Since the 19th century, Teochew opera and Teochew iron-rod puppetry have followed Teochew migrants in crossing the South China Sea to Southeast Asia and have taken root in the region. In the early days, Teochew opera was performed in temples or on the streets where Teochew people gathered, so it was called "street opera". For a long time, Teochew Street Opera provided important entertainment and artistic enjoyment for the local Teochew community.
With the passing of time and the diversification of entertainment forms, Teochew street opera faces the dual challenges of losing both audiences and actors. Despite this, a small number of troupes and actors remain steadfast in preserving and developing this art form. Singapore's Sin Ee Lye Heng Teochew Opera Troupe (Iron-Rod Puppet Troupe) is one of them. Since its establishment, the troupe has performed for 48 years. It is the only remaining Teochew iron rod puppet troupe in Singapore.
Recently, The Teochew Store interviewed Christine Ang, the third-generation successor of Sin Ee Lye Heng. When we first saw Christine, she had just finished performing her role in a Teochew opera show and was hurriedly removing her makeup backstage, before immediately stepping up to play the gong accompaniment for the next scene. As the morning performance ended, she and her mother Tina Quek were back on stage to guide the actors as they rehearsed for the next show. Only after finally finishing all her tasks was Christine able to find time to sit down and share the story of Sin Ee Lye Heng's succession—sustained by the love of three generations over the past half-century.
The Sin Ee Lye Heng Teochew Opera Troupe
The Teochew Store (TTS): Sin Ee Lye Heng has been established and performed for 48 years. Can you tell us, how did your family's involvement with Teochew opera and Teochew iron-rod puppetry begin?
Christine Ang (CA): The story started with my grandparents. My Ah Gong (maternal grandfather), Quek Han Chang, was originally a salesperson. He was well-educated and knew English, but he loved to watch Teochew opera. My Ah Ma (maternal grandmother), Koh Quee Kim, was a Teochew opera actress. They got to know each other through Teochew opera, and Ah Gong courted Ah Ma passionately. Eventually, they got married. One day when my mother was seven years old, Ah Gong came home and broke the news to Ah Ma that he had bought a Teochew opera troupe. From then on, they worked together to run the troupe.
Ah Ma was fully supportive of Ah Gong's decision. However, Ah Gong soon passed away, leaving Ah Ma to run the troupe alone. She not only had to perform on stage and manage behind the scenes, but also taught my mother, uncle and others to act. Later, Ah Ma came into contact with Teochew iron-rod puppetry in Malaysia. She fell in love with the art and incorporated it as a special feature of our troupe. (Watch Sin Ee Lye Heng puppet performance video at the end of this article.)
My Ah Ma passed away in 2007. I was ten at the time and had two younger brothers. Even though the three of us were too young to help, my mother decided to take over the challenge of running the troupe as she did not wish to close down what Ah Ma had built over these years—a task that she continues to do to this day.
TTS: It is unusual for three children in a family to want to become Teochew opera actors. Is there a reason for this?
CA: The troupe was shorthanded when my mother first took over. Even then, she was against us, her children, learning Teochew opera. Firstly, many people told her that Teochew opera was in decline and its prospects were bleak. Secondly, she was worried that it would affect our studies and our futures. However, the three of us grew up in the troupe, and we developed a deep affection and strong interest in Teochew opera. Even though no one taught us, we were able to naturally pick up some skills in acting and playing the musical instruments. Once when I was still a child, I got another actress in the troupe to help me put on makeup and a costume, and then ran on stage to perform while my mother was not paying attention.
My youngest brother, Ang Wei Li, is exceptionally gifted in playing musical instruments. When he was young, he was able to play a piece on the suona without guidance or knowledge of Do-Re-Mi. He went on to master playing the drums, erhu and other instruments easily. Seeing our persistence and talents, and faced with the reality that the troupe did not have enough people, our mother finally relented to allow the three of us to learn Teochew opera.
