ArenA is a story about Emperor Lau Bong (Pinyin: Liu Bang) rooting out Hon Seon (Pinyin: Han Xin), ‘soldier transcendent’ and ‘god of war’, without whom the ‘Overlord of Co (Pinyin: Chu)’ would not have been defeated nor would Lau Bong have created a dynasty of prosperity. Tracing the last 24 hours of Hon’s life, the story epitomises the phobia-haunted Chinese society, where one is ever fearing replacement by others and is determined to vie fiercely with whoever threatens one’s position, so much so that one is content only with the destruction of the perceived foe.

This is a case of injustice over two millennia old, but also one that recurs throughout history. There is Hon Seon, the ever loyal military general, the epitome of patriotism and virtue、 but there are also others who are more diplomatic and pragmatic who refuse to become the martyrs of history. Each and every character in the opera proceeds with the assurance that justice is on his/her side.

This original Cantonese opera portrays the chief players in the early years of Hon (Pinyin: Han) Dynasty, through the minimalist stage aesthetics of Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop, mixing the traditional with innovations in modern playwriting, stage directing, music arrangement, scenography and costume, in the retelling of this age-old tale.

ArenA is a story about Emperor Lau Bong (Pinyin: Liu Bang) rooting out Hon Seon (Pinyin: Han Xin), ‘soldier transcendent’ and ‘god of war’, without whom the ‘Overlord of Co (Pinyin: Chu)’ would not have been defeated nor would Lau Bong have created a dynasty of prosperity. Tracing the last 24 hours of Hon’s life, the story epitomises the phobia-haunted Chinese society, where one is ever fearing replacement by others and is determined to vie fiercely with whoever threatens one’s position, so much so that one is content only with the destruction of the perceived foe.

This is a case of injustice over two millennia old, but also one that recurs throughout history. There is Hon Seon, the ever loyal military general, the epitome of patriotism and virtue; but there are also others who are more diplomatic and pragmatic who refuse to become the martyrs of history. Each and every character in the opera proceeds with the assurance that justice is on his/her side.

This original Cantonese opera portrays the chief players in the early years of Hon (Pinyin: Han) Dynasty, through the minimalist stage aesthetics of Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop, mixing the traditional with innovations in modern playwriting, stage directing, music arrangement, scenography and costume, in the retelling of this age-old tale.

‘Watching you, I see myself…’

Full of surprise and pain, Watching U… is a moving yet intriguing love story which investigates into the meaning of real-self via an experimental study. The story tells a young philosophy student who leases his open-studio unit to a heartbroken young woman. Two strangers cross paths and a romance begins — but is this really so? When the curtain unveils and the calculated lens focuses on each lover, a trial on the inner self has just begun.

What is real? What is unreal? Can seeing really be believing? Cinematic Theatre continues their video aesthetics in live performance to explore the limits of contemporary theatre.

‘Watching you, I see myself…’

Full of surprise and pain, Watching U… is a moving yet intriguing love story which investigates into the meaning of real-self via an experimental study. The story tells a young philosophy student who leases his open-studio unit to a heartbroken young woman. Two strangers cross paths and a romance begins — but is this really so? When the curtain unveils and the calculated lens focuses on each lover, a trial on the inner self has just begun.

What is real? What is unreal? Can seeing really be believing? Cinematic Theatre continues their video aesthetics in live performance to explore the limits of contemporary theatre.

At a wave of his magical hands, long forgotten timepieces regain momentum round the wheel of time.

For fifty years he raised his child by labouring under the staircase of a tenement building to repair timepieces for neighbours. On the first day of school, the child cried his lungs out at the school gate, staring at him, as he turned away firmly hiding tears rolling down his cheeks.

Today it became his turn to stare longingly at his son, who just sent him to the elderly’s home and turned away lightly with a sigh of relief.

And now, these magical hands would want to regain the lost time but in vain.

#Mask theatre, non-verbal

This is a story that takes place in the backstage of a Cantonese opera troupe.
The performance is about to start, and artists are getting ready for the show. A young reporter visits the troupe in the backstage and is intrigued by what she sees. Guided by the producer, the audience follows the young reporter in her tour of the backstage. Amidst the hustle and bustle of entrances and exits and changes of costume, the audience is shown a world of exquisite costumes, elegant body movements, spectacular martial arts routines, and even the wonderful Southern Music Nanyin, a brand-new way of experiencing Hong Kong’s traditional art.
Led by veteran Cantonese opera performing artist Yuen Siu-fai, Spring Glory Cantonese Opera Workshop presents Backstage with local elite performers, combining with the format of modern theatrical play and introducing the art of Cantonese opera in an interactive and accessible way.

This is a story that takes place in the backstage of a Cantonese opera troupe.
The performance is about to start, and artists are getting ready for the show. A young reporter visits the troupe in the backstage and is intrigued by what she sees. Guided by the producer, the audience follows the young reporter in her tour of the backstage. Amidst the hustle and bustle of entrances and exits and changes of costume, the audience is shown a world of exquisite costumes, elegant body movements, spectacular martial arts routines, and even the wonderful Southern Music Nanyin, a brand-new way of experiencing Hong Kong’s traditional art.
Led by veteran Cantonese opera performing artist Yuen Siu-fai, Spring Glory Cantonese Opera Workshop presents Backstage with local elite performers, combining with the format of modern theatrical play and introducing the art of Cantonese opera in an interactive and accessible way.

A three-in-one concert of bold, experimental performances appealing to all kinds of musical taste. Fingerman, performed by the prodigal pianist KaJeng Wong, is an experimental piece for classical piano which explores the concept of God and takes every member of the audience on a journey of bewilderment and awe.

Beloved Clara, adapted from the 2008 film of the same name, tells the romantic life of pianist and composer Clara Schumann and her influence on Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, through piano, violin and soprano.

Last but not least, SMASH is an enigmatic smashing together of pop, classical and jazz performed by pianist KaJeng Wong, harmonica player CY Leo and saxophonist Timothy Sun. The trio reshape audiences’ perceptions of famous tunes across eras and genres. Combining all-time classics and original compositions, SMASH is a rethinking of music boundaries.

Music as a form of temporal art reaches a new horizon when eastern and western musical traditions and their conceptions of time converge. Muisc Interflow – a Dialogue between East and West emphasisiese the complementary and contrasting nature of the repertoire, which represents both Chinese and British cultural heritage, bringing together both well-established and also emerging talents from Hong Kong’s musicians. This brilliant display of virtuosity offers a selection of classical and contemporary works written for traditional Chinese instruments, including both British and Hong Kong pieces, performed by highly accomplished and cross-cultural musicians well-versed in both eastern and western traditions, cculminating in the evocation of the English romantic poet Shelley.

Music as a form of temporal art reaches a new horizon when eastern and western musical traditions and their conceptions of time converge. Muisc Interflow – a Dialogue between East and West emphasisiese the complementary and contrasting nature of the repertoire, which represents both Chinese and British cultural heritage, bringing together both well-established and also emerging talents from Hong Kong’s musicians. This brilliant display of virtuosity offers a selection of classical and contemporary works written for traditional Chinese instruments, including both British and Hong Kong pieces, performed by highly accomplished and cross-cultural musicians well-versed in both eastern and western traditions, cculminating in the evocation of the English romantic poet Shelley.