Molière’s outrageous farce about pedantry and power is brought to life in a context that all Hong Kongers will recognise: the Mid-levels. Unable to distinguish intellectual snobbery from true learning, the ladies of a Mid-levels household are under the spell of C.Y. Tang, a pompous and affected intellectual fraud. Against her husband’s wishes, the mother of the house desires her youngest daughter, Henriette, to marry C.Y. Tang. But Henriette’s heart is set on Sebastian, a man of practical learning. Will the mother ever see C.Y. Tang for who he truly is? Will Henriette be allowed to marry her Sebastian? Will these learned ladies of the Mid-levels ever learn what true learning is?
With a live quartet playing music adapted from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, The Learned Ladies of Mid-levels is an outrageous comedy with a serious message for contemporary Hong Kong. See footage of our show on YouTube: http://youtu.be/s3ALOP78TxM
The Learned Ladies of Mid-levels was performed to five sell-out audiences at the Fringe Club. An abridged version of the play was also performed at two secondary schools. It was nominated for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Newcomer and Best Designer at the annual HKELD.com theatre awards, and won for Best Supporting Actress.
HKELD.com: [4 out of 5 stars] “…this was a fantastic first show by The Shadow Players… this is a troupe of actors that have come together and given us a rare insight to what dedication and hard work can do when coupled with real talent. They’ve set the bar high for their next performance, but I for one have no doubt that they will only get better.”
The Oloo Blog: “…the Shadow Players are off to a dazzling start… the young actors are cast perfectly… It is a marvelous play, entertaining from start to finish, the actors are genuinely talented and the new theatre company is headed towards a bright, illustrious future.”