Fugue of Two Shores
25-26, 28.04.2025 | 8PM – 10:00 PM
01-03,05,08-10,15-17.05.2025 | 8PM – 10:00PM
27.04; 04,11.05.2025 | 7PM – 9:00 PM
F Hall Studio & Prison Yard (Performance)
Laundry Steps (Artist Talk)
$280
[Book Now]
Remarks
- Duration: approximately 2 hours
- In Cantonese without surtitles
- The programme contains some vulgar languages, recommended for ages 10 and above
- No latecomers will be admitted
- Audience is required to walk around various locations during the performance. Comfortable clothing is recommended and please assess your physical condition if it is suitable for participation
- Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. Tai Kwun reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the arrangements.
Artist Sharing
- Date: 1 May 2025 (Thu)
- Time: 6-7PM
- Venue: Laundry Steps, Tai Kwun
Speakers:
- Jay Lei (Concept, Co-Director and Multimedia Director)
- Jay Lee (Concept, Research, Co-Director and Playwright)
- Creative team of Fugue of Two Shores
Moderator:
- Ms. Vee Long (Theatre Director)
Free admission
Following the The Inner Études (2021) which drew inspiration from the history of granites in Hong Kong and The Sublime Progressions (2023) themed around migration and diaspora, the arts group Vividly unveils Fugue of Two Shores, the third and final chapter of a trilogy of immersive theatre.
Set sail! We shall embark on a journey back in the Age of Exploration. You will venture and arrive at a port named Macau. There, the Western colonists unloaded their collection of exotic plants and spices collected from the East. Three centuries later, they set sail again to an island called Hong Kong. The seedlings are transplanted from Macau to Hong Kong with both engulfed by the sea. They quickly took root and flourished into a lush and vibrant garden. Initially just a random piece to complete the master plan for cities in the West, the city came into fruition of its own.
Delving into legends from the antiquated past, Tai Kwun becomes the backdrop of two cities with intertwined destinies. The audiences will be guided on a journey across time and space in Tai Kwun via a multi-dimensional realm in which lighting, soundscapes, projections, and performances intersect. The site-specific theatre offers audiences the chance to witness how the intricate web of life reveals itself and to reconnect with the city by navigating into its past and present.
As we present our third feature in SPOTLIGHT, it seems almost inconceivable that our creative journey with this historic site spanned six years. We notice the nuanced changes at Tai Kwun every time we return—the art installations are different, and some familiar faces have changed. Even the majestic-looking tree has grown a little taller. The entire architectural complex seems to take on a life of its own, and so did our city.
As the third and final chapter of a trilogy of site-specific theatre, Fugue of Two Shores holds a special place in our hearts. Building on narrative threads from our prior work, we discovered in Macau's Luís de Camões Park a place that was once an early link between the two cities—an old plant nursery. Its location and function still retain traces of the antiquated past. As we gaze at the remnants, we can envision how the British merchants and botanists used to collect plants from the Far East—the distant and vast exchanges of species during the Age of Exploration that, little by little, shaped the destinies of the two cities.
As we were reading the display information under the sunlight, two strange silhouettes playfully appeared. They turned out to be two children holding large breadfruit tree leaves and frolicking in the garden. Breadfruit trees, an exotic species, have long been a common sight on the streets of Macau. Just as we carry the leaves in our hands while walking through the city, the seeds also start their intricately linked journeys towards the future.
How do we imagine the future of the city? That is, how do we envision our future? The future is not some aimless and vast creation. It is guided by both intertwined coincidences and the inevitability of history. The stories of these two coastal colonial cities have always been chapters in someone else's story. How do we move forward and tell the vibrant story of these two closely interconnected cities which are good at absorbing and adapting to changes? Perhaps we need to break free from the constraints of established narratives and perceptions, and return to the nuances of our cities, thus allowing the stories of our cities and ourselves to continue. Let us discover the focal point in the seemingly distant and vast history, and journey on without losing ourselves. We never lose sight of each other and the other shore.
