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Opera series brings Monkey King to life
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WITH its high-flying antics and vivid martial-arts, the story of the Monkey King was once standard fare among the country’s Peking Opera troupes. These days though, few performers have the chops to portray the legendary simian made famous by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel “Journey to the West.”
Fortunately, a series of performances happening this year in Shanghai will offer local audiences a rare chance to see an authentic Peking Opera rendering of this timeless story.
The shows are organized by the Shanghai Peking Opera Company and star Yan Qinggu, 46, one of the last active disciples of the Zheng School of Peking Opera.
This school follows the vocal, acting and martial-arts techniques created by opera master Zheng Faxiang.
In the 1930s, Zheng rose to stardom after a wealthy entrepreneur commissioned him to star as the Monkey King in a series of performances. Altogether, over 40 plays were completed and staged. Along the way, Zheng earned wide acclaim for his innovative take on the stories’ folkloric hero.
“Zheng’s portrayal of the character boasts a certain dignity, power and grandeur,” Yan says. “He spent a lot of time observing the movements and habits of primates at zoo. His shows turned out to be hits at the time and audiences were also amazed at the artist’s stunning martial arts.”
Having studied the example set by Zheng for three decades, Yan says he has his own interpretation of this heroic ape, who also goes by the name of Sun Wukong.
“I think the role is a fascinating combination of power and cuteness,” he adds. “When fighting evil, he is brave, strong and determined. But when he’s allured by a peach, the hero just becomes a cute and naughty monkey.”
Yan is also active behind the scenes in the ongoing series. Aside from being its producer, he is also engaged in its marketing, promotion and merchandising. The actor and his team have already designed notebooks, T-shirts and reusable bags with the Peking Opera Monkey King image.
Since the Monkey King story is so well known in China — and is even starting to get attention overseas thanks to recent blockbuster movie adaptations — Yan hopes the show will develop into a cultural brand in its own right.
“The Monkey King is just like China’s own superhero, like Superman or Batman,” Yan says with a grin. “People across generations have an obsession with the character’s strength and sense of justice.”
The first installment of the series was staged on January 1 and focused on Sun’s fight with the forces of heaven. Tickets were sold out a month in advance.
On May 14 and 15, Yan will present the second installment; about Sun’s growth after being tamed and jailed by Buddha at the bottom of a mountain for 500 years. Shows in September and December will center on the hero’s efforts to escort Buddhist monk Xuanzang as he transports Buddhist sutras from India to China.
In addition to the Monkey King, Yan is also adept at depicting chou (male clown roles) and is a superb martial artist.
Yan has a master’s degree from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and is a silver-medal winner from the National TV Contest of Young Peking Opera Performers.
Among the younger generation of Peking Opera students, Yan worries that too few of them are learning martial-arts skills, which were once seen as a critical part of an actor’s training.
“There are no short-cuts to success for a martial-arts performer, no matter how tough and time-consuming the training is,” Yan says. “It takes a Peking Opera actor at least 10 years to learn basic martial arts skills and he must exercise every day, often while enduring pains throughout his entire body.”
Like many of Peking Opera’s middle-aged stars though, Yan is also working to bring fresh talent into this traditional field.
“We need to foster young enthusiasts. We should work on productions which mix traditional stories and fashionable modern elements.”
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