Diving deep into history and reinterpreting classics

The four stories presented this time are Guan Yu Escorts his Sisters-in-law Home on a Thousand-mile Journey, Gou Jian Prepares to Avenge the Nation, Mencius' Mother Admonishes Her Son and Su Wu Tends the Sheep. Producer Annie Chow says: "The plots are trimmed, but key scenes that bring out the themes of loyalty, etiquette, righteousness and shame are nonetheless vividly depicted," says producer Annie Chow. She believes that short plays are more likely to appeal to those new to Cantonese opera, hopefully widening the audience base.

It's not easy to present such long-established stories in a reduced format, but Kim Lun, playwright of Story of Righteousness—Guan Yu Escorts his Sisters-in-law Home on a Thousand-mile Journey, believes the essence of each story can be conveyed in a concise manner. The part of the programme he wrote is based on a renowned story from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which Guan Yu insists on escorting the wives of Liu Bei home on a long journey despite the various enticements offered for him to stay at his camp. Kim Lun states that in traditional Chinese opera, the hongsheng role (a scholar with a red face) belongs to a unique division, and is used to play red-faced characters such as Guan Yu or xusheng usheng (an elderly male character) with strong fighting skills. Actors playing this role have to wear a specific costume and perform a certain way, which is referred to as guan gong xi (play of Guan Yu) or lao ye xi (play of father-in-law). For this play, the role of Guan Yu is performed by Ng Kwok-wa, who has also previously played guan gong xi roles, allowing younger actors to witness how he meticulously handles the character.