Growing Up With Teochew Opera - 18

Watching Performance by Local Teochew Opera Troupes

近十年观赏本地职业潮剧团的演出

人生有几个十年，这页博客谈谈这十年里观看新加坡职业潮剧团演出的剧目和点点滴滴。

After having written about Tan Chor Hwee and Teochew Opera Troupes from China, I would like to share something about watching Teochew Opera performances by local professional troupes. Actually, I am really worried that one day our professional troupes will simply disappear. For the last 10 years from year 2000 to 2009, it is evident that the troupes are now much inferior in terms of quality, manpower, resources and ability to stage new performances, compared to 40 years ago. Each troupe has a small number of actors and actresses and their age profile is typically in the 45 to 70s age group. The team of musicians is nothing compared to those from any China troupes. Worst still, there are not enough resources for them to stage new performances and year on year, you would see the same show. Sometimes, the troupes would call the show a different name but for die hard fans, it is very easy to tell.

In the initial few years of the new millennium, I hardly watched performances by local Teochew Opera troupes because of lack of information on their performance schedule. Other than 织云潮剧团 which would always have a common 2-day slot on the 26th and 27th day of the lunar 7th month at Toa Payoh Lor 1 wet market, I only watched street opera if I happened to know the schedule by chance.

In Oct 2006, I came across an announcement on a series of temple celebrations by a temple at Bukit Batok. It came as a surprise to me when I discovered that an unknown local troupe would be putting up 4 nights of performance there. This troupe is called 新新荣和潮剧团. Frankly, I have not heard of the existence of this troupe. I travelled all the way from Yishun to watch 新新荣和潮剧团 put up 洛水仙姬 at Bukit Batok. I would rate the standard of performance as mere average. In the dwindling days of Teochew street opera in Singapore, I should not expect too much from this troupe. This troupe has a variety of backdrops and their costumes are very new. Subsequently, I found out that a few temples in Yishun also invited 新新荣和潮剧团 to perform. I watched this troupe performed 洛神 many times. I was thrilled when I watched them performed my favourite 洗马桥 and 红鬃烈马. I also enjoyed watching this troupe扛石记.

金鹰潮剧团 was one of those troupes which I rarely know their schedule. It was until I read about the troupe folding up in Feb 2007, I became more interested to watch their performances and started to check out their schedule. I was fortunate to have watched some of their performances including 刘明珠，皇亲国戚，红楼夜审，假婿盗方, 巧姻缘，刘璋下山，狄青解征衣.

老赛桃源潮剧团 is another troupe which I hardly watch as I am not aware of their performance schedule too. I recalled watching this troupe performed 柴房会 at Raffles Place and Ang Mo Kio in the late 1990s and once at a temple besides Central Mall in early 2000. That year was very special as 4 troupes were performing at the same time. There were 2 Hokkien Opera troupes and 2 Teochew Opera troupes, namely, 新怡梨兴潮剧团 and老赛桃源潮剧团.

I watched 新怡梨兴潮剧团 performed 怒斩杨廷芳 and 老赛桃源潮剧团 stagged 铁面海瑞. It was quite an experience as that was the first time I watched 4 opera troupes performing at the same time. Then, I chanced upon a notice about a temple celebration in 联合早报 and found a performance schedule by老赛桃源潮剧团 in Jun 2006. I watched the troupe performed 罗衫记 and 湖阳公主 or another name for 铁面海瑞.

My interest in watching Teochew Opera troupes perform at temples started in Jun 2007. That year, 青囊中玉楼春潮剧团 from Malaysia came to Singapore to perform at 韭菜巴城隍庙 for 10 days. I found their standard and quality of performance better than most of the local troupes currently surviving in Singapore. The troupe has many male and female leads. It is somewhat like 织云潮剧团 in the 80s. I enjoyed watching 皇姑复国, 杨戬出世, 汉宫惊梦 and 血溅三宝袍.

In Aug 2007, 织云潮剧团 put up a 4-day performance at one Yishun temple. I enjoyed watching their new performance狸猫换太子 and other familiar performances 一门三进士 and 赵氏孤儿. It was also my first time to visit the artistes when they were having their performance at Toa Payoh 修德善堂. I got to know 钟喜坤, 亚达, 温赛真, 碧芳 and亚珍.

In end Jun 2008, I went to 韭菜巴城隍庙 to watch新怡梨兴潮剧团 performed 告亲夫. During the lunar 7th month in 2008, I hit a new record by watching many nights of performance by织云潮剧团. I watched织云潮剧团 performed 包公斩皇亲, 铁面巡按,桃花过渡, 三娘担火, 告亲夫, 井边会, 三哭殿, 六国封相, 狸猫换太子, 霸王别姬 and 潇湘秋雨. I was so fortunate to watch the former female and male lead of 织云潮剧团, namely 李淑真 and 珠华 back in action for that delicate excerpt井边会 at Ang Mo Kio temple.

On the last day of 织云潮剧团 performance in Singapore before they return to Malaysia for the remaining period of the year, I watched李淑真 and 良珠 performed in告亲夫. I also requested for a photo shoot with 李淑真. I developed many photos and produced VCDs of 织云潮剧团 in action and passed them to钟喜坤, 亚达, 温赛真 and亚珍.

Somehow, due to some reasons, the manpower strength of 织云潮剧团 dropped in 2009 when they were in Singapore to perform during the lunar 7th month. 碧芳 emerged as female lead and my Thai friends亚达 and 温赛真 did not come along. Other than the repeat titles like 告亲夫, 织云潮剧团 also put up 借剑 and 齐王求将.

As for 老赛桃源潮剧团, it continues to replay罗衫记 and called it 状元认母, 烈女斩夫 and搜书院. 新新荣和潮剧团 is no exception too, it put up洛神 from Yishun to Ang Mo Kio, and continued to showcase洗马桥. I understand from one actress that they have a new show called 金鸡玉兔 but I have yet to watch this show.

In general, the trend is worrying and I predict that more and more local troupes will fold up soon. May be none will survive when I pen the blog for the final year of the next 10 years of watching local Teochew Opera troupes from 2010 to 2019.

Growing Up With Teochew Opera - 6

Teochew Street Opera And Hungry Ghost Festival - 3

与潮并长

During the mid 1970s, I had no problem appreciating the performance and could really understand what they were singing. During peak season like the lunar 7th month hungry ghost festival, every troupe would arm itself with two titles and perform the same two titles at different locations throughout the whole month. This was because it was very expensive to hire them during 7th month and each performance would only last two nights. The troupes would put up their best performance and invest in new costumes and headgears.

How did I know about that? Again, it was from those old uncles who stood in front of the stage. The moment someone on stage hung a notice (usually a rectangular blackboard) on the left side of stage facing audience, it would stir a moment of excitement as the audience would like to know whether the show was new or a repeat. I was amongst one of them. I would normally run to the nearby public phone and ring my mum about the title even though she might not be keen to come down and watch.

I would travel from marketplace to marketplace to get to know the pattern of street opera appearance for the whole of lunar 7th month within Toa Payoh. Sometimes, I would not mind seeing the same performance again if there was only one troupe performing because it was really very ‘shiok’. Take 26th and 27th day of the 7th lunar month as an example. I would watch 织云潮剧团 at my place. If I had seen the performance before, I would walk to Block 73 where another Teochew Opera troupe would perform. In the early 1970s, it was 新一天彩潮剧团. This happened only during the lunar 7th month hungry ghost festival. I wanted to watch a variety of troupes since I had all the opportunities to see 织云潮剧团 more often than the others in Toa Payoh. Also, by doing so would allow me to know the shows that the other troupes had prepared and the standard of their performance.

Someone asked me whether I had ever seen the 斗戏 between two Teochew opera troupes. My mum and eldest sister told me something interesting. They said there was once an aunt in JB somehow knew the schedule and my mother and a few of us came over to Singapore to watch. One location was at the then Tik Pasat (literally means iron market) at Beach Road. The market had since been demolished and she said should be the site where Golden Cinema is currently located. 新荣和兴潮剧团 and 老赛桃源潮剧团 staged side by side. Obvious winner was 新荣和兴潮剧团. My mum said 新荣和 “ngia char boh” (beautiful women), 老赛桃 “tua loh koh” (loud drum beat).

Another location is by the name of a temple called 金兰庙. 织云潮剧团 and 新荣和兴潮剧团 entered into the 斗戏. In JB, they said somewhere in Sing San near Sing Lau Yah Ken ‘new temple in dialect’, Teochew, Hainanese and Hokkien opera staged three in a row to 斗戏.

I did my National Service in the early 80’s. That was the time the street opera troupes were most appreciated and signs of decline emerged. I remembered I was very excited if the 26th and 27th day of the 7th month coincided with weekends as I could book out to watch 织云潮剧团.

Think the lunar 7th month hungry ghost festival is widely celebrated by Chinese in countries like Malaysia, Penang, Thailand and Hong Kong. The organizers would invite either their local street operas or invite some local pop songs singers to perform during the celebration. Other than the lunar 7th month hungry ghost festival, Chinese also have many celebrations for their gods and deities in almost all the even months of the lunar calendar.

Growing Up With Teochew Opera - 5
Teochew Street Opera And Hungry Ghost Festival - 2

街戏与庆中元

During the 1970s, over at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, 新荣和兴潮剧团 was the only troupe invited to perform at 修德善堂, during every lunar eight month. It was a very popular troupe during that time and it was my mum’s favourite troupe. Now that 新荣和兴潮剧团 had folded up, I understand that老赛桃源潮剧团 has taken over the slot.

