Thank you for watching Startup of Wusheng. You’re most welcome to leave your comments in the online questionnaire.
This project is funded under the Arts Technology Funding Pilot Scheme by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
I’ve been trying to ferret out the origin and legacy of wusheng (martial male lead) roles in xiqu (Chinese traditional opera). I had a rather early exposure to wuxia novels (a genre of Chinese martial arts fiction that extols warriors’ chivalry), then it came the fad for martial arts action films. My search continues with cultures in the actual martials arts world. Places and events described in wuxia novels and martial arts action films often corresponded to our history and geography curricula when I was at school. For instance, it rang a bell when Mount Hua, the Wudang Mountains, the Jingkang Incident (a siege of Kaifeng by Jurchen-steppe in 1126-1127 and with it took the Song emperor) and the Yangzhou massacre (the siege of Yangzhou in 1645 where Manchu slaughtered thousands of inhabitants and defenders of Yangzhou) were mentioned.
To get to the bottom of things makes the basis of education, yet our educational system is making so little progress. Never have “learning through questioning ” and creative “thinking” been part of the curricula and educational content for teaching and learning. Wuxia novels and martials arts action films are therefore reduced to mere sensational stories to be read after school. Only until we got acquainted with wusheng, martials roles, in Chinese traditional xiqu theatre, when the body languages of xiqu artists and their stunts are played out on stage, martial arts no longer rely on visual tricks or imagination. The experience of these martial roles, either in life or in theatre, are transformed into a grand narrative composed of actions and movements.
So we must ask: where these wusheng, martial roles, come from, as if we wonder how xiqu originated. Then we ask questions – where the structure of theatre begins; how theatrical arts find its place in the society. Our fascination with wusheng is as important as our interest in xiqu and its history. While we are deconstructing theatres of the past and present, we are constantly trying to get to the bottom of it and exploring the relationship between the stage and the society. If we look at how wusheng grows under vigorous training in the cultures of their theatre; how they relate themselves with other wusheng and performers; how they look at the relationship between theatres and films, and how they actualise themselves as wusheng in today’s society. These questions should be of concern to us all. Perhaps through mutual learning, this experience of working on Startup of Wusheng will allow us to see the light, draw one another closer, and understand each other’s positioning from a different vantage point.
About twenty years ago, I named one of my theatrical works Meeting of the Gods (2005), that responded to my earlier work – Book of Ghosts (1996). When Yuan Dynasty dramatist Zhong Sicheng wrote Lu Gui Bu (Book of Ghosts), performing artists back then belonged to the underclass, whose existence was in some ways analogous to ghosts. Ghosts, formless but ever-present, with their erratic conduct were intimidating. Book of Ghosts was an inside joke among our friends in the arts field. Years later, with Startup of Wusheng as a continuation of the Meeting of the Gods series, we mock ourselves today as artists, as if we are (dis)claiming we have been promoted from ghosts to gods. Whether performing artists are ghosts or gods is in fact a question to self and only artists are answerable to themselves.
Gathering artist, other than to act in accordance with the prevailing business model, means much more than the form of an assembly. More importantly, provided that the artists involved can carry out cross-disciplinary, cross-regional and cross-cultural exchanges, we should always be on the lookout for space and time to establish platforms for (co-)creation, engagements, and open and fair dialogues that enable the dialectical method. By then, whether we are ‘ghosts’ or ‘gods’ is then no longer a matter of concern.
The Meeting of Gods – Startup of Wusheng borrowed the two wusheng repertoire excerpts from traditional xiqu as a footnote on times of chaos. We reflect upon two characters from different end times: Shi Kefa from the Southern Ming dynasty and Gao Chong from the Southern Song dynasty; both sacrifice themselves on the battlefield, respectively, are the leads of the excerpts Drowning and The Outcast General.
