OUGD603 - LIVE BRIEF - Left Bank Opera Festival - Research - Raymond Yiu's - 'The Chinese Conjuror'

Raymond Yiu's - 'The Original Chinese Conjuror' - A comic opera which tells the true story of an American magician who adopted the persona of a Chinese man to make his act more exciting. The opera embraces early 1900's setting if the story in its music and contains lots of onstage magic.

- Magic
-China
-Early 1900's
-Based on a real story


Raymond Yiu is a Hong-Kong Born composer, jazz pianist, conductor and writer of music.

The Original Chinese Conjuror, with a libretto by Lee Warren, was commissioned for the 2006 Aldeburgh Almeida Opera; it received its Austrian premiere at the Musikverein in April 2013, presented by Teatro Barroco of Vienna. Maomao Yü, a quintet for piano and traditional Chinese instruments was commissioned by London Symphony Orchestra for Lang Lang and the Silk String Quartet. It was premiered under the baton of the composer in April 2009.


The story  -  The conjuror's real name was William Robinson, he began his career in America before moving to Britain in 1900. Robinson tried in America to make it as a magician but his awkward on stage presence made his shows unpopular, around this time, Robinson learned of a challenge issued by Chinese stage magician Ching Ling Foo. In a gimmick that was standard for magicians of that era, Foo offered a prize of $1,000 to any person who could successfully duplicate his illusions.

In 1900, Robinson learned that an agent was looking for a Chinese magician to perform at the Folies Bergère in Paris. He accepted the job and quickly created a new act based on Ching Ling Foo's act. Robinson then began dressing in traditional Chinese attire, shaved his facial hair and began wearing his hair in a queue. To darken his complexion, he painted his face with greasepaint. To complete his new act, Robinson chose the stage name "Hop Sing Soo". Robinson's new act was a hit, and by the time he began performing in London, he had perfected his act and changed his name to "Chung Ling Soo" (a variation of Ching Ling Foo's name). Robinson then set about creating a fanciful backstory for himself. As "Chung Ling Soo".

The festival focusses on the tensions and relationship between Asia and Western Opera - Raymond Yiu's 'The Chinese Conjuror' has the true life story of an American who takes on the persona of a Chinese magician. The American conjuror dressed in Chinese Garb and performed his routine silently and gave interviews through a Chinese interpreter, as to not give away his act.

Yiu's production begins with the trick that killed the conjuror, what is now known as his most famous performance was his last, Robinson(Chung Ling Soo) was performing in Wood Green in 1918 when his 'Bullet catch' routine went fatally wrong. Then unfolds into the backstory of the magicians life.

As this is a real story I have been able to find promotional material for the actual Chung Ling Soo and also of Chung Ling Foo, whom Robinson stole his identity/act from. All of which use vibrant Chinese colours and visuals to really sell the act, these will help inform, colour and form choices later in the project.

Looking through this material related to the Opera, I found a number of posters and promotions from the early 1900's which promote Chung Ling Soo and his act. These posters take on the western Avante Garde styles of the early 20th century as well as mixing it with traditional Chinese colours ,symbols and visuals. 

Colours such as reds, greens and golds are a common reoccuring feature, these are bold vibrant colours and are informed by the Chinese aesthetic of Ling Soo's act. All use a hand made feel, with textures being seen through the colours as if hand painted/produced, Following this I shall look into traditional Chinese art techniques and materials to make an informed choice of how to approach the promotion of this production.