My family stayed in Block 126 at Lorong 1 Toa Payoh. It is near the only wet market in Lorong 1. I was very happy because during that time, whenever there is a market or hawker centre, there would be local street opera performances because the hawkers and stall holders would pool their resources together to offer their thanks to gods and the 7th month good brothers. Like the temple at Lorong 4, this market has been inviting the same Teochew opera troupe to perform on the 26th and 27th day of the lunar 7th month every year. The first year in 1970 was packed with audience. It drew more than 1000 people to watch the opera performed by 织云潮剧团. This was the only Teochew street opera troupe that engaged the rope and pulley system where the actress could fly up and down on stage, mirroring what one could see in Chinese movies. The first ever performance was 胭脂魂, a typical movie by 长城 Movie production. There was a scene where the actress hung herself and 织云潮剧团 did it by rope and pulley system. They also controlled the lightings very well and the whole stage looked eerie.

织云潮剧团 and 新荣和兴潮剧团 were the heavenly kings of the Teochew street opera troupes. They were like NIKE and SWATCH. All the old and young fans knew them. I usually stand in front of the wayang stage and had the opportunity to hear old uncles and aunties telling stories about the show, about these heavenly kings personal life, etc. They had many supporters. There is no doubt that the number of supporters for artistes in the 70’s and 80’s is comparable to those who supported Superstar Search or Singapore Idol. I watched 张廷芳 by 九妹 in the day, and 辞郎州 in the evening. Still, I could not fully understand what they were singing but the actions tell. It was very much later that my mum told me 张廷芳 was a fugitive and married many women to escape from his enemies. I appreciated the plot of 辞郎州 much later after having watched it many times.

The photo below shows the two main leads of 织云潮剧团, ie 李淑真 and 珠华 taken in year 2008. To me, they still look good. The quality of their voice is still very solid.

There was an open space outside Block 68 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh where I went there quite often too. I remembered 织云潮剧团 performed that classic opera 三看御妹刘金定. There was another popular wayang performance place at a car park outside Block 102 (It is now very different as new blocks had been rebuilt. Just outside the Yellow Page building.) Lorong 2 Toa Payoh. I watched 老三正顺潮剧团 performed 七子救驾 (literally means 7 sons saved emperor, a story about the Yang’s warriors in the Song Dynasty). 老中正顺潮剧团 also performed there. 新荣艺潮剧团 performed 双龙争凤 (the plot is about Two Dragons Competing for a Phoenix) there and my mum and I watched that performance together. I could remember that the main leads were not that fantastic because the female lead was not slim enough and the actress who played the male lead had very small eyes. 老玉春香潮剧团 also performed 双枪陆文龙 at the same place. By the way, this 小生 who acted as 陆文龙 later moved to 老一枝香潮剧团 and played male lead in a few shows including 三驸马 and subsequently to 织云潮剧团 which I loved her role as 李太白in 唐宫秘史. In 2004, I saw her performing in 老赛桃源潮剧团 as male lead in the show 烈女斩夫 and 铁 面 海 瑞 or better known as 怒 斩 玉 面 狼 in China.

One wondered why there were so many opera performances in different parts of Toa Payoh. There are many temples, markets and food centres in Toa Payoh. Some temples were relocated to this place with villagers from different kampongs under the resettlement programmes in the 60’s/70’s. One possible reason for them to relocate to different parts of Toa Payoh was because it was one of the newest HDB town that time. As the temples would invite local street opera troupes to perform during the birthday of different gods, these temples also became the new locations for watching opera. The temples, market places and hawker centres in Toa Payoh also invited opera troupes to perform during the lunar 7th month festival. Hence, there were many opportunities to watch opera shows in Toa Payoh as compared to the time when people stayed in rural areas.

It appeared that Teochew street opera was more popular in Toa Payoh. It was followed by Hokkien opera. Like that market in Lorong 1, Blk 127, the organizers would invite Teochew opera troupe to perform during seventh month and Hokkien opera during the eight or tenth. The organisers had to take turn because the market had hawkers of different dialect groups. I remembered there was a particular year where a Hokkien stall holder became the 炉主 (akin the Chinese god appointed him to take care of the event the next year) and he objected to engaging 织云潮剧团 for the subsequent year. There was strong protest because no one could guarantee if 织云潮剧团 would return again if not awarded the performance contract for one year. At that time, it was very difficult to engage a popular troupe if no prior arrangement had been made. Finally, out of peer pressure, 织云潮剧团 continued to perform at Toa Payoh Lorong 1 market even up till today. It was rare to see Cantonese opera and it was only staged at Lorong 4 or Lorong 7 Toa Payoh. Such troupe was specially invited from Hong Kong. As for Yishun, you find more Hokkien opera than Teochew opera. There is one temple near Yishun swimming complex, they only invite Hokkien troupes. I don’t know the reasons.

