The A-Z of Peking Opera

There are four main roles, with endless subdivisions in Jingju. Sheng is the main male character, with secondary laosheng (old male) and xiaosheng (young male) roles. The Sheng will usually focus on tongchui (singing), jiazi (a more physical role) or wujing (the marital arts and acrobatics). Dan, the female role, also has many subdivisions which define the woman's role and marital status; this was the character most played by Mei Lanfang (see box). Jing is the painted-face male role that usually plays the forceful secondary male character and is the image of Jingju for so many on an international scale. The Jing character's face is usually painted in one of 15 styles, although there are up to 1,000 variations on the theme. Each variation represents a different character and is colour-coded: red means courage and virtue, black represents integrity, white symbolises treachery and blue means cruelty or a wild temperament. Chou is the clown character, whose patch of white makeup represents either humour or malice. Chou is often regarded as the lesser part in a play and is invariably a likeable character that performs acrobatics.

       Whatever their part, players should synthesize Jingju's four elements: song, speech, dance acting (including mime) and combat. Jingju's now recognisable characteristics were all products of its environment in the form's early days. The elaborate costumes and exaggerated make up had to be worn to be visible through dim gas lighting. The shrill piercing singing was the only way to be heard over the loud, largely percussion orchestra. As for the paucity of sets and props, audiences understood that circular walking meant taking a long journey, a whip represented a horse and an oar, a boat.