The ritualised combat is illustrated by the symbolism of the costumes, the flags sprouting from the performers’ backs proving no impediment to dexterity as they wield giant lances.īamboo Forest Strategy introduces the familiar trope of the cross-dressing woman warrior and the stock character of the martial dan. ‘A Duel with Ma Chao’ sees the two generals from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) fighting until they become friends. Pan Yuejiao in Bamboo Forest Strategy Photo Quan Van Truong “Three minutes on stage equals ten years of study” is a maxim that many classical dancers would recognise.

Both have extraordinary range and, as we were reminded by the introduction, have pursued decades of study to perfect the art.

It was slightly surreal to see the dapper, neatly besuited Yu sing the highly stylised forms as if he had just burst into song in the middle of a business meeting. That was followed by solos in concert dress by senior company members Yu Kuizhi (于魁智) and Li Shengsu (李勝素). It does not need an expert knowledge of the instrument to appreciate the many technical challenges that were masterfully executed. The evening opened with jinghu player Wei Wei (魏蔚) playing In the Deep of the Night, providing an overture and an introduction to one of the musical forms that accompany the genre. Whatever, it was a superb taster for the art form. While the China National Peking Opera’s (中國國家京劇院) gala saw no such clash of cultures here, that might be an apt description of the evening or perhaps it was dim sum.

I was once invited to a restaurant in Canada to enjoy a ‘Chinese smorgasbord’.

Stock characters peking opera