Peking Opera with Modern Form

A middle-aged scholar, hunchbacked, chicken-chested, with little money and no backing in Beijing, how far could he go? But he wins a pretty woman from an aristocratic family, comes first in the official test and becomes the prime minister. As if this was not enough, he tries the Emperor in a criminal case.

Liu the Hunchback is the lucky protagonist in a popular celebratory serial Peking Opera staged recently in Beijing.

The opera plot was based on legends about Liu Yong (1719-1804), a famous statesman and calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Comic, witty, upright and guileless, he is a favourite of Chinese people.

The television series "Prime Minister Hunchback" based on the legend attracted hundreds of thousands of TV viewers a few years ago.

The Peking Opera "Prime Minister Hunchback" based on the same legend has become a box office hit since its premier in the Chang'an Grand Theatre in Beijing in 1997.

During the 30 performances of the first two installments, over 20,000 people flocked to see it.

"Who says that Peking Opera is conservative and out of date? It is as lively and fresh as any other modern form of art!" exclaimed Sun Jiazheng, minister of culture, after the show.

Media critics say the opera has "interwoven modern devices with tradition," and is a "nice experiment" on the 200-year-old Peking Opera.

"This is a well-made piece of stage art close to the masses of people and brave in breaking old rules," commented Wang Ankui, head of the China Arts Research Academy's Opera Institute.

An open-minded classic, the opera was co-produced by the Beijing Art Creation Centre, Peking Opera Troupe and Chang'an Grand Theatre.

In a fairly compact and flexible form, it has many of the elements for stage success as it brings to life the vigorous characters, their complex conflicts, their thoughts and emotions - all in a celebratory atmosphere.

Liu the Hunchback is portrayed as lovely. His famed ugliness, mended by wit, becomes attractive.

When mocked by Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1735-95) and other officials, he retorted with a poem:

"My hunchback is to carry the sky, my high-chest embraces knowledge. I have a hot heart for the country, and am full of brains for Your Majesty."

Erudite and versatile, Liu won the beautiful daughter of a noble as his wife in a go game contest started by the intelligent girl. On the chess board, Liu defeated his rival - Emperor Qianlong.

Among the corrupt officials against Liu, He Shen (1750-99), a notoriously crafty and greedy pet of the emperor, stood out as the main villain. There were schemes and traps, dangers and dilemmas, but every time Liu won with deftness.

Such intriguing comedy is surely welcome. And from an artistic point of view, this opera successfully combines traditional and modern crafts.

Just as Liu said in the opera: "Life is a game of go, who plays it new, bears no shame."

The opera's directors, performers and stage designers have all striven to inject something new into traditional Peking Opera.

To retain the traditional grace and charm, they used elegant lines, symbolism, rituals and space for imagination. But more easy-going tunes from folk songs were integrated to cater to the audience.

To emphasize the rich expressiveness of Peking Opera, they designed long sleeves unusual in Qing stories.

Director Shi Yukun selected a diversified cast for the opera, breaking away from the tradition of fixing an opera to a particular Peking operatic school of performances, such as the Beijing or the Shanghai schools.

He invited Chen Shaoyun from Shanghai to play the role of Liu. Chen, best noted for his creative acting, gives Liu credibility and humour.

Besides Shi, the producers also invited well-known modern drama directors Lin Zhaohua and Tian Qinxin to join in the production. Lin's latest hit was the "Teahouse," originally written by Lao She (1899-1966).

They applied many dramatic and film elements to the opera house: the contemporary vocabulary, dialects, exaggeration, ingenious group dances, simple colours, and the impressive stage design.

At the back of the stage is a folded screen with a huge picture of an ancient palace measuring 22 metres wide and 8 metres high.

On the stage, five 5-metre-high pavilions were shifted constantly to transfer the setting from game house, to palace, court and so forth.

Compared with conventional practices, the facial makeup in this play is lighter and more true to life, and even the braided long hair becomes decorations on the front of the costumes, instead of on the head.

Moreover, the directors deliberately arranged stage-workers in grey robes to come in and out to change the scenery in the play, which was common practice in early 20th century Beijing theatres.

"We keep the original taste of Peking Opera but add new forms. In doing so, we make it funny and pleasant to eyes and ears," said Tian.

Responses from the audience are positive. Young people, even little children, sat through the three-hour play well entertained.

The play shows that Peking Opera is "adaptable, rich and as inclusive as ever," said Zhang Heping, general planner of the opera and director of the Beijing Culture Bureau.

It is an open system able to catch up with the modern spirit, flexible in everything from plot and design to performance, Zhang added.

After the first round of the show, the staff, playwrights Chen Jianqiu and Chen Yaxian, music designer Zhu Shaoyu and arts designer Huang Haiwei among them, are busy working on improvements.

The opera is scheduled to be staged in mid-May in Beijing. It will also tour Shanghai, then Taiwan, and then go to Nanjing to take part in the Fifth China Arts Festival.

"I believe this is an auspicious beginning for traditional Chinese opera to rise in the new century," said Cultural Minister Sun.

(More information available at http://www.bcbnet.org)

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