“I had an intuition that I had to do this.” Some refer to such a feeling as a calling, but for 26-year-old LEUNG Fei-tung, our Chinese and History alumni, Cantonese opera turned out to be everything she has ever wanted.

“I remember my dad turning on a TV channel that plays Cantonese opera every Sunday morning, and I would watch it with him. When I was in Primary 5, there was the return of Chor Fung Ming Cantonese Opera Troupe. The channel ran an interview and I watched it. There were some clips of the performance and it was very captivating,” Leung remembers. “It was a time when YouTube had just launched, and I began looking up Cantonese opera-related videos. From there on, I got more exposed to Cantonese opera. The more I watched it, the more interested I became. When I entered my fifth year of secondary school, I had the opportunity to kick off my education in Cantonese opera at The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong.”

Embracing All Aspects of the Performance Art
From Leung’s very first day in a classroom of less than a dozen new students, her teachers immediately noticed her hardworking and passionate attitude towards her career goal. Leung says, “I just wanted to enjoy every moment I had in the class.”

Over the course of four years, every weekend, Leung learnt about every aspect of Cantonese opera-from acrobatics and choreography to costume and make-up, as well as the stories, and worked on her own interpretations and expressions for each performance. For further and specific study, Leung had later attended private classes accordingly. She studied posture and singing under WANG Huiling, CHOW Chun-bong and YANG Lihong, who are veterans in their field.

Leung graduated from the academy in 2015 with a certificate of merit for her studies focusing on dan (female roles). Driven by her interest to explore more about the fascinating Chinese culture, she then obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Culture and Heritage Management at CityU’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in 2017.

Chasing the Dream Despite Hiccups and Accidents
Cantonese opera might not seem like an obvious career choice for a teenager, but Leung was adamant about becoming a professional performer. Her parents showed support very early on but had one condition: “My dad wanted me to complete my university studies before getting into the Cantonese opera industry. So I worked really hard.” She chose to study culture and heritage because it seems relevant to Cantonese opera, but her pursuit of knowledge did not stop when she received the bachelor’s degree. She further pursued a master’s degree in Cultural Management and an advanced diploma in Cantonese Opera Performance.

Like any young adult, Leung had her concerns about making a living in Cantonese opera. It came to a head when she broke her arm in the first half of 2015, during a rehearsal session of the graduation performance. “I was so worried about my career. I was 20 and injured at a young age. How could I continue?” She also only had two and a half months to heal before going on the stage, which she managed to pull off. “My teachers were very surprised. They said, ‘You didn’t look like you broke your arm!’ To me it felt like a sign that this was what I was meant to do. It felt like a test of how much I really wanted it. This injury helped me realise that I really love Cantonese opera.”

Promoting Cantonese Opera as a Form of Chinese Culture
Cantonese opera, or yueju, was added to Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. The first theatre to host these performances in Hong Kong was Astor Theatre in Sheung Wan in 1890. Between 1900 and 1920, new venues like Sing Ping Theatre, Ko Sing Theatre and Chung Hing Theatre became permanent sites for productions, cementing Cantonese opera in Hong Kong’s cultural landscape.

Old-time stars like YAM Kim-fai (1913-1989) and Sun Ma Si-tsang (1916-1997) were instrumental in popularising this form of opera in Hong Kong. Cantonese opera legend PAK Suet-sin, who retired in 1969, remains active in developing the art in the city while helping emerging artists. Pak formed the Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe with Yam, and the pair co-starred in hit shows like Tale of the Purple Hairpin, Princess Chang Ping, Love in the Red Chamber and Dream in Peony Pavilion.

While Cantonese opera is a niche offering for a specific group, it can be challenging to adapt to a wider audience who do not understand the language.

“In a very general way, you need English subtitles for the foreign audience to understand what’s going on. Our opera has a lot of Chinese idioms. It’s all about Chinese stories that emphasise filial piety, togetherness and helping each other. The idea of togetherness is very strong in Chinese culture. It is a theme we could promote to the foreign audience. However, I am not one to support Cantonese opera performed in English as that would change what makes it unique.”

An Opportunity to Learn from Great Masters
Pursuing a dream is never easy, but Leung is grateful to have received guidance and support from many people. Pak was one of the instructors Leung had the good fortune to learn from. “I encountered so many experienced and sophisticated people, for example, Pak, CHAN Ho-kau, WAN Fei-yin, NG Mei-ying, and CHEUNG Wing-mui etc. They are all in the top rank of our industry. They are the great masters. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to learn from them. To have whole conversations with them. To ask about acting, why they perform their parts like that. And it really helped me think about my own acting.”

In 2019, Leung participated in the performance of The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom for the opening of the Xiqu Centre of the West Kowloon Cultural District under the guidance of Pak, who was the artistic director. A lot has changed about the way Leung performs since. “With the pandemic this year, it gives me the space and time to really think about my acting, my career and my own philosophy in performance.”

About returning to the stage in October 2020, she says, “I feel much different from the last time I stood on stage. I feel my energy is much stronger. I know what I’m supposed to do, and I have a closer connection with my roles after comprehensive study and preparation. It is my reward this year.”