Remembering Stage and Silver Screen Diva Ng Kwan Lai

Description

Cantonese opera artist Ng Kwan Lai was celebrated for mastering all four basic aspects of Cantonese opera—singing, acting, delivery of lines and martial arts. As the founder of the Lai Sing Opera Troupe, Ng first came to prominence in 1955. Her performance in How Leung Hung Yuk’s War Drum Caused the Jin Army to Retreat (1956) solidified her stardom as one of the most successful artists playing the fa dan (花旦; female protagonist) role in Cantonese operas.

Ng co-starred with an array of renowned artists—including Mak Bing Wing, Ho Fei Fan, Fung Wong Nui and Lam Kar Sing—in enduring Cantonese opera films such as Two Immortals at the Pavilion of the Moon, Presenting a Sword at Hundred-Flower Pavilion and The Story of Chu Pin’s Loyalty to the Sung Dynasty. 

After retiring, Ng donated more than 3,500 items related to the plays she performed in the past to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. A selection of these objects are on display at the museum’s Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall.