Opening Play: "Wait Until Dark"
The new season kicks off with the main stage production "Wait Until Dark." The original play was written in 1966 and was adapted into a film starring Audrey Hepburn. This production is translated and directed by Anthony Chan, with Mercy Wong playing the blind protagonist, and will be performed at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre in May.
Hong Kong Repertory Theatre resident director Fung Wai-hang will direct "Attempts on her Life," a translation of one of the most influential works by contemporary British playwright Martin Crimp. Since its premiere in London in 1997, "Attempts on her Life" has been translated into over twenty languages, resonating globally. Fung Wai-hang noted that "Attempts on her Life" consists of seventeen seemingly unrelated segments; the plot is surreal yet emotionally powerful.
The musical "The Red Poppy," which was performed to celebrate the opening of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in 1989, will be staged there once again. The Repertory Theatre has invited the talented singer and dancer Bondy Chiu for her first collaboration, accompanied by live music, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cultural Centre.
Six Black Box Theatre Productions
Other main stage productions include "The Cold-Blooded Diary," adapted from the novel of the same name by young Hong Kong novelist Hon Lai-chu, starring Alice Lau, with veteran director Lee Chun-chow directing for the Repertory Theatre for the first time. The translated play "Three Tall Women" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning work by famous American playwright Edward Albee, and this production features veteran American director David Kaplan.
Additionally, there are three returning productions: "The Emperor's Dragon Robe," "The Professor," and "The Last Supper." Among them, "The Emperor's Dragon Robe" received eleven nominations for the upcoming Hong Kong Drama Awards, while "The Professor" received four. Director Szeto Wai-cheuk did not discuss the awards at the conference, but instead expressed his hope to refine aspects that were not handled well during the previous run. "The Last Supper," which is being restaged in Hong Kong for the third time, has moved from the black box theatre to the main stage. Director Fong Chun-kit said: "The main stage is larger, and I believe the audience will have higher expectations, so this restaging will be handled differently." "The Last Supper" playwright Chong Mui-ngam's other dark comedy, "The Last Sin," will be the finale of the new season's main stage productions. The Repertory Theatre has invited Candice Yu to serve as the lead actress again following her role in "The Glorious Days." This play will be staged next March.
As for the black box theatre productions, they include the "New Works" series: "Paradise. Roller Coaster," "Fly High," "Boom," and "Lost. Etiquette. Death." Furthermore, there is "Giant Cookie," written and directed by Repertory Theatre actor Chan Tsui-lei, and "The Intruder," a brand-new adaptation by UK-based playwright Wu Chi-kuen based on his award-winning script.
