The Last Troupe: Christine’s quest to keep Sin Ee Lye Heng Alive

Christine posing with her traditional Teochew puppet.

28-year-old Christine Ang is the third-generation custodian of Sin Ee Lye Heng, Singapore’s last Teochew iron rod puppet troupe.

Tracing its roots back to Chaoshan, a city in Guangdong, China, Teochew puppetry evolved from two-dimensional shadow puppets into the intricate 3D iron-rod figures seen today — a tradition carried over by migrants to Singapore in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

“Growing up, I remember my younger brother and I would pretend we were opera performers at home. We would drape the legs of long pants around our necks, so that they looked like capes and imitated their on-stage actions.”

Playtime and imagination have since morphed into performing for an actual audience. Now, Christine is on a mission to keep her family’s legacy alive and preserve the centuries-old art form in Singapore.

Brought up by generations of puppeteers

Christine’s grandmother (right) posing with her first puppet show signage.

It was through watching opera that Christine’s maternal grandparents met – and also what led the family to eventually enter the Teochew Opera trade.

"Even though my grandfather was the ang moh type who spoke English and had anglicised manners, he loved watching Chinese opera. That’s where he met my grandmother, who was an opera actress. He pursued her, and eventually they got married."

Eventually, the couple founded a Teochew opera troupe doing qing chang (opera singing without staging or makeup), later adding puppetry and da xi (longer performances, complete with elaborate costumes and musical ensembles).

However, Christine’s mother wasn’t keen on letting her children pursue opera despite their interest. In the late nineties, opera and puppetry were no longer popular as mainstream entertainment, and the number of performers was rapidly dwindling.

The lack of manpower meant that Christine and her brother were roped in to help out occasionally. Eventually, she acknowledged their proficiency, guided them and gradually involved them in the business.

Challenges of learning puppetry and running a troupe

小兵 (soldier), a minor character in Teochew Puppetry

The troupe uses puppets made of clay and porcelain that are more than 40 years old. Compared to the modern wooden puppets, these traditional puppets are heavier and more expressive, carrying a liveliness that newer versions rarely match.

Each 25cm-long puppet is controlled by three mental rods attached to its back. One rod holds it upright while the other two control its movements. In a single play, more than ten puppets may take the stage, leaving performers to manage upwards of 30 rods at once.

“At first, the hardest part of learning puppetry was managing the puppet’s weight. A show runs for up to three hours, and this means being under the heat while supporting the puppet for that duration.

There is also the fear of accidentally breaking the puppets. If you’re not careful, the inserted rod might unhook, and the puppets fall over. In the process, they may lose half an ear or a nose. Repairing them is costly, if I can even find a skilled artisan to fix them.

“Three generations of our family have done this, and I’ve put in nearly 20 years of dedication, we’re reluctant to let it go."

Keeping a treasured art form alive

Sin Ee Lye Heng troupe member with a 将军 (military general) puppet.

When she became heavily involved with Sin Ee Lye Heng, some months saw only a single day of opera.

“When we put on shows, some young people do stop and watch. But because they don’t understand Teochew and struggle with the language barrier, they would usually leave after ten minutes. So, more often than not, the troupe performs for the deities and elderly folks.”

Christine has been exploring ways to bridge that gap for young audience members, from providing subtitles to doing community outreach. She visits schools and museums to bring Teochew puppetry directly to younger audiences. Through hands-on workshops and immersive experiences, she hopes the audience can leave with positive memories of puppetry.

Still, the fate of the troupe remains uncertain and weighs heavily on Christine’s mind. Though the future may cast its shadows, she chooses to focus on the present.

“Sometimes, I do worry, ‘Oh no, we don't have a next generation [of opera performers]. What do we do?’ But then I realised, ‘Aiyah, I should just focus on doing my best right now’. If I perform the current shows well, I think that is already enough."

If you would like to watch the last Teochew puppeteers in Singapore, follow the Sin Ee Lye Heng Facebook page for their upcoming schedule. Most shows are held at Chinese temples and are performed as tribute to the deities.