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Telling stories about Shanghai
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The sensational 1920 murder of a high-class prostitute in old Shanghai will be retold as a pingtan show — storytelling to music — to attract a younger audience.
The city was transfixed by the plot by Yan Ruishen to strangle Wang Lianying, a socially prominent figure and his former lover, because she would not help him repay his debts from gambling and high living. He deceived her into thinking he was solvent and then took her — draped in jewels as usual — for a ride in a luxury auto borrowed from a friend.
This is one of the stories to be performed by the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe in a series of weekly performances featuring classic tales, modern takes on old stories, and new scripts. The new stories are about the history of Shanghai.
The first show is tomorrow night.
The aim is to appeal to a young audience with varied tastes.
Pingtan is a traditional art of storytelling to music, usually featuring a storyteller and a musician playing the pipa or lute. In the past, stories could go on for days and the audience was primarily elderly.
It originated 400 years ago around Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and was popular in tea houses and small theaters.
Pingtan is attracting a younger audience today, according to Gao Bowen, deputy director of the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe.
“We have adjusted our series repertoire to meet new requirements,” he says. “While elderly retired people could sit for days or a week to hear an entire legend, young people want shorter stories and modern, creative takes on old stories.”
Date: Saturday evenings September 7-December 28, 7:15pm
Venue: Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, Bldg 1, 860 Nanjing Rd W.
Tickets: 30-100 yuan
Tel: 6256-3325
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