At the moment, the entire team is in full swing preparing for the performance. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone behind the scenes for their thoughtful arrangements and care; to the designers for making all the audiovisual possibilities come true; and to the actors and acting coach for their wholehearted dedication—from initial discussions on the story to its final rendition, all of which shaped the show that we now proudly present. Last but not least, we would like to express our special thanks to Singaporean dramaturg Kok Heng Leun, who embarked on this journey of imagination and creation with us since early 2024. We are also grateful to Tai Kwun for trusting us over the past six years, allowing us to witness the proliferation and growth of our work in this vibrant site brimming with historical significance.
Photo Captions:
Plant Nursery in Luís de Camões Park, Macau
Central Oasis, Central, Hong Kong
Histories Revisited
Kok Heng-leun
This work invites the audience to revisit and reflect on histories. It evokes Walter Benjamin’s vivid description of Paul Klee’s monoprint, Angelus Novus. Benjamin describes Angelus Novus as the angel of history, “looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread.” While we perceive history as a series of events, he sees “one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it at his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned…”
This imagery came to mind as I watched the creative team led by Jay Lee and Jay Lei. They strive to restage and reinterpret histories in an effort to understand the complexities that have ensnared them.
The work extends beyond revisiting the past. It speculates on the impact these histories have on those who have been hurt and traumatized. It also imagines new possibilities for confronting and understanding these histories, allowing us to navigate through the storms and make progress.
But there is no magic potion for progress, as it requires experimentation—just as this creative team is exploring their histories and futures.
Please click here for full interview article by The Culturist.
Scene Titles
Scene 1: Narrating the Vast Seas
Scene 2: Echoing the East Wind
Scene 3: Replacement
Scene 4: Systematic Spread
Scene 5: The Diverging
Scene 6: Companions in a Foreign Land
Scene 7: Surge in Deep Earth
Scene 8: Weaving Tributaries
Characters
Although the characters in 𝘍𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 have names, they are not specific individuals or physical “persons.” They are a collection of symbols, with each character having multiple layers.
Victor
Comes from Hong Kong. The name is inspired by Victoria. Symbolises Britain during the Age of Discovery, the East India Company, the British government during the colonial period, etc.
Carlos
Comes from Macau. The name is inspired by a common Portuguese name meaning “free man.” Symbolises Portugal during the Age of Discovery, the Portuguese royalty, Portuguese officials and missionaries in Macau during the colonial period, etc.
Wai Hei
Comes from Hong Kong. The name is inspired by the real person Lam Wai Hei. Symbolises the land of Hong Kong, the local residents, and the witnesses of the city.
Zhiliang
Comes from Macau. The name is inspired by the real person Shen Zhiliang. Symbolises the land of Macau, the local residents, and the witnesses of the city.
Walla-Walla
Water, witness to the tide of history, penetrating through life and time.
Curated and Produced by:
- Vividly
Concept, Co-Director and Multimedia Director:
- Jay Lei
Concept, Research, Co-Director and Playwright:
- Jay Lee
Dramaturg:
- Kok Heng Leun
Performers:
- Chan Wing-shuen
- Chan Tze Sum Cecilia
- HuiJim
- Hanks Li
Voice Narrator and Acting Coach:
- Sam Choy
Scenographer and Set Designer:
- Samuel Chan*
Composer, Co-Sound Designer and Recording:
- Ellison Lau
Co-Sound Designers and Operators:
- Leong Hou In
- Ao Kin Long
Lighting Designer:
- Tou Kuok Hong
Costume Design:
- Cheung’s vision production
Production Manager and Stage Manager:
- Eva Chau
Publicity editor:
- Lorin Siu
Key Visual Designer:
- Jimi Vong
*By kind permission of the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts
Vividly
Curation and Production
Vividly is an arts group that aims at making history more accessible to the public. Dedicated to redesigning specific historical sites with performances, sounds, projections and other multimedia tools, the team transforms facts and information into moving stories and site-specific experience to lead audiences into reflecting their identities and relation to the history of the city. Their site-specific performance Property Guide at Lou Kau Mansion premiered in the 2020 Macau City Fringe and was invited to be restaged at the Macao Arts Festival in 2021 following critical acclaim.
Vividly’s previous production The Inner Études (2021), an immersive theatre inspired by the Victoria Prison and Hong Kong’s geological history, received four nominations at the Hong Kong Theatre Libre and was a Design Mark recipient of Taiwan’s Golden Pin Design Award. The work was commissioned and presented by Tai Kwun.
