Xiqu

Yue Opera, also known as Shaoxing Opera, is originated from Shengzhou, Shaoxing city of Zhejiang Province, i.e. where the ancient kingdom Yue was located, and thus the genre is named for ‘Yue Opera’. Yue Opera is usually formed by the all-female cast. It is characterised by its lyrical singing and the subtlety and tenderness of the melodies, while the makeup style of the actors is graceful and glamorous. Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe of Shaoxing will be staging four plays in this series, including the grand production of Qu Yuan, as well as classic titles including How a Dead Cat was Substituted for a New-born Prince, The Lady General Mu Guiying Leads Her Army to War and Three Glimpses of the Princess. All these four full-length plays are performed by Wu Fenghua, a xiaosheng (young male) role player of the Fan (Ruijuan) school, two-time winner of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre and National Class One Performer. She is joined by three other winners of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre and National Class One Performers, namely, Wu Suying from the Lu (Ruiying) school, Chen Fei from the Fu (Quanxiang) school, as well as Zhang Lin from the Yin (Guifang) school. Strong cast of virtuosi gathered on the same stage is undoubtedly attractive.

The Lady General Mu Guiying Leads Her Army to War is a civil and martial play characterised by complicated singing and gesturing. Wu Fenghua plays the role of Yang Zongbao and highly demonstrates her marvellous civil and martial skills. Famed for her handsome look and elegant demeanour, Wu stands out from fellow female actors in the xiaosheng role.