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

To attract spectators, Sit and Ma hired script-writers to continuously produce new
materials. Western instruments such as the saxophone, violin, cello, jazz drum, and guitar were
also introduced into the orchestra. Wong Toa, who had been an apprentice in the Red Boat, was
hired as a musician playing je wu (a string instrument) in the Ma’s Tai Ping Troupe. He recalled
fa dan Tam Lan Hing (1908-1981) was called siu kuk wong (queen of siu kuk). 137 Many new
songs were composed for Tam to sing in the new productions. Wong also remembered the night
audience loudly demanded its money back for tickets paid when jazz drums replaced the Chinese
drums, and when other Western instruments were used in the opera. 138 The Japanese occupation
in 1941 did not stop staging these operas. In fact, the Japanese encouraged entertainment in
order to promote a peaceful atmosphere. Because of fear of being used as tools for propaganda
of the Japanese, both Sit and Ma fled to China from Hong Kong.
All-female troupes in Cantonese opera started in the first decade of 1910s after the
Republic was born. The 1920s and 30s were flourishing years for these all-female troupes. As
audiences accepted these troupes, many women became famous. The Four Main Female
Troupes were among the many female troupes. Department store roof gardens, such as the Dai
Sun Department Store in Guangzhou, were venues for performances; some could accommodate
over a thousand people. 139 Yum Gim Fai and Tam Lan Hing performed on these roof gardens.
One reason for the flourishing of female troupes was their novelty. People had been watching
male performers before female troupes started. Females were better at expressing feelings and
their fresh and pretty looks were accepted by people, especially male audiences. The Tai Ping
137
Tam was a comedian in many movies the 1950s
138
Telephone interview March 2, 2010.
139
Wan, 376.
64