Veteran star gives new life to Huangmei Opera

Wu Qiong plays in Nu Fu Ma (Emperor's Female Son-in-Law). Photo provided to China Daily

At 52, Wu Qiong has established herself as one of the country's most famous actresses in Huangmei Opera. While many of her generation's actors have abandoned the "outdated and old" art form－that originated from Huangmei county, Hubei province, in the 18th century and also became popular in neighboring Anhui and Jiangxi provinces－she likes to push the edges of traditional theater and reach out to audiences with her modern sensibilities.

She recently announced in Beijing that she will challenge herself by performing six differently styled Huangmei Opera repertoires, including three of the most classic works, Tian Xian Pei (A Goddess' Marriage), Nu Fu Ma (Emperor's Female Son-in-Law) and Hong Luo Pa (Red Handkerchief), at the capital's Chang'an Grand Theater from Dec 23 to 28.

"I have never performed six different shows on six continuous nights before. Some of the roles I haven't played for years, such as a 17-year-old fairy in Tian Xian Pei. But I know I have to do it," says the big-eyed actress, who calls the six shows a retrospective showcase of her decades-long career. "Unlike Peking Opera, Huangmei Opera doesn't have a large fan base in Beijing, which means there is no market. But if I don't do it, no one would do it and then the audiences will not have a chance to watch Huangmei Opera."

Huangmei Opera was originally a combination of local folk songs, dances and ancient operas, a mix Wu describes as "pop music" among traditional Chinese operas. Unlike Peking Opera, which is grand and sophisticated, Huangmei Opera was easy to understand and learn. Wu also says that unlike Peking Opera, which has a clear history and has some famous artists, such as Mei Lanfang, Huangmei Opera doesn't have many star performers and its origin is unclear.

Born and raised in Wuhu city, Anhui province, Wu started learning Huangmei Opera at the age of 15 at the provincial arts school in 1975. After five years of training, she and four other young actresses were dubbed the "best five" of Huangmei Opera in China. However, like many of her peers, Wu abandoned the art form in 1992 because such local operas were losing their audiences.