The Pawned Wife (Cultural Extravaganza 2024)

“The Pawned wife” is an ambitious new production by Nam Hwa Opera, featuring an award winning International production team and local Teochew opera talents.

Based on a novel “The Enslaved Mother” and written by Chinese playwright Luo Huaizhen, the opera brings to life the poignant and tragic tale of a woman married into poverty.

Caught in the vicious cycle of unemployment, drinking and gambling habits, the woman’s husband agreed to pawn his wife for one hundred silver coins after their only son fell sick and they have no means of seeking treatment.

Under the contract, the poor man’s wife will become the interim concubine of a wealthy but elderly scholar for three years. Yearning for an heir, the scholar hopes that the poor man’s wife can conceive and give him a son which she did a year later. The scholar even promised to take her in as a concubine but when the contract comes to an end, the bitter reality sets in.

She and her husband were both humiliated and her new son forcefully taken away from her. Torn between the past and the present, her dream of reunion with her family was cruelly shattered, when she realized her husband has not turned over a new leaf and her sick son was on the verge of death…

Promo code
PAssion Card: Key in the first 4 digits of your PAssion Card
NTUC: NTUCCE24
Merewards: MRCE24
SAFRA: SAFRACE24
HomeTeamNS: HTNSCE24

Enter Cultural Extravaganza 2024 microsite