Single Puppet Show

Single Puppet Show

Nominating Unit: City of Maoming

The Single Puppet Show’s costume is so small and simple that it can be packed into a small case and carried by a pole for performance; therefore, it has another name “Carrying-Pole Opera”. Originated from Fujian Province in the Year of Emperor Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, it is introduced to West Guangdong Province in the form of pillow puppets and has since been the major performing form. Today, the Opera is distributed in Yangjiao, Poxin, Qijing and Shayuan Town in Maogang District, City of Maoming.

The Opera’s puppet is exquisitely made with a tenacious bamboo as its rod. About the size of a fist, the puppet is so flexible that the mouth can close and open and the eyes can turn around. Its hands, connected to the body with small bamboo branches, nicknamed hand bamboo, are used to control the puppet’s movement. There are about ten roles in the opera, namely sheng, dan, chou, gong, po, and jing, etc. Each role has its distinctive mask. The opera is performed in Cantonese with each line about seven to ten words long. The tune is imbued with local folklores and Cantonese Opera. Rap is the main performing form while improvisation and interesting interceptions are added now and then. At present, about one hundred plays are still popular, most of which are from historical novels and legal cases, such as Xue Rengui Conquers Eastern Liao, Hero Yang, Hero Yue and Trial of Guo Huai at Night, etc.(https://www.daowen.com)

The outstanding feature of the Opera is that it is maneuvered by one person singlehandedly. During the show, the artist, inside a space set up by a carrying pole, sits on the case, one hand holding the rod and the other holding the hand bamboo to control’s the puppet’s movement, sings the lyrics and uses the feet to beat the percussion instrument and wooden knocker as accompaniment. The artist manipulates the puppet so skillfully that it is able to speak, act, pour wine, write letters, swing sword, and combat. He changes the tone from a male into a female intermittently. For a moment the puppet is laughing and brawling; the next moment it is begging and crying. There is even mime of mewing and barking. It is truly a feat of great achievement.

The Puppet show is frequently performed during the first two months in lunar calendar but is often seen in temples where gods such as Town God, Queen of Heaven and Land God are enshrined. Thanks to its lost cost and simple accessories, the show is very suitable to put on in village, thus loved by local folks. It is honored “A stage set up by two simple bamboo poles to pay attribute to ancient heroes, to educate and encourage late comers”.

Because of the impacts exerted by market economy, many youngsters nowadays are not willing to learn the art. The number of staff in this line has shrunk from 203 in 43 grades to 37 in 21 grades. Single-Puppet Opera is at the risk of getting lost, and immediate action is urgently needed to change the situation.