Chung Ying Theatre Company 2022/23 Season: Wind, Sand and Stars
It is your belief and determination that illuminate the Wind, Sand and Stars.
The vastness of the sky can be enchanting yet terrifying. Saint-Exupéry, the author of the classic "The Little Prince", was an air-mail pilot. Back in the day, air travel was extremely dangerous. Making each voyage complete is like escaping/outrunning death, that he was willing to bet on his life to deliver love and joy to the longing hands across France and West Africa. As a pilot, he had the front row seat for the magnificence of nature: the soul stunning skylines of the clouds, mountains, oceans and the thousands of stars that light up the midnight sky. The beauty can turn sour in the blink of an eye and he would find himself in great danger. Yet, he still chose to believe his friends who have accompanied him in flying for many years: the Wind, Sand and Stars.
When he was helplessly lost in the dark, in a storm, or in any uncontrollable situation, he looked for a glimmer of light. It could be a star, a lighthouse, or candlelight, however dimmed it may seem, each light could be a gateway to bring him home.
Oft-time in life, when obstacles arise, we will have this feeling of losing ourselves all alone in the void of darkness. Especially in this seemingly never-ending pandemic, we often wonder if we should just give up……
Stepping into the 43rd season, Chung Ying Theatre Company presents to you five stories: The Golden Dragon visualise the dark side of globalisation; The Advocate leads the audience into a world of paradoxes where the rule of law and people’s will clash; The Miracles of the Namiya General Store (Re-run) teaches us that kindness heals souls; Man of La Mancha follows the footstep of a dauntless knight on a journey both impassioned and perilous; A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood tells the tale of love breaking through shadow and despair. Through these stories, we wish to say: Stay hopeful, and eventually, a light will appear to lead you through all the twists and turns in life.
- The performance venue may adjust the admission rules and/or seating capacity/arrangement etc. as necessary for prevention of disease. Some audience seats may thus be reallocated or ticket holder may thus be denied admission. Please note the latest announcement for the event.
- The presenter reserves the right to change the programme and substitute artists should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary
Chung Ying 2022/23 Season: The Golden Dragon
A rotten tooth and a restaurant
Playful laughter and angry rebukes reveal the tragic story of illegal labour
There has always been a problem of illegal employment of immigrants in European society. In Germany, an Asian restaurant named "Golden Dragon", where five illegal Asian immigrants are working in the kitchen. The story begins when one of them finds himself with a serious toothache. To conceal their identities, going to a dentist is out of the question. His colleague could not stand his agony and decided to pull out his tooth…...
Behind every closed door, there is a story. The stories within this community happen to cross paths with one another through this Golden Dragon Restaurant. A store owner who runs an underground club; a lonely grandfather who is obsessed with eternal youth; the granddaughter became pregnant unexpectedly and quarrels with the one who did the deed all day; a woman in red dress and her drunkard husband are on the verge of an emotional breakup; two stewardesses who look pretty in front of people regret their fading youth behind. With masks that conceal their flaws and secrets, they all enjoyed Golden Dragon's Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese cuisines.
Nevertheless, Aesop's fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper is subversively retold in a shadowed corner. Under Capitalism, ants are no longer kind and friendly, and the grasshopper is not only idling in pleasure. The moral-conveying fable is turning into a reality of flesh and blood…
Nominated for Best Director (Comedy/Farce) at the 30th Hong Kong Drama Awards for this production, promising young director Kingston Lo re-directed this play, five cast members will perform 17 personalities in 48 scenes and usher the audience into the dark side of globalisation. In mocking laughter and angry rebukes unfolds the tragic story of how illegal labour find themselves descended into the inferno.
The dark side of people's hearts is like a void, any mindless craving for an immediate and petty flavour will eventually entrap you. The darker the days, the more we should get together. Don't give yourself up as you are not alone and helpless. Once you bravely walk out of the darkness, home is awaited.
Chung Ying Theatre Company: The Advocate
When the will of the people and the rule of law are hanging in the balance, who will have the courage to defend justice against mass opinions
In a desperate world, reasons are overwhelmed by fear and rage; human rights are stripped away from us. "Evil for evil" becomes acquiesced as the new order.
Wang Ran is sentenced to death for indiscriminate killing. The raging crowd wants him dead, yet his defence lawyer, Chen Che-hao, after learning about Wang's mental abnormality and the unfair treatment he has suffered during the interrogations, insists on applying for an "extraordinary appeal", to defend his rights.
