AT just 15, Singaporean Tan Wei Tian stepped onto the George Town Festival 2018 stage and left the crowd spellbound with her graceful Teochew opera debut — four excerpts in all, from delicate duets to a poignant solo, lasting between 10 and 20 minutes.
Seven years on, now 22 and honing her craft at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, she returned to Penang with her parents, Lye Soon and Susan, for a nostalgic trip to the city where she once shone on stage.
Among the first things the Tan family did upon arrival was to indulge in local favourites such as char koay teow, hokkien mee, and laksa, before visiting the Peranakan Museum.
“It was a very good experience for me at the George Town Festival 2018,” recalled Wei Tian, her voice reflecting a calm and cheerful disposition, during a recent interview with Buletin Mutiara at The George Hotel in George Town.
“I remember the audiences were seated quite close, on the grass patch in front of the stage at the Cheah Kongsi — a very traditional kind of Chinese street opera setting and experience, unlike today’s theatre environment where there is a certain distance between the performers and the audience.”
At the time, Wei Tian was serving as an ambassador for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in the arts scene during its newly launched Passion Made Possible campaign, which showcased Singapore’s enterprising spirit and creativity.
STB, in close collaboration with the festival organisers, invited Wei Tian and two other Singaporean performers to take part in GTF 2018. One of them, a female performer, played a remarkable role in a Laotian opera, taking on the character of a man.
Lye Soon, who stepped in as master of ceremonies at the eleventh hour, vividly remembers that the Q&A session was very well received.
“The feedback was very good. The festival is internationally renowned, attracting both local and foreign audiences. Many were curious about why Wei Tian had a deep passion for opera at a young age, and how Susan and I, as parents, nurtured her,” he said.
Wei Tian and her parents also share a notable Teochew connection in Penang through Teochew puppetry artist Ling Goh, who won the Pendukung Seni NGO Award in 2023, organised by the National Culture and Arts Department (JKKN) Penang. Both Wei Tian and Ling Goh are members of the Singapore-based Nam Hwa Opera.
“Ling Goh has brought her puppet shows to Singapore. Over the years, we have become friends. We’ve appeared on the same stage but never in the same performance,” Wei Tian said.
Ling Goh’s mother, Toh Ai Hwa, founded the now-defunct Kim Giak Low Choon Puppet Troupe, while Ling Goh herself has led the Penang Teochew Puppet and Opera House since 2014.
“Ling Goh and her family, including her brother, are very talented. They sing, play instruments, and act — truly multifaceted and fascinating. She visits schools to educate and inspire the younger generation, which is the same direction we are taking. She is incredibly busy as the driving force behind her troupe, but she is doing a wonderful job.
Before GTF 2018, Wei Tian appeared at Gurney Plaza for the publicity launch of the movie Wayang Boy, which revolves around three children — including an Indian boy chosen by a schoolteacher to perform Chinese opera after getting into trouble. That day, the publicity team also had the privilege of meeting the then Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who attended the event as the guest of honour.
Wei Tian began Teochew opera lessons at the age of three after being inspired by performances she attended with her grandmother at community theatres.
“When I was about one or two, my grandmother would take me to watch visiting troupes from Hong Kong performing in Singapore,” she recalled. “She’s an avid opera fan. To my family’s surprise, I began singing at home, draping my dad’s long-sleeved clothes over myself so I could act. My mum said I even knew how to tell the good characters from the bad ones.”
As of 2024, Wei Tian has performed more than 50 shows across China, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Hungary, appearing at major events from Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre showcases to the 2022 Ngee Ann Teochew Cultural Festival. She has portrayed heroines such as Lady Liu Ming Zhu, Zhu Yingtai (The Butterfly Lovers), The Tale of Su Liu Niang, and fearless female warriors from The Young Lin Da-Qin and Yang Family.
But 2018 marked a defining chapter. At just 15, Wei Tian became the youngest lead actress to star in a full-length Chinese opera in Singapore — a feat recognised in the Singapore Book of Records.
What made it even more remarkable was that she had less than a month to prepare for Lady Liu Ming Zhu after finishing her school examinations, while her fellow co-stars had been rehearsing for two months ahead of her.
