語言與儀式：從「泰語潮劇」論潮劇在泰國的轉化與展演

Language and Ritual: The Transformation and Performance of Teochew Opera in Thailand via“Thai-language Teochew Opera”

1982年曼谷建都200年慶典，莊美隆創作泰語唱唸的《包公鍘侄》在拍貼（施琳通）公主御前首演，「泰語潮劇」一夕成名，此後持續嘗試唱腔創作、拓展演出場域，使新型態的戲曲，登上電視螢幕，進入皇室慶典、大學校園、大型廣場，轉化泰國商業潮劇的創作傳統，近年正名為「優泰劇」（泰文：งิ้วไทย，英文轉寫：Ngio Thai）。
本文以語言與儀式作為切入點，考察泰語潮劇形成之後的發展，及對酬神潮劇的影響。語言的部份涵蓋音樂，「泰語潮劇」與「優泰劇」的分野，乃在前者只是舞臺語言的變遷，唱腔、鑼鼓依舊是潮劇的，後者則著重新創意涵，融會中、泰音樂，不再依託潮劇，企圖形塑新的戲曲劇種。儀式的部份涉及演出場域，泰語潮劇在酬神場合，以潮語「番人戲」（潮州話拼音：huêng1 nang5 hi3）稱之，外府演出酬神戲，流程為「扮仙→加插→正戲」，泰語潮劇與變臉、變魔術等綜藝節目，同樣被置於加插段落，可知潮語及潮劇在酬神演出仍具不可取代的儀式地位，是以「潮語敬神、泰語娛人」。
本文最末，將泰國潮劇、泰語潮劇／優泰劇與馬來西亞華人戲曲、印尼布袋戲並觀，以見不同國家語言及同化政策之下形塑的華人酬神戲曲演出，相較於馬、印兩國在華語／國家語言之間擇一展演戲曲，泰國兩種語言、兩種型態並存，儀式意義不同的潮劇相關演出，可見其在海外華人戲曲活動的獨特性。

During the 1982 Bangkok Bicentennial celebration, the Thai-language adaptation of Bao Gong Executes His Nephew, created by Zhuang Mei-long, premiered before HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. This“Thai-language Teochew opera”gained instant acclaim, catalyzing ongoing innovations in vocal composition and the expansion of performance venues. This new theatrical form eventually reached television screens, royal ceremonies, university campuses, and public squares, fundamentally transforming the commercial Teochew opera tradition in Thailand. Recently, this genre has been formalized as“Ngio Thai”(Thai:งิ้วไทย).
Using language and ritual as primary analytical frameworks, this study examines the post-emergence development of Thai-language Teochew opera and its impact on ritualistic (deity-propitiating) Teochew opera performances. Regarding language—which encompasses musicality—a distinction is drawn between“Thailanguage Teochew opera”and“Ngio Thai.”The former represents a transition in stage language while maintaining traditional Teochew melodies and percussion; in contrast, the latter emphasizes original creative content by integrating Chinese and Thai musical elements, thereby decoupling itself from Teochew opera to establish a distinct theatrical genre.
In terms of ritual, the study addresses the spatial dynamics of performance. In deity-propitiating contexts, Thai-language Teochew opera is colloquially referred to in the Teochew dialect as“huêng1 nang5 hi3”(“foreigners’play”). In provincial ritual sequences—typically structured as“Invoking the Immortals→Interpolated Segments→Main Play”—Thai-language opera is categorized as an interpolated segment alongside variety acts such as face-changing and magic shows. This demonstrates that the Teochew language and its traditional opera format retain an irreplaceable status in ritual functions, manifesting the principle of“Teochew-dialect for the divine, Thailanguage for the human.”
Finally, this study compares Thai Teochew opera and Ngio Thai with Chinese opera in Malaysia and Wayang Potehi (glove puppetry) in Indonesia to illustrate how varying national language and assimilation policies have shaped overseas Chinese ritual theater. Unlike the binary choice between Chinese and national languages observed in Malaysia and Indonesia, the coexistence of two languages and two performance modes in Thailand, characterized by their differing ritual significance, underscores its unique trajectory within the broader landscape of overseas Chinese performing arts.