Performing China on the London Stage Ashley Thorpe Performing China on the London Stage Chinese Opera and Global Power, 1759–2008 Ashley Thorpe Royal Holloway, University of London, UK ISBN 978-1-137-59785-4 ISBN 978-1-137-59786-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-59786-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016949254 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identifi ed as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub- lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: © Duangta Poomcharoen / Alamy Stock Photo Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London For mum and dad The original version of this book was revised. An erratum to this book can be found at DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-59786-1_12 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks to a number of individuals and institutions who have assisted the development of this book. I am indebted to Teresa Murjas, who has, from the very beginning of this project, been a source of encouragement, support and constructive criticism. Members from a number of Chinese communities in London have been extremely generous with their time, and I would particularly like to thank Kathy Hall, Zhang Kewei (Kevin), Lei Kwanhung, Zong Siulau, Dr Chan Cheng and Sherry Kuei whose time and recollections have been enormously valuable to this study. Greer Crawley, Elaine McGirr and Amanda Rogers brought their expertise to bear on different parts of the manuscript, and I would also like to express my gratitude to the staff at the Theatre & Performance Archives at the Victoria & Albert Museum, who have only ever been helpful and effi cient. Thanks to Kim Hunter Gordon for uncovering some very useful fi les used in Chap. 6 , and to Ye Teng for reading over parts of the fi nal draft. Students from the Department of Film, Theatre & Television at the University of Reading worked tirelessly on a production of S. I. Hsiung’s Lady Precious Stream in 2011, and I would like to thank all 30 of you for your enthusiasm and commitment. The insights your work offered me have been immense. Thank you also to students from the Department of Drama & Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, whose short but intensive work on Murphy’s The Orphan of China in 2015 helped me to understand better the dynamics of the play. Research support from both of these institutions is also gratefully acknowledged. Last but not least, of course, thank you Jamie. With much love. vii CONTENTS 1 Introduction: Mirrors of Empire 1 2 Chinese Drama in the European Imagination Before 1736 11 3 ‘Confucius’ Morals to Britannia’s Ears’: Modern Virtue in The Orphan of China , 1736–1759 25 4 From Page to Stage: Chinese Opera and the Rise and Fall of Empires, 1759–1913 51 5 Fashion, Chinoiserie and Modernity in The Circle of Chalk , 1929 85 6 Seeking Subalterneity in S. I. Hsiung’s Lady Precious Stream , 1934 103 7 A Traditional Play in the Traditional Manner: Chinese Opera and the Politics of Diplomacy, 1946–1958 137 8 Chinese Opera in the Diaspora from 1949 161 ix x CONTENTS 9 Opening the Stage Door: Opera, Reform and International Economic Policy, 1979–2008 181 10 Postmodern Politics: Olympic Ties and Cultural Exchange in 2008 207 11 Conclusion 225 Erratum to: Performing China on the London Stage E1 Glossary of Chinese Characters 229 Bibliography 235 Index 255 LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 2.1 An engraving of ‘Chinese Comedians’ in Nieuhof’s Embassy , 1665 , and an engraving of ‘Chinese Comedians’ by Wenceslaus Hollar in the English translation of Nieuhof’s Embassy , 1673 . 22 Fig. 3.1 ‘Mrs Yates as Mandane in The Orphan of China’ Tilly Kettle (1734/5–1786), exhibited 1765 ( © ACTIVE MUSEUM/ Alamy Stock Photo). 42 Fig. 4.1 An engraving of the Chinese shops at the 1884 International Health Exhibition. 65 Fig. 4.2 A photograph of the curtain call for The Yellow Jacket at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, 1913 , showing both the setting and the costumes (© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans). 77 Fig. 5.1 Anna May Wong performs her dance in the fi rst act of The Circle of Chalk at the New Theatre, London, 1929 (© Illustrated London News Ltd./Mary Evans). 