Ms Tang Bik Wan

1926-1991

Actress

Born Tang Cheuk Fu, opera artist and actress Tang Bik Wan began learning Cantonese opera as a child, and by the age of 15 was already playing principal female roles. She was highly versatile – she sang in both male and female voices, and played male roles, spoilt daughters-in-law, kind and wise ladies, maids and, most notably, the comical pushover. This ability earned her the moniker “the Omnipotent Queen”. Most of the 200 titles she had a hand in were Cantonese movie musicals or comedies. Among the better known were Lady with a Silver and Bitter Tongue (1956), Tonight and Every Night (1956), A Nagging Wife Meets Her Fierce Mother-in-Law (1956), Ah Lan Marries Ah Shui (1957), The Gambler’s Wife (1964) and A Girl in Army (1965). Tang also invested in a film of her own, titled The Fake Marriage (1956). In 1968, she switched to television, becoming famous in A House Is Not a Home (1977), Chameleon (1978) and Love Affairs (1978). Her performance as the matriarch in The Seasons (1987-1988) was so popular that the character was adapted for the film Mother vs Mother (1988).