AS we approach the Lunar New Year, KL audiences will be treated to a special performance of Teochew Puppetry by renowned master puppeteer Ling Goh and her troupe.
On January 15, Malam Pusaka di Ruang Kota presents 'Princess Baihua Bestows Her Sword' by Teochew Puppet and Opera House of Penang. The performance will take place at Black Box, Publika, Solaris Dutamas. The performance will be in Teochew with English subtitles.
Malam Pusaka di Ruang Kota is a series of cultural evenings featuring performances by masters of living traditions from throughout Malaysia, organised by Pusaka with the support of Cendana.
The Teochew Puppetry tradition is a distinct and increasingly rare form of puppetry that narrates folk tales and legends through a skilful play of steel-rod marionette puppets. It is a more traditional and challenging form of opera, requiring fast and fluid animation of puppets to imitate human-like gestures.
Performance details: Malam Pusaka presents Princess Baihua Bestows Her Sword by Teochew Puppet and Opera House
Date: Saturday, January 15, 2022
Time: 8.30-9.30pm
Venue: Black Box, Publika, Solaris Dutamas, KL
Free entry. Registration required for physical attendance only:
https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/malam-pusaka-di-ruang-kota-tickets-239769154997
Princess Baihua Bestows Her Sword
The opera tells a classic Chinese tale about sacrifice and vengeance in the Yuan Dynasty when King Ngee Liak plotted a rebellion, and the imperial court sent Haijun to infiltrate the King's palace to spy on His Majesty.
King Ngee Liak was unaware of this spy case incident and instead appointed Haijun as the Prefectural Official in Charge of the Western Prefecture. However, Haijun was being suspected by Caiying, the Lord Steward of the King’s palace.
The latter set up a trap and got the former drunk. The former’s body was then placed inside Princess Baihua’s tent. Caiying wanted to kill Haijun by the hand of the Princess. Unexpectedly, Jiang Huayun, the Princess’s maid was Haijun's long-lost sister, and thus she took cover.
When Princess Baihua returned to her tent from her training and found this handsome young man, she cannot help herself but fell in love with him. She gave Haijun her sword as a token of love.
Then, the Princess assisted her father in raising an army, but due to being spied by Haijun, they lost the battle. Princess Baihua avenged her father by using the sword.
Workshop-talk
There will also be a workshop-talk before the performance at 3pm. In this workshop-talk, Master Puppeteer Ling Goh introduces the Teochew Puppetry tradition and takes us through the origins, aesthetics, repertoire and techniques of this fascinating cultural practice.
Master Puppeteer Ling Goh and Teochew Puppet and Opera House
Ling Goh is the founder and director of Teochew Puppet and Opera House. Her mother, Toh Ai Hwa, established Kim Giak Low Choon Puppet Troupe in 1989, and in 2008 was recognised as a Living Heritage Treasure by the Penang Heritage Trust.
Descended from an unbroken line of opera performers stretching back into the 19th-century, Ling had been exposed from the womb to an environment steeped in rich operatic tradition.
Under the tutelage of experts, she has mastered the intricacies of iron-rod puppet manipulation as well as the nuances of each prominent archetype in Teochew opera. She is also adept in opera singing and is proficient in various opera instruments, such as drums and the dulcimer. – The Vibes, January 10, 2022
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