Xiqu

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.