I went to watch Wu Opera at 7 Arts Theatre on last night (Monday October 12), without knowing which part of the evening I would enjoy most. By the end, I had my favourites. So did several people I spoke to and the dragon and puppet performances kept coming up.
Tonight is the final show. If you have been wondering whether Chinese opera is your kind of entertainment, I would say give this one a chance.
The opening dragon act was a great way to set the tone as we watched a creature take shape and act through the coordinated movement of human bodies. We could see the performers. We knew they were making it happen. But we all still watched the dragon perform and were wowed.
The drunk puppet show was another favourite. I will leave the details alone because some things are better encountered in the theatre than explained in an article. But it reminded me how much character and expression a skilled performer can draw from something that has no life of its own.
Before this turns into a list of everything you will see tonight, let me stop there. Part of the pleasure was discovering what came next.
Wu Opera, performed here by the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre, comes from Jinhua in eastern China and has a history of more than 500 years. That background matters, but you do not need to study it before taking your seat.
There is music, humour, movement and physical skill to appreciate even when the words are unfamiliar. I found plenty to enjoy without understanding every line. The costumes catch the eye, but it is the people wearing them who make the evening work.
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The final act, drawn from Journey to the West, was also good. It features the Monkey King, and that is as much of the story as I am giving away. Anyone going tonight deserves to let it unfold for themselves.
Monday’s performance was by invitation, with diplomatic representatives, corporate players, arts leadership and government officials among those attending. The formal remarks by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Tsitsi Gezi, and Minister-Counsellor and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, Tang Xiaoping, spoke to cultural exchange and friendship between Zimbabwe and China.
For me, that exchange happened most clearly during the performance. We were watching an art form some of us knew little about, then comparing favourite moments afterwards. The dragon and puppets had given us something to talk about beyond the official occasion.
I would be curious to hear whether tonight’s audience chooses the same favourites. Perhaps another act will do it for you.
The final Harare performance is tonight, October 13. If you can make it, go and find out. I have deliberately left you a few surprises.
Tickets: tikiti.co.zw — look for Wu Opera in Africa.
Ordinary US$15 | VIP US$30. Doors open at 6pm tonight at 7 Arts Theatre, Avondale
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