The Yue Opera Su Shi, starring and artistically directed by Mao Weitao, written by He Jiping, directed by Roy Szeto, and presented by Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, recently completed its Hong Kong premiere at the Grand Theatre of the West Kowloon Cultural District's Xiqu Centre. The production was also one of the featured programmes of the 6th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Chinese Theatre Culture Festival.
This marks Mao's first new production in a decade and represents an innovative collaborative effort with a Hong Kong creative team.
First collaboration with a Hong Kong team
The Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe shares a deep connection with Hong Kong. Mao recalls that in 1983, she first came to Hong Kong with a Zhejiang performance delegation to Hong Kong, a temporarily assembled troupe. However, because the performances received an enthusiastic response from Hong Kong audiences, the Zhejiang authorities decided to make the troupe a permanent institution. In 1984, the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe was officially established.
"You could say that without the Hong Kong audiences back then, there would be no 'Xiaobaihua' as we know it today."
As for collaborating with a Hong Kong creative team, this production marks the first such occasion. Speaking about working with Hong Kong director Szeto, Mao said she found it "extremely enjoyable." She noted that Szeto required every actor to write character biographies and, within just three days, learned every other actor's name and spoke with them one by one.
"This is a very professional approach."
She admits that she is "the kind of actor who can push a director into a corner." But when she told this to Szeto, he replied: "Teacher Mao, my corner is extra big; feel free to push me into it." This open, collaborative attitude exhilarated Mao.
"Differences in artistic concepts brought us a great deal of freshness. I love challenges, and I love it when a director gives me something different." She emphasized that with such a creative atmosphere, "it would be impossible not to produce good work."
Portraying a different Su Shi
Another distinctive aspect of this production is its bold embrace of new-generation talent. On the final performance day, young actress Zhang Yazhou took on the role of Su Shi, showcasing the vibrant energy of Yue Opera's legacy. Zhang noted that as a young actor, while learning from her predecessors, she also draws on her own characteristics and offers her own ideas.
She gave an example: in interpreting an episode, in contrast to Mao's restrained, power-focused portrayal, Zhang chose to reveal another side of Su Shi, his heroic boldness, by adding more externalized physical expressions to enhance the stage presentation.
Additionally, during the first two days of performances, she played the role of Su Zhe (Su Shi's younger brother). During this time, she also discussed with Mao and Szeto the possibility of incorporating some humorous memes related to the two brothers, adding a unique atmosphere to the work.
Regarding these innovations, Mao encouraged Zhang to perform and experiment in her own way, without feeling the need to copy Mao's interpretation. In Mao's view, "A true actor can only grow through continuous creative practice—this is not something that can be forced out by 'cracking the whip'."
Arrival of a 'Su Shi craze'
One noteworthy phenomenon is the recent surge of interest in Su Shi across the performing arts. With plays, Sichuan opera, Peking opera, dance dramas, and now the Yue Opera, the ancient Chinese poet has suddenly become the busiest ancient figure on stage.
In Mao's view, the fundamental reason for this phenomenon is empathy.
"We need a place to rest our hearts today," she says. People in this era are generally anxious, caught in intense competition, and restless—everyone is being pushed forward by tremendous inertia. Su, a man of prime-ministerial talent who was exiled three times yet only grew more open-minded as he aged, offers a counterexample.
"Don't be swept away by the times; don't let the trend of seeking quick success change you." Everyone can find answers in Su Shi about what true happiness is and what a genuine life looks like.
As for what sets Su Shi apart from other works, Mao believes it is because the production neither follows the path of "orthodox drama" nor treads the old road of scholar's play. Playwright He's script is like constructing an "Inception-style dreamscape of Su Shi," combining the evocative aesthetics of traditional opera with the structural ambitions of contemporary theatre.
Mao herself integrated various forms of traditional opera into her performance to enrich the expression. To this end, she traveled to Shanxi to study the beard technique (ránkǒu gōng) from Jin Opera master Li Yuexian, and also invited Chen Shaoyun from the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre to provide guidance.
"The beard is both a technique and a symbol of spirit and age span; it can even be elevated into an image of life's philosophy—one could say it is a totem of Su's life."
"We must place our modest Yue Opera within a global theatrical context," Mao says. "Only then can we win the recognition of more audiences."
(Editor: Kelly Yang; Cameraman & Video Editor: Sammi; English Editor: Darius; With materials from WKCD Authority and Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe)
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