Message from the Chief Producer

This October, we present the sixth edition of Hong Kong’s Black Box Chinese Opera Festival, an event that has become an important platform for our goal of preserving the heritage art, encouraging creativity and innovation, facilitating collaboration and exchange, and nurturing new audiences. This year’s programme includes three of the Xiqu Centre’s own experimental Cantonese opera productions, as well as two highly acclaimed works from the mainland: the experimental kunqu opera The Chairs by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and the experimental gaojia opera Sister A Da by the Jin Liansheng Gaojia Opera Troupe of Xiamen City.

The experimental kunqu opera The Chairs – an adaptation of Romanian-French dramatist Eugène Ionesco’s 1952 play Les Chaises – sees two Plum Blossom Award-winning performers take on multiple roles in an existential exploration of the nature of human lives and relationships. Its avant-garde narrative style, presentation and theme mark a radical departure from traditional kunqu, and the cast and production team rise to the challenge with expert aplomb. Sister A Da showcases the signature comic style of gaojia opera on an uncharacteristically pared-down stage and incorporates a variety of contemporary elements. Plum Blossom Award-winner Wu Jingjing takes on the title role, offering a vivid portrait of a well-intentioned but meddling woman with a generous heart. We are honoured to have both the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and Jin Liansheng Gaojia Opera Troupe of Xiamen City return to the Xiqu Centre stage this year, and happy to offer Hong Kong audiences another opportunity to experience their unique experimental creations.

The Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2023 also features three of the Xiqu Centre’s original experimental Cantonese opera productions. Following the popular success of The Imperial Decree (Preview) during the 2022 festival, I reunited with playwrights Keith Lai and Janet Wong to further refine the script. We hope that the newly updated version provides a fresh experience for the audience ahead of the upcoming official premiere in Beijing. Completing the programme are two award-winning productions: Farewell My Concubine (New Adaptation) and Wenguang Explores the Valley. Since their respective premieres, both productions have toured the region to wide acclaim. I am proud and excited to see these accomplished performances return to the festival stage, and look forward to hearing your feedback – it is the motivation and inspiration for us to keep creating new things, experimenting with bold ideas and improving what we do.

Alongside the performances, the festival includes the Living Heritage Workshop Series – a programme of hands-on creative experiences that allow participants to explore traditional crafts through a contemporary lens and engage in stimulating discussions.

Finally, we wish to thank the Yam Kim Fai and Pak Suet Sin Charitable Foundation for being the title sponsor of Black Box Chinese Opera Festival 2023, and for their generous support for xiqu innovation and development. We look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for artists to showcase their talents, as well as platforms for communication between performers and audiences. We remain committed to promoting a rich range of xiqu genres and artistic influences, and opening up new pathways for the future of this ancient art form.

Naomi Chung
Head of Xiqu, Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District