Vividly brings together practitioners from different disciplines and creative practices, including multimedia design, visual arts and research. The team believes that cross-disciplinary collaboration deeply rooted in past and present contexts can stimulate a multi-layered investigation and interpretation of heritage and history.
Jay Lei
@Thomson Ho
Concept, Co-Director and Multimedia Director
Graduating with a Master of Arts in Creative Design for Digital Cultures, pathway in Animation, from HKU University of the Arts Utrecht in the Netherlands, interdisciplinary artist Jay Lei is adept at telling visual stories in a creative and imaginative way through
illustration, animation and projection art. His works have been featured in international animation festivals and film festivals including the Hong Kong ifva Festival and the 56th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, gaining recognition from audiences at home and abroad.
Jay Lee
@Thomson Ho
Concept, Research, Co-Director and Playwright
Growing up in Hong Kong, Jay Lee holds a Master of Visual Arts in Studio Arts and Extended Media from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University. She is an AVA Award recipient and uses installation and video as her creative media to try to balance art forms and materials for her subjects.
Kok Heng Leun
@Drama Box
Dramaturg
Kok Heng Leun is a theatre director, playwright, dramaturg and educator, known for his ability to engage the community on various issues through the arts and championing civic discourse across different segments of society. He received various theatre awards including the Young Artist Award, Cultural Fellowship, and Cultural Medallion. He served as a Nominated Member of Parliament (2016-2018) representing the arts sector. In 2024, he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Tainan.
Chan Wing-shuen
Performer
Shuen, aka the little boat, greets different lives with sincerity on her journey. Shuen graduated from the School of Drama, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, with a major in Acting. She now is a freelance performer for different theatre companies and associations. She loves diving deep with every character in every imaginary world of stories, hoping to refresh her true self.
Shuen was awarded Best Leading Actress by the 10th Hong Kong Theatre Libre in 2018. In 2024, Shuen made her breakthrough by portraying Naphew in I Am Tree by Artocrite, which earned her Best Supporting Actress in 32th Hong Kong Drama Award.
Chan Tze-sum Cecilia
Performer
Chan Tze-sum Cecilia graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (BFA(Hons), Major in Acting). Cecilia was awarded by The Hong Kong Arts Development Council – The 15th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards, Award for Young Artist (Drama). Cecilia was awarded as Actor/Actress of the Year by International Association of Theatre Critics (HK) and The Best Actress in Leading Role by Hong Kong Theatre Libre and nominated by Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Leading Actress (Tragedy/Drama) in Prometheus Bound; She also awarded as Actor/Actress of the Year by International Association of Theatre Critics (HK) and Distinct Actress by The Hong Kong Theatre Libre in Quai Quest; and nominated as The Best Actress in Leading Role in The Shape of Things by The Hong Kong Theatre Libre.
Recent performances include: Flowing Warblers by On&On Theatre; Goldfish of Berlin, A Poem in Jail by Reframe Theatre X Felixism Creation; The Plague by HK Arts Festival.
Hui Jim
Performer
Playwright and actor Hui Jim graduated from the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts with an acting major.
For The Bucket, Hui received nominations for Script/Playwright of the Year at the IATC(HK) Critics Awards 2024, Best Script at the 33rd Hong Kong Drama Awards, and received the Best Script award at the 15th Hong Kong Theatre Libre. For Vacant Possession, he received nominations for Script/Playwright of the Year at the IATC(HK) Critics Awards 2024 and Best Script at the 33rd Hong Kong Drama Awards. Hui received the Performance of the Year award at IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2018 for his performance in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, and was nominated for Best Actor at the 9th Hong Kong Theatre Libre Awards for his role in Kassandra.
Hanks Li
Performer
A Hong Kong actor and drama instructor, graduated from the School of Drama at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in acting. Currently the director of actwithin Creative Studio, he is dedicated to teaching voice, body, and emotional development techniques while exploring various types of creative projects. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous film and television productions in recent years, such as Murder Diary, with his portrayal of Yeung Ka-to in Call of Destiny sparking significant discussion online for his outstanding performance. He has also participated in many acclaimed stage productions, including Prometheus Bound and Three Sisters. In recent years, he has further delved into immersive theatre creation and direction, showcasing his diverse artistic talents.
