RED BOAT TROUPES AND CANTONESE ... - University of Georgia

Chapter Six
Costume, Venues, and Remnants of Red Boat Culture
As the demand for Cantonese opera reached its peak in the 1920s and 1930s, some Red
Boat troupes that had worked in the estuary turned to performing at newly built modern theaters
in the two large cities of Hong Kong and Guangzhou. These troupes were called the saan kong
baan. 118 They performed and travelled between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Because more
transportation was available in the 1930s, railroad and steamboats helped to move performers
between the two cities. Troupes were able to take the early morning steamboat to Hong Kong
from Guangzhou and perform in the evening show. The second and third floor of some of these
theaters had beds that accommodated the performers. 119 These theaters were run by enterprises
that speculated on the demand of entertainment.
Cantonese opera today is elaborate in scene and costume. Enhanced with technology,
most shows today are an enjoyable evening experience. In Hong Kong, there is only one
commercial theater, the Sunbeam, which constantly performs (mostly Cantonese) opera. The
theatre stands on a valuable piece of land in a central location. For several years the owner of the
theater had tried to re-develop the site. If Hong Kong lost such a theater, there would be few
stages for performing opera. Concerned citizens and performers have fought to retain the
theatre.
118 Saan means capital (Guangzhou was the capital of the Guangdong Province); Kong referred to Hong Kong; ban
means troupe
119 Interview with Wong Toa
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