Her father worried: could his daughter memorise the lengthy recitations and deliver the dozens of songs in a two-hour-and-15-minute production? The odds were daunting, but Wei Tian rose to the challenge with excellence.
Her achievements have earned her numerous awards, including being named one of the 14 Outstanding Young Asian Women by TEDx Singapore for her contributions to cultural preservation and heritage in 2018. Other honours include the Young Talent Orchid Award from the Singapore Chinese Opera Institute (2016) and the Young Achiever’s Award from Nam Hwa Opera (2018).
In 2022, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Nanyang Girls’ High School, joining the ranks of eight other distinguished alumnae, one of whom is now a minister.
Another memorable moment was performing as a lady ghost in Painted Skin in Hungary — her first European stage experience — where she opted for longer sleeves, requiring greater technical skill. She also starred in The Tale of Lady Su Liuniang (2020), A Love in Hand (2021), and Who Says It First (2024).
Her latest role, The Pawned Wife (2024), staged in Singapore for five days as part of the Cultural Extravaganza 2024, received rave reviews. It was a major production, involving a collaboration between Shanghai Theatre Academy and Nam Wah Opera.
For Wei Tian, patience and perseverance were essential as she spent hours applying make-up, changing costumes, and wearing a headdress during periods of intensive rehearsals and performances.
Pawned Wife tells the story of a gambler who, in desperation, pawns his devoted wife after they cannot afford treatment for their gravely ill son. Under the contract, his wife becomes the interim concubine of a wealthy man for three years. She endures humiliation and sorrow, even after giving birth. The story ends tragically — her husband remains unrepentant, and their son’s health deteriorates.
When Wei Tian returns to Shanghai Theatre Academy next month, she will reprise the role at a major cultural festival in Shanghai in October. She is currently studying Chinese opera at the academy under a four-year scholarship awarded by Singapore’s National Arts Council in 2024.
“My experience in Shanghai is very interesting. I’m in a different environment, surrounded by people my age. In Singapore, I mostly rehearsed with uncles and aunties. I find it rewarding to learn from classmates who have gone through six years of basic training. They are all very good.
“Now, instead of me having to teach, I’m learning from them. I feel there’s a sense of satisfaction that finally, I’m in the right place to do the right thing,” Wei Tian said.
While most parents might prefer their children to pursue medicine, law, or engineering, Lye Soon supports his daughter’s path in Teochew opera, despite it being considered a dying art.
“I wanted to become an artist, but my parents were against it, so I know what it’s like. I later joined the civil service. Since my daughter has a passion for Teochew opera, I have no objections,” he said.
“I want to give credit to Nam Hwa Opera. Wei Tian became a member since 10 years old and has been given tremendous support and opportunities to develop her passion and skills.”
Founded in 1963, Nam Hwa Opera has been upholding and carrying forward the traditional Teochew culture, promoting the art form of Teochew, and actively seeking breakthroughs in the field of performing arts. In addition to presenting classic operas, Nam Hwa Opera is also taking bold initiatives to combine modern technology and multiculturalism to create works of art with a “Singaporean flavour”.
“Nam Hwa Opera’s mission is to preserve and promote traditional Teochew heritage in arts and culture. In 2020, it was conferred the inaugural ‘The Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award’ by the National Heritage Board. In 2022, Guandong Chao Opera Theatre from China invited Nam Hwa Opera Limited to jointly establish the “Guangdong Chao Opera Institute Singapore Teochew Opera Heritage Centre”,” Lye Soon shared.
Wei Tian is grateful that Susan and Lye Soon have guided her over the years, offering gentle corrections when needed.
“They help me stay grounded. What I do must be respectful and appreciative of all the people behind the scenes. We performers are just at the forefront, but it takes everyone to make a show a success,” she said.
As for the future, Wei Tian hopes to keep performing but remains open to exploring other career paths.
Wei Tian and Ling Goh remain two of the rare performers with a burning desire to inspire youth from Singapore and Penang to appreciate their cultural heritage.
“We love Teochew opera, and we want to keep this traditional art alive,” said Wei Tian, who performed a heartfelt Chinese song — broadcast nationwide on Singapore’s National Day (Aug 9) — celebrating the deep bond between country and home.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad and courtesy of Tan Lye Soon