Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Theatre deliver a wonderful performance of a collection of traditional Chinese opera at the Shaw Theatre on August 21st, all themed on love.
The performance of ‘Garden of Love’ was a specially curated selection of Yue opera excerpts that explore the themes of longing, destiny, and eternal devotion. It includes selections from some of the most iconic love stories in Chinese literature.
Garden of Love was a wonderful demonstration of Yue opera and should be considered a resounding success for the team behind it. Choosing four excerpts to perform allowed the opera to be in digestible enough segments for viewers who may not be as familiar with Chinese Opera. While the famous classical stories and excellent performances still left enough depth for more familiar viewers.
The performers can only be praised, delivering a rousing demonstration of love and heartbreak. During Dream of the Red Chamber: The Flower-Burying Ode one audience member near me even had to wipe her tears, explaining afterwards that Dream of the Red Chamber is their favourite work, and the opera performance was a truly moving telling.
For just over an hour and a half, you were transported away from the bustle of London to classical China, where the audience saw a love-filled yet tragic story.
During the one-hour and 40-minute performance, excerpts from The Butterfly Lovers, Dream of the Red Chamber, the Peony Pavilion, and Lu You and Tang Wan.
Between the performances, a brief introduction and accompanying traditional Chinese music performance was given. This helped to situate the stories for those who may not be as familiar and shared another aspect of Chinese culture with instruments like the dizi and pipa.
Accompanying the opera, screens provided Chinese and English subtitles.
Speaking after the performance, the actress Cai Zhefei explained that being an all-women opera troupe gives a “unique” feature to share. She said, “Yue Opera comes from the Jiangnan region of China, which is known for its grace and delicacy. When performed by women, it brings out even more of that gentle charm and elegance, which we hope especially appeals to younger audiences and female audiences.”
She is “very glad to bring China’s Yue Opera to London”. Adding that “through our performances, we hope to share the beauty of Yue Opera and China’s traditional culture with friends all over the world, so that they can appreciate the classical beauty of Chinese heritage.”
“We also hope that in the future, friends from different countries will visit China. In fact, China has many kinds of operas, more than 300, each with its own unique features. So, after watching today’s Yue Opera, we hope that our friends in the UK will one day come to China and enjoy the beauty of other Chinese opera styles as well.”
Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Theatre are China’s most celebrated all-female professional Yue opera company. Founded in 1984, they have won numerous awards in China and are responsible for nurturing a generation of Yue opera talent.
The cast included Wei Chunfang, Zhang Yiqing, Chen Lijun, Zheng Xiao, Xu Hong, Li Xiaowen, Xu Yena, Cai Zhefei, Zhang Yiqing, Li Xiaowen, Xie Chan, and Zheng Xiao.
They performed at Shaw Theatre near Kings Cross, London, as part of their UK-Germany tour.
It was a one-day-only show, with two performances on 21st August 2025.
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