Compared to Chinese cinema studies, Chinese theatre studies are a relatively neglected area of scholarship, and jingju (Beijing Opera), despite its important place in Chinese cultural history, has been neglected within Chinese theatre studies. This excellent book, which examines the development of Beijing Opera since the late 19th century through the lens of some of its most outstanding and creative performers and their struggles to adapt their art to social change and the political demands of successive regimes, is therefore a particularly timely and valuable contribution to international scholarship.

There is much to recommend this book for a wide-ranging readership. For those unfamiliar with Beijing Opera, it begins with two chapters that provide an excellent introduction to this highly sophisticated and stylized performance art. In chapter one, Li traces the historical origins and early development of jingju in the Qing Dynasty as a hybrid that drew freely on the strengths of other regional theatre forms and which from its inception was both supported and heavily controlled by the highest authorities of the day. Chapter two switches from social and political context to a detailed explanation of the various elements that a jingju actor must master. Here and in the remaining chapters the author, as the daughter of prominent jingju performer Li Yuru (a student of stars including Mei Lanfang), and having herself experienced several months training in jingju as a child, is able to supplement rigorous documentary research with unique “insider” knowledge and access. Chapter two systematically introduces the basic teaching of singing, speaking and movement and vividly brings to life the lengthy, rigorous and exacting training that must be undertaken to master jingju performance techniques.

Chapters three to eight can be considered the core of the book. Arranged in chronological order, each chapter focuses on one prominent jingju performer from the 1910s to the present day. These are respectively Cheng Yanqiu (1904–58) representing the period 1910s to 1940s; Li Yuru (1923–2008) representing the period 1949 to the early 1960s; Ma Yongan (1942–2007) representing the period 1964–1976; Yan Qinggu (1970–) representing jingju in Taiwan since the 1980s; and Wu Hsing-kuo (1953–) representing innovation in Taiwan in the new millennium. Each chapter examines the experience of the performer and his or her creative development of jingju in response to the changing social and political environment of the day. This framework and approach to the research topic is extremely effective because it allows multi-faceted analysis of some of the major developments in jingju in the past century. Scholarly discussion of the most salient political or social factors affecting performers in each period and the efforts of the profession to respond to those pressures – such as the drive for modernization in the early 20th century leading to demands for modern costumes, modernized speech and modern themes, or box office pressures forcing innovative cross-cultural experimentation with absurdist theatre in the new millennium – are complemented by biographical notes and anecdotes that bring a personal dimension to the writing. This enables the book to give the reader a unique sense of what it was/is like to train and work as a jingju actor and grapple with the unique issues challenging the artist in each period.

Li Ruru's position as both “insider” (daughter of a jingju star) and “outsider” (Western academic) has enabled her to tap into a unique set of sources and data for her book. Her Chinese sources include a large body of mainland and Taiwanese publications not previously drawn upon in research in the field as well as unique oral interviews and personal communications with the subjects of her research or their former students, some of whom have since passed on. This data set makes this book a significant contribution to scholarship in the field that will be of great interest to specialists in Beijing opera and Chinese theatre more generally. Because the book includes a general introduction to Beijing opera history and performance techniques and each core chapter includes clear information about the socio-political environment in which the performers worked, this book would also be suitable for advanced undergraduate courses in Chinese literature and culture or advanced courses in Asian cultural studies. At the same time Li writes in a lively style that projects her passion for her topic and is thoroughly engaging. This makes the book enjoyable reading for anyone with an interest in performance art and theatre studies.