织云潮剧团 - 三 哭 殿, 包公斩陈世美
Watching 织云潮剧团 at Toa Payoh Lorong 1 Wet Market Again

On Sunday, 20 Aug 2006, I returned to Toa Payoh to watch织云潮剧团. Actually, I nearly couldn’t make it because my eldest son reminded me that I should stay back and go through his English exercises with him because he has English C A the next day. I told him to relax as we had done quite some revision that afternoon.

I reached Toa Payoh at about 7.50 pm. I was quite disappointed when I saw that title 包公斩陈世美 or commonly known as 铡美. Isn’t this the same show as秦香莲 which 织云潮剧团 put up last year at the same place? I was grumbling to myself. Then I discovered that it wasn’t the fault of 织云潮剧团. I saw two Chinese characters 专点 besides the title 包公斩陈世美. It means there was someone who wanted 织云潮剧团 to perform this show again. I went to the first row of chairs and sat on one of it.

After 京城會, the actual performance started at about 8.18 pm. Ah ha, I was quite surprised to find out that 织云潮剧团 actually put a 40-min 折子戏, 三 哭 殿. This is one of the 折子戏 which I like most. I remembered watching 织云潮剧团 putting 大唐英烈传 many years ago at Toa Payoh central outside the open space of Toa Payoh cinema. 大唐英烈传 has the segment of 三 哭 殿 and I was deeply impressed with 织云潮剧团 that time. However, I found the performance satisfactory only. Took some photos for sharing.

I recalled watching 秦怀玉 by 陈碧霞 and 罗桂凤 of 升艺潮剧团. It is the same story as 秦怀玉 is the husband of the princess 银瓶公主 and the father of 秦英. In the show, 秦怀玉 was stationed at the border to defend against the attack by Mongolains. His son, 秦英, killed the Prime Minister, whose daughter is the concubine of his father-in-law, the Emperor. Then, 银瓶公主 pleaded and begged for forgiveness from the Emperor and the concubine. In the end, 秦英 was not executed. I like the performance by 陈碧霞 and 罗桂凤 of 升艺潮剧团. I also like the cassette recording of 三 哭 殿 by 陈雪莹，陈其考，陈蟾娟 and 魏励禾 of China.

After 三 哭 殿, 织云潮剧团 staged 包公斩陈世美. This is exactly the same show which 织云潮剧团 performed last year at the same place but it was entitled 秦香莲. I must commend that man who played the role as 包公 ‘Pao Kong’. His voice is as solid as last year. He played the same role last year. I could not remember whether that actress who performed the role of 秦香莲 was the same as last year.

Wow! Something exciting happened when 陈世美 appeared on stage. I saw a few aunties, think about 5 of them, stood up and walked to the front of the stage. Each of them presented a red packet or ‘ang pow’ to 陈世美. This is a gesture to express support for their idol. H’m, think this is my first time seeing such act in Singapore. It has definitely boosted the confidence and status of that actress who acted as 陈世美.