West Kowloon to present Autoteatro: Someone Else (Hong Kong Version)

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) will present a Hong Kong version of ‘Autoteatro’ performance – Someone Else (Hong Kong Version) in collaboration with acclaimed British theatre maker Ant Hampton and local theatre company Cinematic Theatre in February and March. The audience for Someone Else (Hong Kong Version) is invited to be part of the performance, and to interact with strangers so as to re-think the social isolation of urban dwellers.

‘Autoteatro’ is an innovative theatre performance in which audience members become performers by following a pre-recorded set of instructions. Known for this genre of work, Ant Hampton often invites the audience to go to a café or elsewhere in a non-theatre setting to speak to or sympathise with a stranger spontaneously.

“I hope the participants, having experienced Someone Else, will go into the city and speak to someone whom they would not normally get to speak with,” said Ant Hampton. “The piece is an invitation to reflect, and to think about what it would be like to take on this challenge, to give oneself the legitimacy to act differently for a moment.” Someone Else won the award for “Best Immersive Non-Fiction” at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) 2015.

In the first part of the performance, participants in West Kowloon will put on headphones, follow instructions from a recording and interact with people whom they have never met while enjoying the city skyline. The second part will continue in different locations in the city, adding new elements to the journey, like the largest text display in Hong Kong. 

“At West Kowloon, art is not the icing on the cake. Art must matter and it must inspire us to be better, to do better. We invite you to enter into this moment of reflection with us, even before our first buildings open to welcome one and all; to think about what it means to expand your world to encounter that someone else who is outside your comfort zone,” said Mr Low Kee Hong, Head of Artistic Development (Theatre) of WKCDA.

Someone Else is suitable for participants aged 16 or above. Interested parties are required to download the mobile app and register online. For programme and registration details, please visit http://www.westkowloon.hk/en/someoneelse.

Remark

Programme details of Someone Else (Hong Kong Version) in March