About the speaker
Christine Ang Shu Jun is the third-generation inheritor and troupe manager of Sin Ee Lye Heng Puppet Troupe in Singapore. Although her mother encouraged her to pursue other paths, she began learning Teochew opera at the age of ten and took up iron-rod puppetry at thirteen. With eighteen years of experience, she now helps manage and sustain the troupe, continuing the artistic legacy established by her grandmother, Koh Quee Kim. Christine is committed to passing Singapore’s traditional Teochew street-opera culture on to the next generation. Rather than presenting Teochew opera solely as a polished theatre production, she hopes audiences can also experience the atmosphere of old Singapore, when performances were woven into temple festivals and neighbourhood life. Through performances, heritage tours, and hands-on activities, she keeps Teochew street opera rooted in the community as a form of Singapore’s living cultural heritage, allowing the tradition to continue across generations.
About the organisation
Sin Ee Lye Heng Puppet Troupe
Sin Ee Lye Heng Puppet Troupe was founded in Singapore in 1977 by Quek Han Chang and Teochew opera actress Koh Quee Kim, beginning as a qing chang (sung-recitation) troupe. After encountering iron-rod puppetry in Malaysia, Koh introduced the art form into the troupe. The tradition is now continued by her daughter, Tina Quek, granddaughter Christine Ang Shu Jun, and other family members. The troupe is reputedly the only remaining Teochew iron-rod puppet troupe in Singapore. Sin Ee Lye Heng continues to serve temples and the Teochew community through performances at festivals and Taoist events, while also reaching audiences beyond the Teochew community. The troupe works with schools and museums through performances, heritage tours and hands-on workshops, introducing younger generations to Teochew culture and its Chaoshan roots. Through these activities, it keeps this distinctive traditional art visible and active as part of Singapore’s living cultural heritage, within contemporary community and educational settings.