90 Fig. 6.1 The Tiger General kneels as he is threatened with execution at the request of Xue Pinggui (seated, centre) in act four of Lady Precious Stream , Little Theatre, London, 1934 (© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans). 109 Fig. 6.2 From left to right: Paul Robeson, Anna May Wong, Eslanda Goode Robeson, S. I. Hsiung, Mei Lanfang and Wang Shaolou pose for a photograph outside Claridge’s Hotel in London, 1935. Photograph by Carl Van Vechten. Image courtesy of the Van Vechten Trust. 123 xi xii LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 8.1 Lei Kwanhung and Zong Siulau perform Rendezvous at the Luo River (Lokseoi Mung Wui, Luoshui Meng Hui) at the Steiner Theatre, London, 1 August 2013. Photograph by the author. 166 Fig. 8.2 Zhang Kewei as Xiang Yu (left) and Ione Meyer as Yu Ji (right) in the UKBOS production of Bawang Bieji at the Millennium Dome, London, 2000. Photo courtesy of Zhang Kewei. 172 CHRON OLOGY Historical event Chinese opera case study 1511 Portugal claim Malacca (now in Malaysia) as a base for trade with China. 1596 Queen Elizabeth I dispatches envoy to 1589 Richard Hakluyt’s Principal Chinese Emperor to establish trade. The Navigations , Voyages , Traffi ques and mission is unsuccessful. Discoveries of the English Nation is published. 1600 East India Company established by Royal Charter. 1602 Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie 1625 Hakluyt Posthumus , or Purchas His (Dutch East India Company) established by Pilgrimes , is published in four volumes. Dutch Royal Charter. 1637 Captain John Weddell creates a skirmish with the Chinese at Canton, but manages to negotiate a limited cargo. 1642–1651 English Civil War; ends with the execution of King Charles I. 1644 Ming dynasty falls to Manchurian invaders; the Qing dynasty begins. 1660 Restoration of the monarchy with 1665 Johannes Nieuhof’s An embassy Charles II. from the East - India Company of the United Provinces , to the Grand Tartar Cham , emperor of China is published. 1669 Nieuhof’s Embassy is published in English, with new illustrations. 1670 British establish a secure trading post on Taiwan as a base for trade with the Chinese mainland through Canton. (continued) xiii xiv CHRONOLOGY Historical event Chinese opera case study 1676 British East India Company sets up a factory in Amoy under the protection of Zheng Chengong (Koxinga). 1680 British East India Company loses factory in Amoy when Zheng Chengong withdraws. 1684 Qing rulers grant British East India Company licence to trade through Canton. 1688 First English translation of Confucius’ Analects . 1707 Acts of Union creates Great Britain from the two countries of England and Scotland. 1721 Robert Walpole rises to become 1735 Du Halde’s La Description Britain’s fi rst Prime Minister. geographique , historique , chronologique , politique et physique de l ’ empire de la Chine et de la Tartarie chinoise published in France. 1736 The reign of the Qing Emperor 1736 Du Halde’s volume is published in Qianlong ushers in a golden age of stability English. in the Chinese empire. 1740 William Hatchett publishes his erotic poem A Chinese Tale . 1741 William Hatchett publishes The Chinese Orphan : An Historical Tragedy . 1742 Walpole is dismissed from offi ce. 1757 Britain imports three million pounds 1755 Voltaire’s L ’ Orphélin de la Chine in weight of tea from China; India is placed premiers at the Comédie Française. under the rule of the British East India Company. 1759 David Garrick produces and stars in 1784 Commutation Act passed in the British Arthur Murphy’s The Orphan of China at parliament, reducing the import tax on tea. Drury Lane. 1793 Lord Macartney’s mission to the Qing court to regularise trade fails; much is made of his refusal to ‘kowtow’ in the prescribed manner. 1812 Lord Amherst’s mission to regularise 1813 John Francis Davis arrives at trade fails; much is also made of his refusal to Canton, age 18. kowtow in the prescribed manner. 1818 Anglo-Chinese College founded at 1817 Davis publishes Laou-Seng-Urh : Or Malacca. An Heir In His Old Age, A Chinese Drama . (continued) CHRONOLOGY xv Historical event Chinese opera case study 1821 First attempts by Qing government to 1829 Davis publishes Han Koong Tsew : curb the import of opium.