Tse Hiu-ying blends contemporary dance and avant-garde stage concepts in the new production of Pu Songling’s classic haunting tale of love
After a full day of rehearsals, Cantonese opera actress Tse Hiu-ying finally has half an hour to spare for an interview with Tatler in early February before rushing to another practice session with industry star Law Ka-ying. But busy as she is, she still exudes lively energy as she sits down to speak about her new production, The Painted Skin, and how her modern approach to the traditional art form might be what it takes to thrust Cantonese opera into the limelight once again.
A collaboration between Hong Kong Xiqu Troupe, an independent theatre founded by Tse, and Hong Kong Arts Festival, The Painted Skin premiered in 2020. Tse modified the show and came up with more new and multiple arts elements for this year’s rendition. It is the first Hong Kong Cantonese opera to be supported by the China National Arts Fund in 2022.
The Painted Skin is originally the most iconic work in Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling’s classic collection of ghost stories. It has enthralled generations of readers with its supernatural story of a married general and his affair with a vixen demon disguised as a beautiful woman who hunts for the hearts of men to survive. While it is a fictional tale, it touches on themes of love, forgiveness and redemption making it a timeless classic.
Adaptations of The Painted Skin in the Cantonese opera world is rare, according to Tse. People often remember the story from other renditions, including Donnie Yen’s movie in 2008, starring Chinese actress Zhou Xun, and the Shaw Brothers film in 1966. In Cantonese opera, however, this story has so far often been overshadowed by more famous productions such as Floral Princess and The Purple Harpin.
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