The art of Teochew opera is still being passed on in Singapore. However, Teochew street opera is facing the threat of having no successors. Most of our performances take place outdoors, without air conditioning and exposed to the sun and rain. In addition to performing, we have to set up the stage, move the musical instruments, and organise the costumes and props. A lot of physical work is involved. Many young people had expressed some interest in joining us, but they gave up halfway because they felt it was too demanding.
Several years ago, my younger brother was serving his National Service, and this left us with a serious shortage of manpower. It made me consider giving up. That night I dreamed of my Ah Ma. She told me that no matter the difficulties, I must never give up. Since then, I have never thought of quitting. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic period when we were not allowed to perform, we persisted and performed online. Now, the three of us, are more determined than ever to carry on the ancient tradition of Teochew street opera.
Christine Ang: third-generation successor of Sin Ee Lye Heng Teochew Opera Troupe
TTS: What are your greatest rewards, growing up in an opera troupe?
CA: I once took up a job outside the troupe before. Although street theatre is tough, I would say it is still my ideal job. The troupe brings together strangers who are different, but we gradually develop a bond and rapport in the process of performing. After decades of a shared journey, our troupe is now like a big family, with bonds that run deeper than blood. For example, Auntie Lim Lai Sim, who has worked in our troupe for nearly 40 years, and is one of our most important seniors. At Sin Ee Lye Heng, I can express myself boldly and build deep relationships with many people. This is the freedom and happiness I will not be able to find working elsewhere.
TTS: You have acted in many Teochew opera shows. Which are your favourite shows and why?
CA: The small opera stage holds the entire universe. Teochew opera preserves the precious traditional values of our Teochew people, which are highly worthy for young people to learn and pass on further.
Take, for instance, my two favourite shows, “Register of the Righteous" (義民冊 Ngi Ming Ceh) and "Household of Three Scholars" (一門三進士 Zeg Mung Sa Zing Se). "Register of Righteous People" was the second show I learned. Its lyrics and melody are very beautiful. I admire the courage and spirit of the protagonist Li Hongyun and the scribe Qin Ji’an. Even though Li Hongyun was only a maid, she had the vision to see the bigger picture. Qin Ji’an was a scholar, but he possessed a noble sense of righteousness, sacrificing himself to save the lives of a hundred thousand righteous people. I learned from this story that people are not judged by status, and what matters most is that we remain true and upright in our relationships (有情有义) and never betray others.
In "Household of Three Scholars", my favourite character is Sun Shulin. Despite the blows that fate dealt her, she shouldered on and eventually received her rewards. This show not only taught me to be filial to my parents, but also reminded me never to despise others and to treat every person equally. The world is full of changes and fate is unpredictable. No matter the size of our difficulties or hardships, we should never abandon hope but face tomorrow with expectation and faith.
TTS: The members of your troupe play many different roles and are multi-talented. Where and how did you learn all your skills in singing, reciting, acting and playing music?
CA: Everyone says, “An elder at home is like a treasure in hand”. Our troupe has three treasures, namely my mother, my uncle and Auntie Lim Lai Sim. They are our veteran actors and teachers. They are always patient when guiding and teaching us. Learning Teochew opera was tough when my Ah Ma and mother were young. It was common to be beaten if you did not perform well. But my mother said times have changed and we can no longer teach opera using the old ways. She uses gentler methods to instruct and encourage us.
We do take on multiple roles, but we also have our own strengths. I excel at playing the yangqin, while my two younger brothers are better at playing the drums. We usually observe how our seniors perform, and then learn by ourselves. If we make mistakes after self-learning, the seniors will immediately point them out and correct us. As long as we persevere and seek small improvements all the time, we will keep getting better.
Sin Ee Lye Heng Teochew Opera Troupe musicians performing live musical accompaniment
TTS: The troupe has a number of young faces. How do you manage to attract them to join?
CA: The young people in our troupe are our friends. Initially, we asked them to help us as we were short-handed. However, after they came into contact with Teochew opera, they slowly became interested and started learning to perform, switching from backstage roles to performing on stage. One of our members, Seri, is Malay. Her performances are getting better and better after two years of learning.
