A phenomenal Kunqu opera starring Japan's Kabuki master and reflecting the quintessential beauty of classical theatre

In this rare theatrical event, Bando Tamasaburo, Japan's most celebrated onnagata (an actor who specialises in female roles), performs with the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Province in an epic staging of Tang Xianzu's Ming Dynasty classic, The Peony Pavilion, one of the most famous examples of Kunqu opera, "the mother of all Chinese operatic genres".

Bando Tamasaburo is an iconic figure on the Kabuki stage in Japan today, and has gained worldwide renown for his performances. His grandfather, Kanya Morita XIII, performed with the legendary Mei Lanfang in Beijing in 1926. In the 1980s, Bando Tamasaburo learned the Peking Opera, The Drunken Royal Concubine, from Mei's son Mei Baojiu. He then applied Peking Opera technique to the Kabuki work Emperor Ming and Lady Yang. In 2007, he began studying the role of Du Liniang, the female lead in The Peony Pavilion, with a number of famous Kunqu opera artists. While following Kunqu tradition, Bando Tamasaburo succeeded in externalising the classic heroine's inner emotions with a feeling that transcends cognition, a quality that typifies Japanese theatre.

This production features seven scenes from the original play, tracing Du Liniang's quest for love in the world of the living as well as the dead. The mesmerising Sino-Japanese collaboration featuring Bando Tamasaburo's skilful and delicate interpretation of Du won critical acclaim in both China and Japan. For this festival, Bando Tamasaburo is joined by outstanding young performer Yu Jiulin. An unforgettable theatrical experience that should take Hong Kong by storm.

Chief Director / Main Cast: Bando Tamasaburo
Bando Tamasaburo, one of the "Living National Treasures" of Japan, first appeared on the Kabuki stage at the age of seven. With a career spanning more than five decades, he is a celebrated onnagata in Kabuki, and was described as a "miracle" by the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Bando Tamasaburo has won international acclaim with his touring performances in the West. Apart from Kabuki, he has also been actively engaged in new artistic ventures, such as choreography in a dance production with Maurice Béjart and Mikhail Baryshnikov, directing and starring in the production The Sun Goddess with Japanese taiko drum group, Kodo, and a film with Yo-Yo Ma called Inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach's "Suite No.5 for Unaccompanied Cello — Struggle for Hope".

The excerpts include
Wandering in the Garden
The Interrupted Dream‧The Flower Fairies
The Portrait
The Soul Departs
Calling Upon the Picture
The Phantom Union
The Return to Life

Performers: Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Province

Production: Beijing MENGHUATINGYUAN Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Acknowledgements
Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong

Supported by
China International Culture Association

Photo: 岡本隆史