Sam Choy
Voice Narrator and Acting Coach
Freelance theatre practitioner Sam Choy graduated from the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts in 2010 with an acting major. In 2015, he was awarded Best Supporting Actor (Comedy/Farce) at the 24th Hong Kong Drama Awards for his performance in Pillow:Talk.
Choy has been actively involved in performance, creation, production, marketing and event curation in different disciplines. With expertise in project planning and marketing, Choy is currently creative director and marketing planner of MetroHoliK Studio and the creative and executive director of Spark Theatre Group. In recent years, Choy has taken roles as acting coach for various
performances as well as artistic and project advisor of arts organisations.
Samuel Chan Kwan-chi^
Scenographer and set designer
Samuel received his MFA from Yale School of Drama, whereas he majors in Design. His work on Twelfth Night was nominated for the Outstanding Lighting Design in the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards. His installation Aesthetics and Freedom of Human Beings is one of the finalists of ifva in 2020. Samuel received his fellowship in the Academy for Theater and Digitality of Theatre Dortmund in 2021, where he researched on the application of Artificial Intelligence in Theatrical Design.
^By kind permission of the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts
Ellison Lau Chi-keong
Composer, Co-Sound Designer and Recording
Graduated from Middlesex University with a major in Audio Production, Lau is a composer and sound designer. He has been the drummer of WhyOceans since his school years, and has been performing in various music festivals in the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. In 2022, Lau was nominated for Best Sound Effect at the Golden Horse Awards. He has created scores for films and theatre works such as Sisterhood, Blue Amber, Kissing the Ground You Walked On, Blue Hour, Inner Etude and Carlos I.
Ricky Leong
Co-Sound Designer and Operator
Ricky Leong, Liang Hao-xian. He often appears in the performance, design and technical support of different activities, walking between performances and commercial activities. It has provided technical support for many events, such as: Hush! 2024 Concert, Macau International Documentary Film Festival, etc. In addition to his experience in commercial activities, he has also left a lot of footprints in the arts in Macao, such as serving as the guitarist and music designer in the 2023 Overboard Man, sound design and video design in the Macao exhibition area of Art in Macao, and having served as a graphic designer for several Macao theater performances.
Ericsson Ao
Co-Sound Designer and Operator
Ericsson Ao is a part-time performer and a full-time sound technician. Since graduating from the MetalWorks Institute in Canada and returning to Australia, he has been involved in film, theater, and live sound. His works include The Uncharted March, I Am a Singer, Reincarnation, and Overboard Man.
Tou Kuok-hong
Lighting Designer
Graduated from the Department of Theatre Design at Taipei National University of the Arts, majoring in Lighting Design. Currently an active theatre lighting designer in Macau, with lighting design works spanning drama, dance, musicals, opera, and more.
Recent major works include: STEPOUT The Blue Hour, Theatrestyles Death and the Maiden, Dream Theater Association The Dress Looks Nice on You, Hiu Kok Drama Association Terror: Ein Theaterstück und eine Rede, Theatre Farmers Rabbit Hole, etc
Eva Chau @VaB Production
Production Manager and Stage Manager
Eva Chau graduated from the University of Queensland and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Active in local commercial and stage productions. Her recent theatre productions included Big Divorce Day by Lam1Hey, Chan Fai Young x Women's Choir's People Come People Go Live Concert, Zoetrope in New Vision Arts Festival 2022, 壞ology by 3unclepark, WEAKipedia of Men, FLDPK by 100most, BobFather Talk show by Chessman HK, Siufay Complete Metamorphosis Concert 2023 & 2024, FINALLY OK by Pomato Studio, I am Tree and Les Fleurs du Mal by Artocrite Theater, Show Me Your Love by SUCH/, My Very Short Marriage 2022, Hatou - Sexy Sister Sissy Up, Feel 100% in 2024, Imagine There's No Heaven & Last Man Standing by Cheuk Wan-chi, and The Truth about Lying by Love Production.