Breathing new life into an old art

Like Italian opera, Beijing opera often gives the impression of being one of those fossilized art forms only watched by a diminishing and aging audience. But this misconception is adamantly rejected by the Tienchin Youth Peking Opera Troupe, who are now visiting Taiwan on their second tour of the island.

Only established in 1984, the Tienchin Youth Peking Opera Troupe has evolved into a highly regarded group on the Beijing opera scene. On their previous visit to Taiwan six years ago, they made a vivid impression on audiences with their strong performances and wide-ranging repertoire.

As an instructor, Gung Min (貢敏) was keen to emphasize the performers, who were then only in their early 30s and most were ranked as national performers of the second rank. Now, the troupe visiting Taiwan boasts 12 performers of the first rank and one musician of the first rank. Chang Ke (張克), who is known for his performance of "mature male" roles (老生), only last month took an award in the 16th Plum Blossom Awards, the Oscars of Beijing opera.

The troupe is clearly in a confident mood, putting on a different show every night for the 10 nights at the National Theater. These will include many Beijing opera classics such as Si-lang visits his mother (which stars Chang Ke) and the Unicorn Trapping Purse.

Moreover, the 68 performers who have come over to Taiwan represent a number of schools in the Beijing opera tradition. Beijing Opera has had a long and complex history and owes its popularity to an eclecticism of performance styles. Many of these are represented in the Tienjin Troupe, with stage shows that showcase acting styles ranging from the martial and energetic Forest of the Wild Boar (野豬林), starring well-known "martial male" Wang Li-chun (王立軍) to the very essence of romance with The Western Chamber (西廂記), starring Chang style "female" Chao Hsiu-chun (趙秀君).

For more information: Tienchin Youth Peking Opera Troupe plays June 21-30, 7:30pm, at the National Theater, Taipei. Tickets: NT$300 to NT$2000.