Teochew Opera in Thailand

I have to be honest. I don't like Teochew Opera, and among younger Teochew people, I don't think I'm alone. I've seen a couple of performances, but it just seems so not-real-to-life, like of a different age. Perhaps if they took the same stories but put modern twists to them it would be more appealing. Also, there is certainly a language barrier - the Teochew used is quite chim (deep), not colloquial at all. A couple of years back Gaginangers volunteered with the local Teochew Opera Association down in Southern California, and it was great to get exposure to it. I was even asked if I wanted to train in it - alas, it's not my cup of dē.

This video report is from CCTV (China), and done in English. It's a nice little encapsulation of the dying art in Bangkok. I hear that many of the actors aren't even Teochew anymore, but Thais or others from rural areas - I guess they just memorize the Teochew. Perhaps some of the operas are put in Thai as well. Also, I posted a Thai serial drama that has Teochew Opera as one if its main devices, you can find that here.