2013.11.07 04:36 Maurice Lai

2011-01-14 03:57:02 (Original release date)

Reporters have asked how we managed to persist when the conditions for putting up such a performance are so difficult?

Here, I would like to share my story with you.

In the year 2008, we had performances of "Romance in a Labyrinth" and "III Domains : Human, Ghost & Deity"(Third Run) here at Kwai Tsing Theatre. During that time, there were a few groups of people from other countries who bought tickets to these performances. As it was also the Hong Kong Arts Festival, it turned out that most of them were participants in the Festival in drama or dance.

When the last act of "III Domains" was completed, I went to the lobby and I saw four foreigners who had just seen our performance. So I went up to talk to them. And I found out they also came because they were invited to perform in the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and in their free-time they would like to see some traditional Chinese performance. They told me one of the reasons why they picked our performance was because we had English subtitles to help with their understanding. They could not believe what they saw- our actors and actresses could do it all-sing, dance and act with elaborate and difficult martial arts movements that required many years of practice. They were especially impressed by our leading roles HONG Hai and Susanna CHENG, who had major parts in all three acts, and when each act demanded for a very different emotion. The stage effects had also won their compliments in producing a high quality theatrical experience. When I asked where did they come from, they pointed to a poster next to where I stood, and asked whether we would perform overseas as they thought our performance would receive good reviews.

On the poster was one of the three major American theatre groups celebrated by the Time Magazine, who had come to Hong Kong to perform "Orpheus X" for the first time, a rock & roll theatre version of the Greek Mythology, nominated for a Pulitzer Drama Award in 2007. Standing in front of me, were their leading actors and actresses - I was overwhelmed. If our performance had been poor, they would not have wasted two-and-a half hour to see an unfamiliar work, they should have gone by then! I truly believe their compliments are genuine. There has been too little encouragement expressed by us Chinese. Of course there is always room for improvement, but if we really did not such a bad job, please say so. Give us a few of your applauses, give us strength to persist.

Tradition is the reduction of new achievements in the past. There will be no tradition if our predecessors do not have the courage to explore, experiment and create. There has been a substantial change to how Cantonese opera is treated than it was previously. The design of Chinese opera costume change a lot than 1910s. Traditionally, the violin, the saxophone, and the double bass are not used in Cantonese opera, but now they become the indispensible elements of the band. When the famous Cantonese opera script writer TONG Tik-sang made fresh scores for the legendary Cantonese opera company "Sin Fung Ming", experimenting here and there, the audience did not find them acceptable instantly. It is not until later that he has proven all skeptics wrong and his scores became hugely popular. Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop is also experimenting with ways to present Cantonese opera. It is difficult to find new ways to write the script, to make the production, and to carry out the performance, but we will persist.

To borrow from the late Mr. SZETO Wah : “Success does not depend on me, but He asks for my contribution.”

To my daughter Leia : It is both the premier of "ARENA" and your 1st birthday on 15 January 2011. I cannot be with you on that day, but hopefully when you grow up you will be proud of what I did together with all these uncles, aunties, brothers and sisters who like me, are a little bit crazy.

Maurice Lai "ARENA" Producer