Jin Lian

Synopsis

A fresh take on a classic tale – and a classic art form

Pan Jin Lian is the notorious femme fatale of classic Chinese literature: once a cautionary archetype of lust and greed, now a sympathetic figure navigating the consequences of patriarchal coercion.

As a maid in a wealthy household, Pan Jin Lian rejected the advances of her employer and, in retaliation, was married off to a street vendor with dwarfism. Now in the prime of her life, her dreams of romantic marriage crushed, she meets the dashing and upstanding Wu Song, igniting hope that fate has granted her a second chance. In the month that follows, Pan Jin Lian is swept away by her longing for a different life, pulling her ever-nearer towards drastic action. On a snowy day, she sets the table to meet Wu Song and face her day of reckoning...

Taking inspiration from its complex protagonist, Jin Lian breaks with convention and complicates what’s expected of it – both in the medium of Cantonese opera and in the story’s message. In an intimate small space, with audience seated on three sides of the stage, the character of Pan Jin Lian breaks the fourth wall both physically and metaphysically: she wanders across the stage and into the audience, revealing her complex life circumstances through dreams, stream of consciousness, flashbacks, and interludes.

A break from tradition in both storytelling and format, Jin Lian is the spark to ignite deep philosophical questions about morality and human nature – and, hopefully, a deeper exploration of Cantonese opera and its contemporary possibilities.

Artistic Consultant: Zhang Manjun, Wang Shaojun
Playwright: Chen Yunsheng
Director: Hu Jiawei
Cantonese opera adaptation: Chen Jinrong

About the Artist

Duan Drama Studio

Founded in 2020 by renowned Cantonese opera performer Jiang Wenduan, Duan Drama Studio is dedicated to the continued development of the Cantonese opera art form and its dissemination. Its black box production of Jin Lian premiered in the year of its founding, attracting both veteran fans and a new generation of young people unfamiliar with the art form. Duan Drama Studio is both reverential to the traditions of Cantonese opera and grounded in contemporary life. Its productions blend modern artistic concepts and aesthetic pursuits into the ancient expressive formats of Cantonese opera. Through its efforts, the studio hopes to see classical Cantonese opera enter a modern context, integrating itself into both popular aesthetics and the modern market.

Jiang Wenduan (Lead Actor)

Jiang Wenduan is a renowned Cantonese opera artist, a National First-Class Performer, a recipient of the Plum Blossom Award, an expert of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and artistic director of the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theatre.

Her representative works include the Cantonese operas The Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat, The Fragrant Dream of the Tang Palace, The Storm in the Mountain Village, Dongpo and Chaoyun, Guanyin's Love for Weituo, and The Beauty of the Nation. In television, she has appeared on The Kiss of Evil, The Serious Case, Love on the Land, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, and Criminal Investigation Files.

Known for her beautiful appearance, delicate acting, sincere emotions, and melodious singing voice, Jiang is hailed as one of the most well-known performers in the Cantonese opera world today.

Li Weicong (Lead Actor)

Li Weicong represents a new generation of male leads at the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre, performing both civil and military roles. He apprenticed with the renowned Cantonese opera performer Chen Xiaohan and Peking opera performer Zhang Shijie.

Now a National Second-Class Performer, Li has won numerous awards, including the National Drama Culture Award for Performance (Gold Award), the 9th Guangdong Provincial Drama Youth Performing Arts Competition (Gold Award), and the 4th Guangzhou Municipal Drama Youth Performing Arts Competition (Gold Award).

His representative works include Cantonese operas such as Qingshui Riverbank, Three Times Angering Zhou Yu, The Heroic Thief and the Top Scholar, Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang), The Story of the Flower Letter, The Mandarin Duck Swords, and Zhong Kui.

Remarks

1. Free seating.
2. You are recommended to arrive 15 minutes before the event starts. Latecomers will be admitted at appropriate times.
3. Student Pass holders may queue on-site for available seats.
4. Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. HKPAX reserves the right to final decision regarding programme arrangements.