3-5 June 2011 (Fri-Sun) 7:30pm
5 June 2011 (Sun) 2:30pm
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Tickets: $450, 350, 250, 180, 100

Main cast: Lung Koon-tin, Nam Fung, Yau Sing-po, Chan Hung-chun, Liu Kwok-sum, Ko Lai, Wan Yuk-yu

Lyrics and dialogue with Chinese and English surtitles

Fredric Mao
To many devout fans of Cantonese Opera, The Last Emperor of Southern Tang holds a special meaning for them.  This has a lot to do with the sentimental value attached to the 1968 film, The Tragedy of the Poet King, starring the legendary Yam Kim-fai and Pak Suet-sin.  It was a gargantuan feat indeed to make a film of that scale in Hong Kong back in the 1960’s, and Ms Pak, who was also executive producer, displayed truly admirable spirit, courage and vision in making it a reality.  All those who have seen the film would find it unforgettable.  When Mr. Yip Shiu-tak wrote a new libretto for the opera stage, the legendary work was given a new lease of life.  But what was interesting was that not many Cantonese operatic troupes have staged it, therefore, its rare staging has added to its drawing power.

When the Leisure and Cultural Services Department invited me to stage a Cantonese opera production for the Chinese Opera Festival 2011, the first title that came to my mind was The Last Emperor of Southern Tang, simply because it is both a familiar work for the audience and yet not so familiar on the theatre stage, and I was fascinated by the idea of reinventing it.  Also, with Lung Koon-tin and Nam Fung consenting to star in this production, I am even more eager to make it a revival and a renewal of a legacy.

The present production will be a challenge to the whole team in many ways, for this I am sure.  First of all, I need to adapt the narrative mode of the play, whether in terms of content or flow, so as to bring traditional Chinese theatre closer to the audience of today.  Secondly, it will be a marriage of the characteristics of traditional Chinese opera and modern theatre.  As we all know, blending the old and the new has never been easy, but I think it is worth exploring.  Lastly, I also look forward to more explorative attempts on the part of the actors in character portrayal: while they would be giving due respect to the artistic conventions, they should be uncovering the humanism and psychological depths of the characters so that this new version of The Last Emperor of Southern Tang would be a new experience for the audience today.

This is a story about Li Yu, the sixth son of Emperor Li Jing of Southern Tang, who was the most accomplished poet of his time, but his destiny was one of many vicissitudes.

After Emperor Li Jing abdicates, his sons set upon one another in lethal rivalry, with Li Yu eventually ascending the throne under duress. He is depressed by the memories of his dead wife and the sibling rivalry, and worried about the constant threat from the Song Empire. Senior minister Chen Qiao remonstrates with the Emperor to re-marry and to revive his fighting spirit. Touched by the devotion shown to him by Chen’s niece, the Emperor proclaims her his royal consort.

Minister Xu Xuan reports to Li Yu that his brother, Duke of Zheng, has surrendered to the Song, while the latter is always putting pressure to bear on Li to surrender.  The Song Emperor even has Li Yu believe that General Lin Renzhao is turning against him, resulting in Lin being stripped of all his military power. Lin takes his own life to prove his loyalty, leaving the Southern Tang regime short of a much respected general and the soldiers demoralised.

On Li Yu’s birthday, while the entire court celebrates, the Song army descends upon Jinling, the capital. Empress Zhou convinces Li to lead the army himself to defend the kingdom. The army and the people strive to hold out in the capital for several months before it finally succumbs. Li and Zhou are about to immolate themselves, when they are stopped by General Cao Bin of Song. Li does not want to see his people suffer further from the devastations of war, and chooses to travel to Song to submit his surrender. The play ends with the Emperor, his royal consort and their retinue set off on the heartbreaking journey of surrender amidst the songs of farewell sung by the court musicians.

Running Time: Approx. 2 hrs 30 mins with an intermission

Fredric Mao
Fredric Mao obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from the University of Iowa, and launched his acting/directing career with professional theatre companies in the States. When the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts was established in 1985, Mao joined its School of Drama as Head of Acting, responsible for training up a new generation of local talents. Mao was the Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre from 2001 to 2008, and his many productions of the 'unique flavor' of Hong Kong received not only great applause from local audience but also with resounding success when they toured to Mainland China and abroad. His famous productions include Love in a Fallen City, Red Boat, The Girl Who Turned the World Upside Down, Sweet & Sour Hong Kong, Secret Resurrection, etc. Mao introduced his latest production The Liaisons at the 2010 Hong Kong Arts Festival with great success, and later performed in Shanghai and Beijing winning critical acclaim. Mao is the founder/director of Performing Arts Asia, a non-profit organization focus on the research and practice of performing arts.

