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Some 200 guests spent a special night by experiencing the premiere of a theatrical performance, "The Spirits Play", in Singapore today (October 25), a work involving the participation of theatre practitioners from Hong Kong, Japan, the Mainland and Singapore.
The Spirits Play is the result of a collaboration between two renowned directors, Danny Yung from Hong Kong and Makoto Sato from Japan, and is presented by Theatre Practice in Singapore and performed by artists from the Mainland and Japan. Inspired by a work of the same title, the performance is also a tribute to the late Kuo Pao-kun, theatre doyen of Singapore, who changed the cultural landscape in Singapore and Asia.
The performance is part of the Hong Kong Festival 2012 organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Singapore to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Director of the HKETO in Singapore, Mr Fong Ngai, said that "The Spirits Play" is a joint venture between Hong Kong, Japan, the Mainland and Singapore.
"I am in particular impressed by the cross-cultural, cross-racial and cross-lingual elements of the production. I hope the cultural exchanges among us in Asia will continue to be deepened and broadened," he said.
A notable work in Singapore theatre, "The Spirits Play" acutely pieces together the intense agony, guilt and turmoil that occur as the price of war and serves as a reflection upon life.
Invited to attend today's event were representatives from the arts circle, business sector, Hong Kong community groups in Singapore, diplomatic corps and the media. The production is being staged from October 25 to 28 in Singapore.
Through a series of events ranging from food, drama, music, a business forum and festive sports, the Hong Kong Festival 2012 aims to showcase Hong Kong's vibrancy and its diverse arts and culture, as well as its status as a premier business destination.
Events of the month-long Hong Kong Festival 2012, which will follow in the coming weeks, include a Gala Dinner staging a preview of performances from the Hong Kong Arts Festival 2013; a business forum on global and regional supply chains with a focus on the complementary roles of Hong Kong and Singapore; and a dragon boat race with champion teams from Hong Kong and Singapore competing for the Hong Kong Cup 2012.
Ends/Thursday, October 25, 2012
Issued at HKT 20:43
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