Cantonese Opera The Return of Lady Wenji

Introduction

The script of the play The Return of Lady Wenji and the character Cai Wenji were penned and tailored for Chan Ho-kau by Yuen Siu-fai and the late playwright Yip Siu-tak in 1997. It depicts the helplessness and sadness of Wenji when she returns from foreign land to her homeland, leaving her husband and son behind. In particular, Yip Siu-tak was invited to write the lyrics for the singing part in the scene ‘Farewell to the Wife’. When the play debuted, the superb performance and the intricate interpretation by Yuen Siu-fai and Chan Ho-kau brought out the most intense melancholy of the eternal farewell of a couple and the departure of mother and son. For the journey of returning to Han, Chan Ho-kau interpreted Wenji’s yearning for her husband and son and showed her complete devastation that struck the heart chords of the audience. In this run, Lee Lung and Chan Wing-yee are specially invited to act as Dong Si and Lady Bian respectively. The accompanying percussion and ensemble music by the Ko brothers complement and highlight the emotional performance of the opera stars. Cao Cao, another lead character of the play, is played by Yau Sing-po, who vividly portrays the ruthless character of the period on stage. In the end, Cao’s wife Lady Bian speaks of how Cao has done something devastating to ruin the happiness of Wenji, despite his good intentions. Performing the heart-touching theme song in the final scene, Chan Ho-kau brings out the desolation of a mother and a wife who could never reunite with her family under the accompaniment by the Ko brothers.

Over the years, the audience has been waiting for the rerun of The Return of Lady Wenji, so that they could once again appreciate the spectacular performance by the illustrious Cantonese Opera stars Yuen Siu-fai, Chan Ho-kau , Yau Sing-po together with renowned artists Lee Lung, Chan Wing-yee and Lai Yiu-wai.

Cantonese Opera The Return of Lady Wenji

Programme Details

7/8 (Tue)8/8 (Wed) 12/8 (Sun)

7-8/8 (Tue-Wed) 7:30pm

12/8 (Sun) 2:30pm

The script of the play The Return of Lady Wenji and the character Cai Wenji were penned and tailored for Chan Ho-kau by Yuen Siu-fai and the late playwright Yip Siu-tak. The two carefully crafted the characterisation from aspects such as storyline, persona, staging, presentation and percussive points prompted by the accompanying ensemble. In particular, Yip Siu-tak was invited to write the lyrics for the singing part in the scene ‘Farewell to the Wife’. It depicts the helplessness and sadness of Lady Cai when she returns from foreign land to her homeland, leaving her husband and son behind. At the premiere, the pain of Lady Cai goes straight to the heart of the audience.

The story takes place in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Cai Wenji, the daughter of Cai Yong, is famous for her nonpareil accomplishments in literature as well as music. She is captured by a Xiongnu (Huns) chieftan, the Wise Prince of the Left, during the chaotic times of war. He admires her artistic gift and finally wins her heart, so the two become husband and wife. Twelve years later, Cao Cao has gained power and is the prime minister of Han. He remembers his old friend, the historian Cai Yong, who had left no heir to continue his monumental work of writing The Book of Han. So he sends an envoy to the Huns, expressing willingness to pay a large ransom for Cai’s release and return to Han land. He envisions that she would pick up the work from where her father left off, and, feeling grateful and indebted to him, she would write him favourably into the historical archives. What Cao has mistaken is that he may have a good intent, but the rude severance of Cai from her family in Hun is taking away all her happiness. As wife and mother, she is never able to see her husband and son again. She is so heartbroken that she grieves to the end. On her long journey back to Han land, Lady Cai pours out her heart in a song cycle with lyrics, both of which she writes. And that, is the creation of the masterpiece, Eighteen Variations on a Hu Pipe Melody.

Cast
Yuen Siu-fai: The Wise Prince of the Left
Chan Ho-kau: Cai Wenji
Yau Sing-po: Cao Cao
Lee Lung: Dong Si
Chan Wing-yee: Lady Bian
Lai Yiu-wai: Zhou Jin
Kwok Chun-sing: Hu Er
Jim Ho-fung: Kong Rong
Cheung Kit-ha: Shiqin

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