Freespace x HKRep Panasonic Proudly Sponsors The Impossible Trial – a musical Premieres in September

Commissioned by Freespace of the West Kowloon Cultural District (the District), and co-presented and co-produced by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRep) and Freespace, The Impossible Trial – a musical assembles some of Hong Kong’s top creators and performers and will be staged from 9 September 2022 at the Grand Theatre of the Xiqu Centre. The musical presents the tale of Fong Tong Geng, Guangdong’s most prominent advocate. This world premiere is poised to breathe new life into local original musicals. Tickets are available from 28 July 2022.

The Impossible Trial – a musical, composed by Leon Ko, with lyrics by Chris Shum, written by Cheung Fei Fan, directed by Resident Director of HKRep Fong Chun Kit, and Ivanhoe Lam as Staging Director & Choreographer, Wong Yat Kwan as Scenographer, featuring Lau Shau Ching, Jordan Cheng and Tunes Ting, brings together some of Hong Kong’s top creatives to produce a three-hour performance. The creative team uses modern musical technique to present a well-known tale from Qing dynasty. The story is about Fong Tong Geng, Guangdong’s most prominent advocate, who is known for his greed and malice. At the height of his career, heaven deals him a blow and his reputation and wealth are lost overnight. Haunted by the bitter ghost Ah Sai, Fong fights his way back to the magistrate to right his wrongs and redeem himself as the champion of the common man.

The musical is an unprecedented experiment in Hong Kong in terms of its theme, creation process and length of preparation. Drawing reference from the tradition of mainstream theatres in the UK and the US, the team staged preview performances in May 2019 (titled as The Great Pretender) and was overwhelmed by the wonderful audience response in four full house performances. After detailed questionnaire surveys and post-performance discussions to collect audience feedback, the musical has been crafted through rounds of review and revision, perfecting the whole production and scenography.

Paul Tam, Executive Director, Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority said, ‘The Impossible Trial – a musical is the first original Cantonese musical presented by the District. Over five years in the making, this large-scale work boldly illustrates our commitment to the development of musical – the art form, talent and audience – and lays the foundation for the opening of the Lyric Theatre Complex in a few years’ time, for which musical is one of its main art forms. Additionally, this production with the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre is a crown jewel of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s strategic alliances with the city’s emerging and established artists and organisations. This fall, we invite the audiences to come share our pride and joy for this wonderful musical.’

Anthony Chan, Artistic Director of HKRep said, ‘After its 2019 preview run, The Impossible Trial – a musical will grace the stage in a fully-fledged new production at the Xiqu Centre’s Grand Theatre, an occasion that Hong Kong theatregoers eagerly await! The creative team of this large-scale musical has devoted tremendous time and energy in revising and refining the work, even adding new songs, ensuring The Impossible Trial reaches the highest artistic niveau. We look forward to this world premiere, which will delight our audience with refreshing and exhilarating performances.‘

Performance Details

Title Sponsor: Shun Hing Group
24 September 2022 Charity Performance sponsored by: Friends of Caritas
25 September 2022 Community Performance sponsored by: Hong Kong Society of Nephrology and International Association of Chinese Nephrologists

This programme is an accredited event celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Join us for a journey of justice in the theatre in September! Check out http://www.westkowloon.hk/theimpossibletrial for programme details and the latest ticketing information.

Remarks

About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on forty hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, providing twenty-three hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.

About Freespace
Freespace is Hong Kong’s new centre for contemporary performance. Located in the heart of the Art Park, Freespace presents multi-genre performances and events, produces boundary-pushing collaborations, and promotes new ways of seeing and experiencing performance. Freespace houses The Box, a flexible space for cutting-edge performances and one of the largest black box theatres in Hong Kong, two multi-purpose spaces, The Room and The Studio, designed for creative exchange and artistic collaborations, and Lau Bak Livehouse, an intimate bar cafe presenting live music from Hong Kong and around the world.

About the Xiqu Centre
The first landmark performing arts venue to open in West Kowloon, the Xiqu Centre acts as the eastern gateway to the cultural district. Specifically built for performances of Chinese traditional theatre, the Xiqu Centre is designed to conserve, promote and develop the art of Chinese opera. It also provides a centre for the production, education and research of this unique art form. In 2019, the Xiqu Centre was listed as one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places.

About Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
Artistic Director: Anthony Chan

Longest standing and largest professional theatre company in Hong Kong, established in 1977 and incorporated in 2001. Financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the company operates under the guidance of its Governing Council, and employs a team of over 80 full-time professionals including the artistic director, assistant artistic director, resident director, actors, drama educators, technical and stage management staff as well as administrators. Presented more than 400 productions, many of which have become classics of the local theatre canon. Produces and develops a high-quality, innovative and diverse repertoire, encompassing Chinese, international, classic, contemporary theatre as well we original new works by local artists. Artistic Director, Anthony Chan and the company are dedicated to develop the audiences’ interest and appreciation of theatre and to enrich the city’s cultural life through its leadership position as the city’s flagship theatre company.