The public reaction is exacerbated by Chen's attempt to delay the execution. Not only he but also his wife and daughter get alienated and entangled too. However, Chen does not succumb to distorted justice. He steadfastly works on the appeal and even proposes on "restorative justice", lobbying all stakeholders: the convicted, his family and the families of the victims to mediate the nature of law. On the other hand, a successful appeal may left the government no way to quell the growing public anger, hence the office tries to accelerate legal procedures and execute the shooting soon…
The Advocate is the latest work of Ivan Kwok, the award-winning playwright of Principle. Through an indiscriminate murder case in Taiwan, he leads the audience into a world of paradoxes where the rule of law and people's will are locked in a violent to-and-fro tussle. Prejudice is like a haze, misleading people. When Chen stands up against the mass, he is not only defending the rule of law but also trying to mend the rifts among people, as he believes, the more important thing besides punishment, is to let the community walk out of the prejudice and sorrow to find the way ahead with sharp eyes and a clear mind. The light of a single star, though dim, strives to shine in the darkness lest we get lost.
Chung Ying Theatre Company: The Miracles of the Namiya General Store (Re-run)
Believe in the miracle of life, till the end of the line.
A trio of NEETs who dare not to look back to the past or hope for the future accidentally break into the long-abandoned Namiya General Store one night; the delivery of a letter dated 33 years ago bewilders them, not knowing that from that very moment they have stumbled upon the many knots of timelines and stories...
In curiosity, the trio read the letters, every word of which echoes their anxieties and perplexities. Out of empathy, these NEETs who never believe in the virtues of life, decide to carry on the communication between the store owner and the senders of the letters. They try to follow Mr. Namiya's use of tenderness to guide others to find their future, unknowingly becoming the beacon shining upon the helpless passers-by in the darkness.
Adapted from the bestseller of the same name by Japanese author Keigo Higashino, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store was first staged in Hong Kong by Chung Ying in 2018 which was warmly received and attracted a full house. This year features an applauded comeback of the show with the theme song composed by On Chan of C AllStar and lyrics by Oscar, echoing the essence of the story: Let love warm our hearts. This small store witnesses the joys and sorrows of ordinary people in great times, and guides everyone to rise in the darkness until they find their star.
Chung Ying Theatre: Man of La Mancha
May the world be filled full of dreams
Wish this life never deterred by all the wounds
In the 16th Century, Spanish poet Miguel de Cervantes tells of a magical journey of a nobleman Don Quixote and his squire. The endeavour of the protagonist has been throughout generations characterised as pure madness because he has chosen to take an impassioned and perilous journey filled with dreams. After four hundred years, the story of this "madman" continues to journey.
Cervantes has been put in jail, awaiting trial at the Holy Inquisition. He sets the stage for his fellow prisoners: Don Quixote the dauntless knight and Sancho the squire start their adventure in an imaginary kingdom where they find an ancient castle, encounter a wicked sorcerer, and come across a noble lady. The journey is filled with absurdity, romance and thrill. Even though people ridicule him as a madman, Don Quixote is never deterred. His perseverance and chivalry gradually move those around him, as well as the prisoners who are listening to Cervantes' story.
Man of La Mancha is a musical combining the life of its author Cervantes and his classic novel. It was originally scheduled for public performances in early 2021 but was cancelled twice due to the pandemic. After three years’ preparation the Cantonese version of which will be staged in Hong Kong. Famous lyricist Chow Yiu Fai and his team, and Millennium Youth Orchestra join the production work of the play and: To dream the impossible dream.
Chung Ying Theatre: A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood
Hope is the light in an epoch of darkness.
During the French Revolution in the eighteenth century, old orders have been overthrown and new orders are in the making. Charles Dickens’ world-renowned novel, A Tale of Two Cities unfolds a tragedy caused by the hatred between the lower class and the nobility in this golden moment.
The only child of the Defarges is run over by the carriage of Marquis St Evrémonde, which causes the couple to take revenge on Marquis’ nephew, Charles. Charles falls in love with Lucie, whose father is put into 18 years’ ghastly imprisonment by the Marquis. He himself is also imprisoned simply because of his identity as a member of the nobility. Sydney also suffers from the hard times. Only with his love of Lucie can cast away the darkness and hopelessness in his world.
The UK production team has applied a simple, realistic and contemporary approach to reconstruct Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Tour performance of A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood took place in Hong Kong and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe back in 2016 were highly praised. The Chinese version presented by Chung Ying Theatre Company will be staged in 2023. In a world of shadows and sadness, these characters let go of pain and hatred until they have found their peace.