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Youngsters from Hong Kong Young Talent Cantonese Opera Troupe and The Young Academy Cantonese Opera Troupe will be among those performing in Hong Kong at Sunday’s Cantonese Opera Day at Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum.

Gen Z Cantonese opera artists talk about getting into roles, colourful costumes and hours of make-up

  • Young Hong Kong performers will take to the stage at weekend event showcasing 1,000-year-old form of Chinese performance art
  • Sunday’s event will feature established stars as well as Hong Kong Young Talent Cantonese Opera Troupe and The Young Academy Cantonese Opera Troupe
In partnership withLeisure and Cultural Services Department

When speaking of Cantonese opera, most people think of the elaborate costumes, dramatic movements and vocal styling that, to the uninitiated, appear jarring and intense.

Yet the tradition was born out of a practical reason: back in the days when performing venues lacked advanced acoustics, stage performers needed to project their voices loud enough for the whole audience – even those right at the back – to hear.

“Cantonese opera performers started training from a young age and it would usually start with vocal training,” Stephen Sun Kim-long, a veteran Cantonese opera performer, conductor and playwright, says.

Sun is vice-chairman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, also known as Barwo, which is a prominent professional organisation of Cantonese opera performers.

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He is coordinating the opening ceremony of Sunday’s 17th Cantonese Opera Day, presented by Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, although he will not be performing.

The day-long event will showcase the renowned 1,000-year-old form of Chinese performance art, which is recognised on Unesco's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A variety of performers dressed in elaborate costumes and make-up will be on stage at Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum to celebrate Cantonese opera, which is sung in Cantonese.

The event will also feature other attractions including a film show, talks, a workshop demonstrating fighting with horsewhips, broadsword flourish and spears, a Chinese opera virtual reality experience and an exhibition.

Chinese opera performers will take part in this year’s Cantonese Opera Day on Sunday at Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum, in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Sun says for male characters, the performers “can sing with what is known as ‘real voice’, whereas their female counterparts have to practise singing one octave higher … to project a traditional feminine representation”.

There was a time when Cantonese opera was staged with an all-male cast.

Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) decreed that men and women were not to perform together, creating a need for some male performers to pick the dan, or female, roles. Although this policy no longer existed in post-dynastic China, the tradition remained for a while.

In modern times, Cantonese opera performers tend to perform roles of their respective genders, although there are still a small number of male dans – actors playing female role

When public performances were required to be staged only by actors, “younger male performers had to sing falsetto, or otherwise known as ‘child’s throat’, as it is only possessed by young boys”, Sun says.

In modern times, Cantonese opera performers tend to perform roles of their respective genders, although there are still a small number of male dans – actors playing female roles.

The pitch of the singing voice also determines the character in Cantonese opera, which means the vocal techniques required differ between roles.

For more masculine roles, such as those of commanders and elderly scholars, a deeper voice is expected. In contrast, a young feminine character will require a sharper tone.

Cantonese opera actor Gary Lui Chi-fung (centre), who has been learning the art form for about seven years, will perform at Sunday’s Cantonese Opera Day. Photo: Gary Lui

Gary Lui Chi-fung, 23, whose father, Lui Hung-kwong, is a renowned Cantonese opera actor and teacher, has been learning the art form for about seven years.

He will be playing an elderly role in the play Executing His Own Son to Demonstrate Patriotism from The Tragedy of Two Patriotic Brothers during Cantonese Opera Day.

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“This type of role requires a bolder singing style, unlike sheng [studious] ones that are more gentle and soft-spoken,” Lui says.

“In many cases, they end each delivery with an elongated ‘aer’ sound, although that’s not mandatory.”

He will be performing in the same play with Annie Chan Shuk-lai, who has just graduated after studying Cantonese opera.

For more masculine roles, such as those of commanders and elderly scholars, a deeper voice is expected. In contrast, a young feminine character will require a sharper tone

“When I was young my parents took me to watch an Cantonese opera show and I was attracted by the beautiful costumes,” Chan says.

“I have been practising Cantonese opera since I was a Primary 4 student in extracurricular activity classes. When I was in Secondary 3, I started to receive systematic and professional training at Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Academy.”

She has been cast as the fiancé of the protagonist. As a performer that plays dan roles, she has to practise high-octave scales.

Annie Chan Shuk-lai, who started studying Cantonese opera while she was at primary school, will perform at Sunday’s Cantonese Opera Day. Photo: Gary Lui

“While sheng actors need to practise the regular scales and those one octave lower, we have to practise scales that are one octave higher,” she says.

“I practise about an hour a day and I also go online to find tunes to practise to.”

Hand gestures also indicate the status of the role. “A court lady might have that extra twist with the hands, possibly to indicate childish playfulness,” Chan says. “But a dan role such as a princess would not do that.”

When I was young my parents took me to watch an Cantonese opera show. I was attracted by the beautiful costumes. I have been practising Cantonese opera since I was a primary student
Annie Chan, performer, Cantonese opera

Preparing her make-up and hair will take Chan two to three hours on the day of a performance. For a female role, especially one of high status, preparing the headpiece is the most time-consuming thing.

“The wavy hair bangs that you see on the dan – or what we call ‘hair chips’ – have to be made by looping a long strand of hair. There are usually seven loops, although [retired Cantonese opera actress] Bak Sheut-sin was known to have nine loops, possibly to make the face appear more trimmed,” Chan says.

“With the headpiece, it is a known rule that the gems have to be on the left, and the flowers on the right.”

Elaborate make-up and hair styles for female Cantonese opera performers can take up to three hours to prepare, but male roles require less time. Photo: Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Male roles generally take less time for preparation, but as Lui’s role requires hoy meen, which literally translates as “open face”, he will need to spend two hours to get ready.

“Open face” make-up is elaborate and reserved for characteristically dramatic roles such as clowns and villains.

Whereas the basics of Cantonese opera make-up are not difficult to learn – it took Lui and Chan three classes – hoy meen is a different art form altogether.

On Cantonese Opera Day, Lui will seek the help of his father to have his face prepared.

Preparing the make-up and hair for female roles can take two to three hours on the day of a performance, including elaborate hair styles foe those characters of high status

Other than Barwo, Cantonese Opera Day will feature various performance companies including those dedicated to nurturing new talent such as Hong Kong Young Talent Cantonese Opera Troupe and The Young Academy Cantonese Opera Troupe.

There will also be many big names gracing the stage to perform celebrated plays.

With additional reporting from Jessica KY Wong

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