All along my favourite troupe from that day I knew how to appreciate street opera till now is still 织云潮剧团. I heard from my parents that this was the only troupe that sent their musicians to learn from 新天彩潮剧团. The way they beat the drum is very similar. Their titles were very unique. They put up performances which were adapted from Chinese movies including 胭脂魂 and 神雕侠侣 from 长城公司 in Hong Kong. There were no other Teochew street opera troupes that performed shows adapted from movies. They also put up performances like 雪飞王子 which no other troupes had done so.

Growing Up With Teochew Opera - 1

First Encounter With Street Opera In Johore - 1
与潮并长

In the village where I stayed in Johor Bahru, there was a basketball court where the villagers celebrated the lunar 7th month hungry ghost festival and other birthdays of the different Chinese gods and deities. I remembered watching street opera performance when I was just a little kid. My mum told me 新荣和兴潮剧团, 织云潮剧团, 老赛桃源潮剧团 and many other troupes performed there. I recalled the villages had to place benches to reserve some seats or standing places to watch the street opera or wayang (in Bahasa Melayu). As wayang performances were quite rare, only a few times a year, the basket ball court was packed with villagers whenever there were performances. Teochew, Hokkien and Hainanese opera troupes performed there depending on who organised the events. Occasionally, there were performances by Hakka and Hock Chew opera troupes.

In the late 1960s, there was a very funny arrangement for the audience. If you imagine yourself facing the stage, half of it was meant for male audience and the other half was meant for female audience. This was meant to prevent the male audience from taking advantage of the female audience. As time past, people began to socialise and hence there is no need to continue with such practice. In today’s context, there is insufficient number of audience and there is no need to do so.

During that time, the afternoon performance could last till 5.30 pm. Today, you can hardly see any troupe performing beyond 4 pm. The evening performance commenced at 7.30 pm and would last till midnight. In general, the Teochew street opera performances were more refined in terms of acting skills. I recalled that many Hokkien opera troupes engaged more pulley and wheel systems as there were many acts with swordsmen flying up and down. Also, their conversations were extremely vulgar. As kampong kids, we had a good level of understanding on vulgar words. Some Hokkien opera troupes even had a 40 to 60 minutes segment for the actors and actresses to sing pop songs. Presently, our local troupes ust end their performance by 11 pm.

In the past, an opera stage was of bigger size than the current street opera stage. Every troupe had many boxes or containers of costumes, headgears and other opera-related stuff. The backstage was fully packed and there was very little space for people to move about. In the 1960s/1970s, an opera troupe would have no less than 50 people including actors/ actresses and musicians. There was one particular Teochew opera troupe, 老一枝香潮剧团, which had more than 100 people. During their performance in Johor, they organized a tour to the Lee Pineapple factory. My mum told me the factory workers made a count to confirm the strength of the troupe. Indeed, the troupe had more than 100 people including the musicians. You can hardly see less than 20 people performing in a street opera today.

Blog! Blog! Blog!

From Yahoo Blog - Tudou - Youtube - Sina Blog

It is great to get to know so many fans and friends who like to watch Chinese opera. I must really thank them for surfing my blogs and websites. Many of them even exchanged emails with me. I have many local and overseas friends whom I got to know after I started to blog and upload video clips on youtube, tudou and baidu. My attempts to blog at Yahoo and Sina have also been rewarding.

I am always ready to share my collections of video clips, VCDs and photos with friends. I even cut VCDs for friends and artistes. Most of them are very appreciative of my efforts and time spent. In return, some even bought VCDs for me when they travelled overseas to Swatow. Others would not heistate to share their collections of mp3 with me or even spent precious time to record the cassette tapes into mp3 for me. I really appreciate their kindness and thoughtfullness.

It is important for people to give and take. If one resort to taking advantage and always take but never give, then, it is quite meaningless to share with such people. I did came across someone who persistently emailed for some opera collections but never showed face when it was time to collect the VCDs and sent someone instead. Then, the contact discontinued though you could see the person on line sometimes but your emails would get ignored despite giving the person the VCDs free of charge. Really sad to know such people but a lesson learned.

It is lunar seventh month now and there are many opportunities to watch street opera performance. Although the standard of performance has deteriorated compared to the late 60's and early 70's, some opera to watch is better than none.

Will upload more video clips if I have time to watch street opera performance this month. Due to the double lunar 5th month this year, children are having examinations now and my presence at home to support them takes priority over street operas. Will upload more video clips and photos if I have the time to watch street opera performance later this week.