While there are a couple of major arts festivals with theater productions in their line-up, most of them are in English. That’s where the Huayi Chinese Festival of the Arts comes in. The festival is returning on Feb 3-12 for its 15th edition, promising works from respectable performers and upcoming artists. Among the line-up are established artists like well-known Hong Kong artist Anthony Wong and Golden Horse Award winner for Best Actress Yeo Yann Yann. However, the festival will also feature a good mix of local theater practitioners and international productions. With so many choices in mind, here’s our list of shows you should check out.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo credit: Kit Chan
Following the successful debut of their Cantonese adaptation on French playwright Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage last year, Dionysius Contemporary Theater is adapting Shakespeare’s famous romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If you are a fan of Shakespeare or are curious as to how the play will be in Cantonese, we recommend you check it out. Besides that, the play has a cast of actors with solid delivery and strong presence. Anthony Wong will be playing Fairy King Oberon and Theseus, while experienced Hong Kong actress Candice Yu is Queen Hippolyta and Titania.
When: Feb 3-5, 7:30pm (Fri and Sat); 2pm (Sun)
How much: $27-128
Actor, Forty
Actor, Forty. Photo credit: The Pond Photography
This play is a striking collaboration between established Singaporean artists, Yeo Yann Yann and Cultural Medallion recipients, Alvin Tan and Haresh Sharma. Inspired by Yeo’s life experiences, Actor, Forty tells the story of a woman (played by Yeo herself) in her forties taking on multiple identities to deal with difficult family issues, just like an actor switching between roles. It’ll be performed in Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien.
When: Feb 3-6, 3pm and 8pm (timings varies on different days)
How much: $20-38
Offending the Audience
Offending the Audience. Photo credit: The Pond Photography
If you find traditional play structures too boring, then this performance might be up your alley. Offending the Audience is a performance where the actors observe audiences’ actions (like breathing, sitting or thinking) and react to them accordingly while reciting the lines. There will be four nameless characters, played by prominent local artists Nelson Chia, Oliver Chong, Li Xie and Ang Gey Pin. The play is directed by 2016 Young Artist Award recipient Liu Xiaoyi, who takes a modern approach to the classic masterpiece of the same name by Austrian playwright Peter Handke.
When: Feb 10-12, 3pm and 8pm (timings varies on different days)
How much: $20-38
Find out more about the festival here.
