Hung Ka Po Cantonese Opera Troupe: Chuncao breaks into the Trial Court
【Online Programme】

Loong Koon-tin as Xue Meiting

Cheng Wing-mui as Chuncao

Chan Hung-chun as Prefect Hu

Lui Hung-kwong as Lady Yang

Lai Yiu-wai as Wu Du (former) / Li Zhongqin (latter)

Wang Kit-ching as Li Banyue

Yat Dim-hung as Wang Shoubei

Leung Fei-tung as Qiuhua

In Cantonese

Chuncao breaks into the Trial Court

Playwright: Law Ka-ying

The Prime Minister’s daughter Li Banyue, accompanied by her maid, Chuncao, goes to Huashan on an incense-offering pilgrimage.  She is harassed by Wu Du, son of the Minister of Civil Service.  A chivalrous young man, Xue Meiting, happens to pass by and comes to their rescue.  He kills Wu by accident and is taken into custody and sent to the yamen.  Lady Yang, Minister Wu’s wife, tries to force Prefect Hu to flog Xue to death to avenge her son’s death.  In a desperate attempt to save him, Chuncao barges into the courtroom, and lies that Xue is the Prime Minister’s son-in-law.  Prefect Hu dares not enforce the flogging, to the chagrin of Lady Yang.  But he insists to go to the Prime Minister’s Residence to confirm.  At first Chuncao tries to pull wool over his eyes by saying the slow-witted maid, Qiuhua, is her mistress and the Prime Minister’s daughter, but the lie is soon discovered.  She persuades Banyue to acknowledge Xue as her husband.  The two then go to the capital to explain the case to the Prime Minister.  But he flies into a rage and writes a letter to instruct Hu to deliver Xue’s head to the capital instead.  Chuncao plays a trick to detain the official messenger, and asks Banyue to change the content of the letter before it is delivered.  On receipt of it, the sycophantic Prefect Hu is more than happy to make a big fanfare out of it and give Xue a rousing send-off to the capital.  The procession rattles the capital and all officials send gifts and congratulations.  Even the Emperor bestows a plaque to mark the happy occasion.  Prime Minister Li cannot but accept Xue as his son-in-law.

Loong Koon-tin as Xue Meiting

Cheng Wing-mui as Chuncao

Chan Hung-chun as Prefect Hu

Lui Hung-kwong as Lady Yang

Lai Yiu-wai as Wu Du (former) / Li Zhongqin (latter)

Wang Kit-ching as Li Banyue

Yat Dim-hung as Wang Shoubei

Leung Fei-tung as Qiuhua

Information provided by the arts group

The programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Please refer to Chinese version.