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New Black Box Theatre at Kwai Tsing Theatre
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    The new Black Box Theatre at Kwai Tsing Theatre offers a new theatrical experience with its black walls and high ceilings, movable stage lights and seating, a square black room with versatile and easy to change space to create an intimate atmosphere between audience and performers.

    The new studio theatre is the first black box theatre at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s performing venues to meet the growing demand for holding small-scale and experimental theatrical productions among local and district-based theatre groups.

    The Black Box Theatre, converted from the Exhibition Gallery at Kwai Tsing theatre, is suitable for different types of stage performances such as small-scale experimental shows, contemporary dance, film shows, recitals, jazz concerts, puppet shows and children's programmes.

    The 350-square-metre theatre provides flexibility for different performance needs. With no permanent stage and loose chairs on platforms, the movable seating system, which is provided with a capacity of 104, 124 and 144 seats, allows variable seating configuration setup in-the-round, on the side, or thrust to bring the audience close to the performers.

    Other facilities include flat black surface hardboard floor, sound acoustic wall panels, movable control panels, an overhead stage lighting trusses system that allows flexible rigging positions for stagelight lanterns to give flexibility in stage lighting design for theatre productions.

    With a 5.7-metre ceiling, the theatre has the highest stage height clearance among small theatres in Hong Kong.

    The new Black Box Theatre will enhance the creativity and innovation of the budding art groups and offer more opportunities for small groups to perform in the public.

    With the completion of the construction works, which started in January, the theatre is now in various stages of testing its new facilities with commissioned programmes produced by art groups of different natures.

    So far, four dance performances "We are not Strangers" produced by DanceArt Hong Kong were staged in early May while Theatre Horizon ran its drama performance "Defiance" in mid-May.

    Another commissioning programme, "Somebody is Lonesome", a drama in Cantonese, produced by the Prospect Theatre will run from May 28 to June 1.

    Black box theatres, originated in the USA, became popular and widespread in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of experimental drama which employs very basic technical arrangements of limited sets and simple lighting effects.

    The interior of most black box theatres are painted black to allow flexibility in stage setting and lighting for different types of performances. It also gives audiences a sense of "anyplace" when they are watching the show.

    For enquiries on the Black Box Theatre, please call Kwai Tsing Theatre at 2408 0128.

Ends/Thursday, May 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:01

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