Name: The Painted Skin | Cantonese Opera | HKAF2023
Start: 2023-02-15
End: 2023-02-16
Location: Tuen Mun Town Hall

2500+ are interested

15 Feb 2023(Wed) - 16 Feb(Thu)

Location:Tuen Mun Town Hall

Map

3 Tuen Hi Rd, Tuen Mun

About the event

The Painted Skin | Cantonese Opera (Refined Edition) | Show Introduction

截屏2022-11-30 10.48.01

A classic Chinese ghost story of romance, betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness brought to life in a Cantonese opera production with an all-star ensemble

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is a classic collection of ghost stories written by Pu Songling and published in the 18th century. It has enthralled readers across generations with its spellbinding supernatural plots and, of all the stories, one of the most famous is “The Painted Skin”, which has inspired scores of film and television adaptations over the years. Tse Hue-ying, a prolific Cantonese opera scriptwriter and young performer herself, is the playwright of this new Cantonese opera based on the story. In “The Painted Skin”, a fickle married man named Wang has a dalliance with a beautiful young woman who is actually a fox spirit wearing a mask made of human skin. The casual dalliance soon takes a grisly turn as Wang finds out the horrible truth. After the spirit devours the man’s heart, his faithful wife pleads with a lunatic monk for help. Wang miraculously comes back to life in the end and begs for his wife’s forgiveness.

The Painted Skin, which premiered in 2020, was among the first Hong Kong projects as well as Hong Kong’s first Cantonese opera to be recognised by the China National Arts Fund in 2022. This sumptuous new Hong Kong Arts Festival production, with lavish costumes, elaborate sets and spectacular lighting design, boasts an artistic team from the crème de la crème of Chinese opera. The multi-talented Tse Hue-ying triumphantly takes on the two contrasting roles of the spirit and the wife. Ko Yun-hung, a pre-eminent Cantonese opera musician who has made tremendous contributions to the art form over the past four decades, is artistic director and himself composed music for this work. Veteran actor Yuen Siu-fai, with an illustrious career spanning more than 60 years, goes beyond his regular sheng role to play the role of the lunatic. And Shi Jihua, a National Class One Performer of Yue opera, and Wang Lei, a renowned Peking opera coach, co-direct the production. Be sure not to miss this spine-chilling feast for the eyes and ears.