beautifully nuanced portrayals of role types.