We have also been partnering with other organisations to promote Teochew opera and puppetry. Not too long ago, we held a live Teochew iron-rod puppet show and a workshop at the Asian Civilisations Museum, drawing a fair number of young participants. The number of people watching street opera is dwindling, and the number of performers is even smaller. So, regardless of height, size, or appearance, we welcome anyone to join as long as you are willing to learn.
TTS: Sin Ee Lye Heng shoulders the heavy responsibility of keeping the Teochew opera art alive. In passing on this tradition to the next generation, what kind of support and help do you hope to receive?
CA: With rising inflation, we now face the pressure of increasing operating costs. When we have no performance, we need to find jobs to earn income to subsidise our living expenses and the expenses of the troupe. We rented a place to store the troupe's costumes, props, stage sets and other equipment. During the off-season, the troupe has no revenue, but we still need to pay rent, which puts us under great financial pressure.
In addition, our opera costumes and puppets have been in use for many years. We need a wide range of Teochew opera costumes and puppets, and they are all exquisitely made and not inexpensive. Presently, we do not have sufficient funds to purchase new costumes and puppets. If anyone is willing to support us in these areas, please kindly contact us.
Click on links below to follow Sin Ee Lye Heng Teochew Opera Troupe (Iron-Rod Puppet Troupe) on social media:
- Facebook: Sin Ee Lye Heng TeoChew Opera
- Douyin 抖音: Sin Ee Lye Heng
Synopsis of “Register of the Righteous" 義民冊
In early 1853, as the Taiping Rebellion forces advanced toward Nanjing, a secret network of 100,000 rebel sympathisers within the city prepared to support the incoming army. Their plans were jeopardised when Qing dynasty authorities discovered their membership register, exposing all listed individuals to execution.
Facing imminent danger, the resistance leaders dispatched Li Hongyun - a courageous woman serving as the personal maid to the Provincial Governor's mother - to recover the damning document. Using her privileged position, Li Hongyun infiltrated the inner chamber of the government compound, where she encountered Qin Ji'an, a conflicted scribe hastily transcribing the rebel list.
Confronted by Li Hongyun's righteous resolve and the moral weight of the rebellion's cause, Qin Ji'an experienced a profound crisis of conscience. In a climactic act of defiance, he burned the membership register. To ensure Li Li Hongyun's escape and cover her tracks, Qin Ji'an sacrificed himself in the flames.
Synopsis of "Three Scholars from One Household" 一門三進士又名
Alternative titles: "The Triple Graduates" 三進士 or "The Eight-Treasure Soup" 八珍湯
The story follows a scholar named Zhang Wenyuan from Pingyang, Shanxi, who borrowed money from two families—the Changs and the Zhous— to take the imperial examinations in the capital. After failing the exams, he stayed behind in the capital, too shamed to return home. When the creditors demanded repayment from Zhang Wenyuan's wife Sun Shulin, she was forced to surrender their two sons as payment for the debts. The boys were raised by the creditors and renamed Chang Tianbao and Zhou Ziqing.
Eighteen years later, both young men passed the imperial examinations and became jinshi (advanced scholars). Meanwhile, famine struck Pingyang, forcing Sun Shulin to search for her husband. Impoverished and alone, she sold herself as a servant to the Chang household, where she endured harsh mistreatment. During a visit to the Zhou residence, Zhou Ziqing discovered Sun Shulin was his birth mother and urged Chang Tianbao to acknowledge her.
However, the now-high-ranking official Chang Tianbao refused, fearing social disgrace by recognizing a servant as his mother. Their argument escalated until Zhou Ziqing brought the case before the Censorate, only to discover the investigating censor was none other than their long-lost father Zhang Wenyuan, who had ironically passed the imperial examinations with them in the same year.
As Zhou Ziqing each recounted their past, Chang Tianbao was overcome with shame and remorse, and confessed his wrongdoing, bringing about a long-awaited family reunion.
WATCH Sin Ee Lye Heng's Teochew iron-rod puppetry performance:
The Argument on Memorial by Yang Lingpo 楊令婆辯本 (with English and Mandarin subtitles)
~o0o~
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