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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) celebrated the flourishing and vibrant art and theatre scene in Hong Kong by hosting a reception to mark the world première of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth performed in Cantonese by the Tang Shu-wing (TSW) Theatre Studio from Hong Kong in Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London on August 17 (London Time). The London ETO also hosted a reception to mark the second run of TSW Theatre Studio's play Detention at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on August 20 (London Time).
The TSW Theatre Studio is a frequent guest to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, having staged their acclaimed Titus Andronicus in Cantonese in 2012 at the World Shakespeare Festival, the first Cantonese production ever performed there. It is also no stranger to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, during which its first run of Detention was staged in 2012.
Macbeth in Cantonese maximises the drama in Shakespeare's tragedy by presenting it in a minimalistic way, with simple staging and unique use of voice and gesture, to release the energies of this classic text.
Featuring five talented actors, Detention is an acrobatic comedy combining clowning, martial arts and percussion, and telling a nostalgic classroom mischief story set around an after-school detention session.
Speaking at the reception on the opening night of the Macbeth in Cantonese, the Director-General of the London ETO, Ms Erica Ng, commended the all-rounded theatre director for bringing the audience a new and unique theatrical experience. "Shakespeare's work is well acclaimed around the world through translations into 100 languages. And now thanks to the work of Tang Shu-wing and his collaborators, we can now enjoy Shakespeare's plays in Cantonese."
"Tang Shu-wing is a key example of the growing international reputation of Hong Kong's striking cultural and artistic life. We hope that the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong - one of the biggest developments in the world for artistic spaces - will further enhance our city's reputation and provide our artistic talent with a world-class platform for showcasing their work when it is completed over the next few years," Ms Ng continued.
Macbeth in Cantonese plays at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre until August 23. Detention plays at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh until August 30.
Ends/Saturday, August 22, 2015
Issued at HKT 02:16
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