Peking opera The Golden Cangue, featuring diva Wei Haimin and produced by the GuoGuang Opera Company of Taiwan, will be staged in Hong Kong on November 19 and 20.
It is the first Peking opera adaptation of Eileen Chang's literary classic. She is unique in 20th century Chinese literature for her sharp observations and inventive imagery when writing about the female psyche and relations between the two sexes.
The Golden Cangue is among her most profound works and has been widely adapted for theatre, movie and television drama. Tailor-made for diva Wei Haimin, winner of the coveted Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre, this innovative Peking Opera fully shows her outstanding performance and technique to its full potential.
The story centres on Cao Qiqiao, a poor girl who marries paralysed, blind Jiang Erye, a second son, for money. She really has an eye for third son Jize but he is interested only in the riches she has received after the family property is divided among the brothers. Trapped by the ‘cangue’ of love and money, Cao torments her daughter, son and daughter-in-law.
This epic features some of Taiwan's most established Peking opera talents, including Wei Haimin and Tang Wenhua (who plays Jize). Artistic director and playwright is Wang Anchi who is known for her drive to modernise Peking opera, and Lee Hsiao-pin directs.
The Golden Cangue is part of the Leisure & Cultural Services Department's New Vision Arts Festival. It will be staged on November 19 and 20 at 7.30pm at the Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium.
Tickets priced at $280, $220, $160 and $120 are now available at URBTIX. For programme enquiries call 2370 1044.
The programme provides Chinese and English surtitles for lyrics and dialogue. A meet-the-artists session will be held after the performance on November 19.
