The ‘wu dan’ is one of the female roles in a Chinese opera. The ‘wu dan’ performs acrobatic martial arts and takes part in minor fights. However, unlike the ‘dao ma dan’, who is the archetypal female warrior in a Chinese opera performance, the ‘wu dan’ may be in a military or non-military position.The roles in a Chinese opera can be broadly divided into four main categories: ‘sheng’ (male), ‘dan’ (female), ‘chou’ (clown), ‘jing’ (painted face). Each category has several sub-types defined by age, status and personality. The ‘sheng’ roles are classified by age and status: ‘lao’ (old) or ‘xiao’ (young) and ‘wen’ (scholarly or civil) or ‘wu’ (military). The ‘dan’ roles include the ‘hua dan’ (a lively, flirtatious lady), the ‘lao dan’ (a dignified, elderly lady), ‘dao ma dan” (a female warrior), ‘gui men dan’ (a young, unmarried maiden) and ‘qing yi’ (a virtuous young lady). The ‘chou’ is the male comic element and the role is characterized by wit and humour, much like the fool in Shakespearean plays. The ‘jing’ role represents either absolute good or evil and covers a wide spectrum of characters, such as statesmen, warriors, generals, bandits and demons. The colours and patterns on an actor’s painted face indicate the ‘jing’ role that he is playing.
