New Cantonese opera "A Perilous Juncture of Destiny" to be staged in March
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Playwright Lai Yiu-wai describes the repertory as being about destiny and fortune. "'A Perilous Juncture of Destiny' is a play that took me the longest time to conceive in my writing career so far. For six months I could not put a word to paper. I went through many history books and studied in detail the many historical episodes. Then it dawned on me that 'fury for the sake of a beauty' was neither the sentiment of the past nor the intent of my writing today. So I discarded all and started from scratch," said Lai.
"Wu Sangui, Duoergun, Chongzhen and Li Zicheng are all important names in Chinese history towards the last years of the Ming dynasty. They held the fate of the vast land of China, the Manchus and the Hans in their hands. The one who finally came out successfully in the enterprise must have benefitted from the opportune elements of being at the right time, in the right place, and among the right people. The question thus arises: is destiny controlled by heaven and earth, or is it in the hands of humankind? If one's destiny is pre-determined, can leaders of our time change their destinies and hence the world? 'Destiny' and 'fortune' have inspired the theme for 'A Perilous Juncture of Destiny'. I believe the past sheds light on the present. It did, it still does, and it will in future. The play examines destiny through dreams, and destiny of the individual through his or her fortunes. I hope my audacious approach may offer the audience food for thought, both in this play and in the destiny of humankind," he added.
Details of the performances are as follows:
March 18 (Monday), 7.30pm: Theatre, Ko Shan Theatre
March 19 (Tuesday), 7.30pm: Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
March 24 (Sunday), 2.3pm: Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre
Tickets price ranging from $120 to $320 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/programs_718.html.
A pre-performance talk featuring speakers Lee Lung, Wong Chiu-kwan and Lai Yiu-wai will be held at 7.30pm on March 4 (Monday) at AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. A post-performance talk featuring speakers Li Qiuyuan, Tang Mi-ling and Ruan Dewen will be held after the show on March 24 (Sunday). Both talks will be conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ends/Friday, January 18, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:03
Issued at HKT 16:03
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