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The following is issued on behalf on the Provisional Urban Council:

Victor Hugo's masterpiece "Notre Dame de Paris" has been adapted for a number of films including the latest Walt Disney's popular cartoon "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". The great work is now turned into an exciting new Beijing opera production "The Great Belfry" and will hold its premiere at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre from November 26 to 28.

Commissioned and presented by the Provisional Urban Council, "The Great Belfry" is designated as one of the highlight programmes to mark the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The performance will have English and Chinese subtitles.

The performing troupes include the Hong Kong Tang's Beijing Opera Company, the Beijing Opera Theatre of Beijing and the Beijing Opera Theatre of Shandong Province. They won thunderous applause from the audience when performing "The Legend of White Snake (Quadriformal)" at The Chinese Opera Festival in 1997 in four variants of Chinese opera: Beijing, Kun, Wu and Chuan operas.

The rich artistic expression and dramaturge of Beijing opera is perfect for a creative adaptation of the masterpiece. The dramatis personae are equally colourful but Beijing opera characteristics. The "beggars" fit well into the Chinese legend's "Beggars' Gang" who appear in rags but are skilled in martial arts. The heroine Esmeralda is the "Princess" of the Gang. The sexually oppressed Archdeacon Frollo is now Eunuch De to whom is entrusted with the running of the belfry, while the famous hunchback who requires excellent martial arts skills is played by "Wusheng" (military male).

One of the special features in the production is the stage design. It will be a one-act play with no change of scenes, a rare design in conventional Chinese opera. There is no desk nor chair. All the background changes will be made by two revolving stages coupled with lighting effect and a gigantic stained glass window.

"This would be a bold attempt at exploiting the Beijing Opera techniques of free inter-change of time and space on stage and mime", said the production director, Yeung Lau-ching, who is acclaimed as the most accomplished jinghu artist of his generation.

"The music and singing will be a hybrid of traditional Beijing Opera and western composition techniques. The lyrical tunes conjure up vivid portrayals of the characters", he said.

The fantastic story is about a woman torn among three men. It starts with Aisimei, the beautiful innocent princess of the Beggars Gang on an aimless voyage with a group of itinerant beggars. Her world shatters when she meets the handsome lieutenant, Shuai Hu, who is in fact a philanderer and attempts to put her on the road to death. Her appearance recalls the desires of Eunuch De who has won the commendation from the Emperor as "A Paragon of Virtue" and the hunchback, A Chou, the bell ringer at the Belfry is Aisimei's only hope in her darkest hours of her life.

Being acclaimed as the "Pearl of Beijing and Kun Opera of Hong Kong", Tang Yuen-ha, will play the role of Aisimei. Gifted with a full and rounded voice, she is the only Hong Kong artist to have won the Chinese Theatre Plum-blossom Award, the most prestigious award for Chinese theatre workers. National Class One Performer Li Chongshan will play the role of Eunuch De.

Zhou Long , winner of Chinese Theatre Plum-blossom Award and a young renowned martial male role actor will be the hunchback. Other players include renowned actors Geng Tianyuan, Wang Wenshi and Luan Zuxun. The script is written by the First Rank National Scriptwriter Wang Baogen and the First Rank National Director, Xu Qinna who is also the director of this production. Xu's direction of "Broken Bridge" (one of the excerpts in "The Legend of White Snake (Quadriformal)" has won him wide acclaim.

Tickets for "The Great Belfry" at $300, $200, $130 and $80 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concession is given to senior citizens, people with disabilities and full-time students. There is a 10 per cent discount for each purchase of four or more tickets. Enquiries can be made at 2734 2007 and reservation at 2734 9009.

End/Tuesday, October 5, 1999

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