During the play...

BEFORE THE PLAY

Hey, let's take a good look at what the actors and actresses are doing before the start of the show.

Inside the dressing room behind the stage

Wow, they are all so busy dressing up themselves and applying thick make-up to their face. Everybody is so busy and I cannot talk to anybody. *Sigh* Never mind. Before I can find someone to chat, let me tell you something about the costume and their make-up.

The style of costuming follows no rigid rule, and fashions from any dynasty of China are likely to be seen on stage. There are minor differences from one dialect group to another- the Cantonese have always favoured the peacock feathers and the fan of flags sprouting from the shoulders that denotes a warrior- but they have no real symbolic significance.

Traditional facial makeup before a play

Facial make-up has remained fairly constant over the years. The basic make-up is a white foundation laid thickly over the face and neck, followed by rouge blended on the cheeks, the sides of the nose, and the eyelids, so that a white "T" from the unrouged forehead to the tip of the nose is prominently displayed. The eyes are heavily outlined in black to provide an upward-slanting "oriental" effect.

Made in China cosmetics costing as little as one Singapore dollar have now largely given way to such brands as Max Factor, Revlon and Outdoor Girl. Greasepaint is used to create the "masks". Singapore audiences now attach little meaning or significance to the colour of the face, though a multi-coloured face will be generally recognised as denoting a fierce and courageous character while the white-nosed sh'eng is of course a villain who will come to no good end.

Enough being said, the show is starting soon. Let's go over to the front to watch the performance.