Ho Fei Fan, born Ho Ho-nin in Dongguan, Guangdong on 1 February 1919, was one of the most popular Cantonese opera leading men of his generation. He began studying opera at fifteen under the actor Lee Kiu-tin, later learning from the chousheng Chan Sing-cheung and the star Sek Yin-tsi, and made his stage debut at sixteen under the name Ho Siu-lin, serving as an extra and a young male lead in troupes such as Fung Kau Wong. In 1947 he became principal male lead of the Man Ngai troupe, early starring in pieces such as Parade of Triumph at the Gate, and that year founded the Fei Fan Heung Opera Troupe and starred opposite the celebrated dan Cho Chau-wan in The Romantic Monk, an adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber. The production ran for 367 consecutive sold-out performances, setting a box-office record for Cantonese opera and earning Ho the nickname 'the Romantic Monk'. His many stage hits included A Sweet Girl's Fancies (with Hung Sin-nui), The Love Song in the Scripture (with Fong Yim-fun), The Mad Monk by the Sea (with Tang Bik-wan), Tears for Ping Ji (with Yu Lai-chun) and Two Immortals at the Pavilion of the Moon (with Ng Kwan-lai). His lyrical, individual vocal style became known as the 'Fan style', and his recordings, such as The Romantic Monk and The White Rabbit Reunion, sold well. He entered films in 1950 with Monk in Love and appeared in more than a hundred pictures up to 1963, most adapted from his operas. In 1956 he founded Yuzhou Film Company, whose first release was Love Vs Love. Between 1961 and 1965 he served five consecutive terms as chairman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, founding free schools during his tenure. He died in Hong Kong on 28 October 1980 and was buried in Macao.
By running 367 performances of The Romantic Monk, Ho Fei Fan pushed a novel-derived Cantonese opera into the mass market; his 'Fan style' singing became a model for later performers, while the many opera films he starred in preserved classic stage works, shaping the interaction between Cantonese opera and film for decades.
Achievements
- 1947 · Founded the Fei Fan Heung Opera Troupe and starred with Cho Chau-wan in The Romantic Monk, which ran for 367 performances and set a Cantonese-opera box-office record.
- 1956 · Founded Yuzhou Film Company, whose inaugural production was Love Vs Love.
- 1961 · Served five consecutive terms as chairman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong from 1961 to 1965, founding free schools during his tenure.