Archives West Finding Aid

Wayang is a malay word used to refer to Chinese street opera in Singapore. The three main genres of wayang are Hokkien opera, Teochew opera, and Cantonese opera. The music in wayang performances is produced by six or seven musicians playing woodwinds, stringed instruments, and percussion. The music would accompany dancers dressed in intricate costumes and makeup. Historically, Wayang would be performed outside of religious temples, but as crowd sizes grew, the performances moved to dedicated permanent structures. Wayang has fallen in popularity since the economic depression in Singapore in the 1950s and 60s and the urbanisation and industrialisation of the 1970s.