Vancouver Cantonese Opera presents “The Lioness Roars” Cantonese Opera 任白名劇 “獅吼記”
“The Lioness Roars” English Synopsis
“The Lioness Roars” comes from a legend in the Ming Dynasty, and was written by Tong Dik
Saang in 1958 as “The Story of Jealous Wife”. Now titled “The Lion’s Roar”.
This is a comedy, and the story explores the inner fear of a husband who constantly flirts with
women, but at the same time is afraid of being discovered by his wife. The story takes place
during a Lantern Festival Palace Feast. The talented woman Liu Yu’e impressed the emperor
with her literary talent and was rewarded with a golden jade coin from the emperor. Su Dongpo
felt humiliated when he failed to answer the lantern riddles correctly. In order to retaliate, he
planned a secret meeting to try to bring Ji Chang and Su Qinqiao, Dongpo’s cousin, together.
When Yu’e discovered that Ji Chang was having a secret meeting with Qinqiao, the situation
took a turn for the worse, leading to a major conflict. Dongpo persuaded Chen to divorce his
wife on the grounds that she could not bear a son. Chen reluctantly wrote the divorce letter,
and Yu’e took the matter to court. Unfortunately, the case became so big that it was brought
before the emperor in the Palace. The emperor supported Chen and declared that it was
common for men to have concubines. Yu’e is faced with a choice: obey or drink the poisonous
wine given by the emperor. Will Yu’e accept her husband’s concubine, or will she despise the
emperor and even risk her life?
『獅吼記』簡介
《獅吼記》出自明代傳奇,1958 年唐滌生撰寫成《醋娥傳》。現名為 『獅吼記』。這是一
個喜劇,故事深入民心。探討丈夫對外不斷拈花惹草,同時又懼怕妻子發現的內在恐懼。
故事發生在元宵節皇宮盛宴,,才華橫溢的女子柳玉娥,以她的文學才華感動了皇帝,並
獲賜皇上御賜一枚金玉錢為獎勵。蘇東坡在未能猜對皇帝的燈謎而感到羞辱,為了報復,
他策劃了一場秘密私會,試圖撮合季常與東坡表妹蘇琴操。
當玉娥發現貴常私會琴操,情勢急轉直下,導致了一場重大的衝突。東坡說服陳休妻,以
她無法生育兒子為由離婚。陳勉強寫下離婚信,而玉娥將此事帶上法庭。不幸的是,此案
件鬧大,牽達到了金鑾殿上皇帝面前,皇帝支持陳,並宣稱男人三妻四妾是平常事。玉娥
面臨著一個選擇:遵從或者飲下皇帝賜下的毒酒。到底玉娥會否接受丈夫娶妾,還是藐視
皇帝,甚至冒生命之險?
Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-lioness-roars-cantonese-opera-tickets-796513331817?aff=oddtdtcreator&ct=t%28EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_28_2024_1_28%29&mc_eid=729c459e75&mc_cid=ad3e125db1