Lung Koon-tin
Lung Koon-tin received training in both ‘civil’ and ‘military’ skills of Chinese operatic arts from famous artists. He staged highly successful productions over the years before picking up the dramaturge role and created many critically acclaimed plays. A versatile artist who performs not only on the traditional theatre stage, Lung has also appeared in the drama productions as well as television drama series.

Nam Fung
Nam Fung learned vocalization under Wong Yuet-sang and received training in stylised movements from various maestros. She  joined the Chung San Sing Cantonese Opera Troupe in the 1980’s, in which she shared the stage with two Cantonese opera stars, Lam Ka-sing and Chan Ho-kau.  In 1994, she formally attained the status of a lead actress, and is acclaimed for her fine acting and insightful reading of the character of her roles.

Yau Sing-po
Yau Sing Po began his career in Cantonese opera at a young age. Under the influence of his father, Yau became a versatile artist through sheer hard work. He was presented with a Best Performing Artist Award (Chinese Opera) by the Hong Kong Artists’ Guild in 1992, and a Medal of Honour by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2009.  Yau has organized, presented and produced many shows receiving high acclaims, including his adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear in 2002 for the Cantonese operatic stage.

Chan Hung-chun
Chan developed a keen interest in the genre when he was a student, upon leaving school he enrolled in the Hon Fung Cantonese Opera Institute where he became a formal disciple of Leung Hon-wai, and he was also coached by veteran artists, acquiring a solid groundwork in the art form.

Liu Kwok-sum
Liu Kwok-sum was among the first batch of students of the Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong and continued to received training from famous coaches. He later joined the Chor Fung Ming Cantonese Opera Troupe, with which he toured the United States, Canada and many other countries.

Ko Lai
Trained under the Cantonese Opera diva, Fung Wong-nui, Ko Lai was second lead actress in the two Cantonese Opera troupes formed by Fung Wong-nui and Mak Bing-wing, two legendary stars in the genre. Known for her professionalism and diverse stage experience, Ko is a much sought-after artist who has appeared with many troupes in Hong Kong.

Wan Yuk-yu
Wan Yuk-yu developed a keen interest in Cantonese Opera when he was young, and was trained under the famous virtuoso, Chan Kok-fai.  He also received coaching from the leading actor, Law Kar-ying. In the last decade, he has been taking operatic troupes on tour before moving his base back to Hong Kong and performing young civil male roles in productions presented by various troupes.

20 May 2011 (Fri) 7:30pm
AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Speakers: Fredric Mao, Tsang Man-tung

11 June 2011 (Sat) 2:30pm
AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Speakers: Fredric Mao, Lung Koon-tin, Nam Fung

Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come-first-served basis.

4 June 2011 (Sat) 3:00pm
Backstage, Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Speaker: Tsang Man-tung

All students aged 12 and above who are interested in knowing more about Chinese traditional theatre are welcome. Participation is free by showing the ticket(s) bought for this production. Number of participants is limted to 40 and available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please register by providing your name in full, name of school, your contact number and email address to cp2@lcsd.gov.hk, under the subject of ‘Cantonese Opera The Last Emperor of Southern Tang – Behind the Scenes’.

Tickets will be available from 8 April onwards at all URBTIX outlets, on Internet and by credit card telephone booking

Half-price tickets available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (Limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come-first-served basis)
Group Booking Discount – 10% off for each purchase of 4-9 full-price tickets; 15% off for 10-19 full-price tickets; 20% off for 20 or more full-price tickets
"Chinese Opera Festival 2011” Package Discount – 10% off on full-price tickets for each purchase of 3-4 different performances; 15% off for 5-9 different performances; 20% off for 10 or more different performances

Patrons could enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase, please inform the box office staff at the time of purchase

Programme Enquiries: 2268 7325
Ticketing Enquiries & Reservations: 2734 9009
Credit Card Telephone Booking: 2111 5999
Internet Booking: www.urbtix.hk

The presenter reserves the right to substitute artists and change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary
The contents of this programme do not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department