Enraged, Gao Chong reached the summit and looked back down on the crooked traces he left at the front. In his armour dipped in blood, blood of his own and blood of his foes, he cried, Gao Chong, oh Gao Chong! He knew he had come to the end. As the breeze continued to sweep through the woods, he knew that the world no longer had a place for him. And yet the breeze keeps sweeping, sweeping away.
Devastated, Shi Kefa stood by the river and his gaze riveted on the waters as if watching his entire life got carried away. Recollecting he was once at the front covered in blood, blood of his own and blood of his foes, he cried, Shi Kefa, oh Shi Kefa! While he was standing by the river, the waters flickered. He felt his reflection and knew it was vanishing from this world, vanishing into the shimmering waters.
Apart from the perspective and angle, is there a difference between sitting here or sitting there?
Actually, my understanding of him was initially superficial.
Actually, I have always had many doubts about his history.
Apart from the challenges of direction and visibility, is there a difference between facing or turning away from the crowd?
Actually, my understanding of his mythology was initially quite intricate.
Actually, I have always resisted accepting his decisiveness.
Apart from the challenges of direction and visibility, is there a difference between facing or turning away from the crowd?
Artistic Director, Director & Designer: Danny Yung
Xiqu Advisor / Consultant: Zhou Long, Ke Jun
Assistant Artistic Director: Cedric Chan
Contemporary Performing Artists: Liu Xiaoyi, Makoto Matsushima
Young Wusheng / Performers: Ren Jiale, Yang Yang (Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kunqu Troupe), Martin Choy
Folk Arts (Acrobatics) Performer: Kang Boneng
Music / Sound Design: Steve Hui (aka Nerve)
Video Design: Wing Chan
Digital Image Researcher: Juai Ka Ming Edison
Artistic Coordinator: Chuk Yin Man
Production & Technical Manager: Chow Chun-yin
Technical Advisor, Light Design: Mak Kwok-fai
3D Modeling and Set Production: Carmen Cheng
Light Design: Zoe Cheung
Sound Design: Law Kwok Ho
Server Base Control System: Johnny Sze
Costume Design: Beijing Jing Ya Art Studio Stage
Costume Company, Twinny Cheng
Structural Engineer, Installation Executive Designer (Front of House): Liu Si
Stage Manager: Onki Chan
Deputy Stage Manager: Zeta Chan
Sound Operator: Chan Tin-yau
Light operator: Wong Ka Ki
Wardrobe: Bonnie Chan
Stage crew: Leung Chi-hang, Wong Sai-tsun Christopher
Interns: Garrick Ton
Key Visual: Lee Ken-tsai
Graphic Design for Promotion: Coco Cheung
Copywriting for Promotion: Seamus Li
Translation for Promotion: Mona Chu
Video documentation: Lin Kar Ming
Photography: Yvonne Chan, Apple Lai, Vic Shing
Promotion Video: Ricky Cheng
Coding: Cordex Intelligence Limited (Frankie Pang, Derek Tsang, Ronald Shea, Tiffany Leung)
Graphic Design for User interface: Alva Lam
Research: Chuk Yin Man, Zachary Pink Yung
International Exchange Director / Producer: Wong Yuewai
General Manager (Administration and Finance): Jacky Chan
General Manager (Programme): Doris Kan
Senior Manager (Programme): Ho Yin-hei
Project Coordinator: Bowie Chow
PR & Publicity: Luka Wong
Creative Assistant: Chloe Li
Programme Assistant: Niki Luk
Programme and Graphic Design Assistant: Carol Mak
Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kunqu Troupe
Mr Shi Xia-ming
Aphros Studio
Wing Kei Flower Store (HK) Ltd
The tragedy of birth, the birth of tragedy.
A theatrical work probing into the relationship between Nietzsche and Wagner, which was like a love affair between philosophy and art. Their relationship will be deconstructed by disengaging viewpoints from the subject, and immersing in actions evolving from a multitude of interchangeable, mutually understood concepts. What was born out of the death of faith?
2024.7.19-20 (Fri-Sat) 8:15pm
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Tickets available now