Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Announces 2021-22 Season

The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre announces on 29th March the 2021-22 theatre season. Under the theme "Theatre Returns to Life", the company hopes the pandemic will quickly recede and the public will embrace the theatre again as good theatre is the best antidote for our heart and soul. Season highlights include August Strindberg classic work To Damascus, Part One, Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, new works The Finale of Mr. AD and Ambiguous, the second re-run of Le Père, an awarded South Korea work That's Not True as well as four Black Box productions: Winter, Theo, The Spoon and February 14 - a musical.

"As the year 2019 was ending, COVID-19 struck the world, and the ensuing pandemic wreaked havoc on the theatre world. We reluctantly postponed or cancelled a number of HKRep productions, along with theatre education and outreach activities. Despite pandemic controls limiting our presence on stage and restricting physical proximity with our audience, we used other means to ensure that theatre would never be far from public life. Technology may have advanced our lives in leaps and bounds, but it can never replace the performing arts' unique sense of living in the moment. Thus, we have chosen "Theatre Returns to Life" as this season's theme. First and foremost, we hope the pandemic will quickly recede, so that all walks of life can return to normality. At the same time, it is our fervent hope that the public will embrace the theatre again. Good theatre is the best antidote for our heart and soul. From the depths of my heart, I wish that we can all resume normal and healthy life in the near future. The HKRep strives to do its utmost this season to bring joy into your lives!" explains Artistic Director Anthony Chan.

Main Stage Productions

Le Père

Second re-run of an award-winning theatrical gem - Memories real and imagines juxtapose as life struggles near its end

As her elderly father gradually loses his ability to live independently, Anne moves him in to live with her and her boyfriend, tending to his daily necessities. Her father, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, vacillates between a humorous disposition and states of confusion. "Reality" gradually dissolves in his mind, challenging their father-daughter relationship. Le Père is the work of one of France's most popular young playwrights, Florian Zeller, and winner of the Molière Award for Best Play. Its Hong Kong premiere in 2017 and re-run in 2019 enjoyed a 30-performance sold-out run, garnering four accolades at the 27th Hong Kong Drama Awards. Postponed from last year due to the pandemic, this second re-run is directed by Assistant Artistic Director Fung Wai Hang, with Director Laureate Fredric Mao reprises the title role, joined by original cast members Pang Hang Ying and Alice Lau with HKRep's illustrious ensemble, again summoning this intense work of drama onto the stage. (20th to 29th May 2021 at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre.）

Early Bird Booking for Le Père and Winter will be available on 1st to 14th April 2021at POPTICKET.HK .

The Finale of Mr. AD

Art and commerce at loggerheads - A theatre company plagued with suspense

Once upon a time, there was an Artistic Director in a mid-sized theatre company...Dapper Casanova Rocky Cheung, pressured by his boss, decides to adapt a popular Japanese detective manga for the stage. This commercially-minded move unsettles the entire company, even complicating his romantic liaisons, and the whole world turns topsy-turvy. HKRep Artistic Director Anthony Chan pens and directs The Finale of Mr. AD, a whodunnit black comedy with many a surprise as we search for the culprit killing the joy of life. (17th July to 1st August 2021 at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre)

The Finale of Mr. AD is sponsored by Chow Sang Sang Holdings International Ltd.

To Damascus, Part One

Encounters return in a subconscious dream - Along a journey of self-discovery

Fate emasculates. Where can we find the meaning of life in this mad, cruel world? Told from the personal perspective of "the Stranger", To Damascus chronicles a journey of self-discovery epitomizing the struggle between man and fate, love, religion and his own ego, laying bare the protagonist's ups and downs as he refuses to let go of himself. Swedish playwright August Strindberg was a pioneer of European Expressionism, adept at creating a fantastic milieu where monologue, imagination and dreamscape suspend in that grey area between reality and dreams, creating an illusion that stands between truth and untruth. Strindberg's maverick spirit upended an entire generation's creativity and aesthetics. Fredric Mao directs this production with HKRep veteran Chris Sun in the role of the Stranger, and the cast of To Damascus, Part One includes guest artists Louisa So and Amy Wu. The local theatre scene eagerly anticipates this Hong Kong premiere that will surely push the boundary of our horizons. (18th September to 7th October 2021 at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre)

To Damascus, Part One's title sponsor is Shun Hing Group.

Ambiguous

A relationship that's perhaps ephemeral - Ponders the meaning of marriage

Chan Chi Yung meets Wang Xia at their kids' school gate. After they help each other out, a furtive connection grows. The world of married couples does not always feature high drama. Snippets of daily life that appear normal and cordial may harbour heinous undercurrents. Will tragedy ensue? Ambiguous is written by Matthew Cheng and directed by Resident Director Fong Chun Kit, a strong duo who will ignite the sparks in "ambiguous". (15th to 24th October 2021 at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre)

Fiddler on the Roof - the musical

A Broadway classic on tradition and change in the face of time

A decade before the Russian Revolution, there lives in the village of Anatevka a Jewish milkman named Tevye, keen for his family to abide by tradition. However, three of his daughters want to pursue love in their own way, and their three betrothed have very different mindsets. At the same time, Jews are persecuted by the Tsarist regime. As the head of a family, Tevye faces the sad fate of seeing his home being taken away, disappointing his wife and children and losing his ancestral pride. Yet he continues to nurture hope for the future, affirmed by love and perseverance. Book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock with original Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Fiddler on the Roof is a long-running Broadway musical received a total of nine Tony awards. This Cantonese performing version is translated and directed by Artistic Director Anthony Chan, which will bring our audience a special treat, both for the eye and ear. (16th to 23rd January 2022 at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre)

Fiddler on the Roof - the musical's title sponsor is China Everbright Limited and sponsored by Friends of Caritas.

That's Not True

Why did an elephant run away? Award - winning South Korean black comedy uncovers life's absurdities

An elephant escapes from the zoo, wreaking havoc in town and disrupting election campaigns, leading to a public outcry. While the zookeeper-now a pariah-is held for questioning, testimonies from the detective, the zookeeper's mother, his colleague and doctor contain wild digressions. Which of them is telling the truth about the elephant's escape? Written by Lee Mee Kyung, That's Not True garnered such accolades as Best Production, Best Play and Best Performance at the 49th East Asia Theatre Awards and the Grand Prize, Best Play and Best Performance at the 5th Republic of Korea Theatre Awards. The HKRep introduces this fine work directed by Resident Director Fong Chun Kit, marking the first translated play from South Korea on our Main Stage. (11th to 27th March 2022 at Hong Kong Arts Centre Shouson Theatre)

That's Not True is sponsored by Chow Sang Sang Holdings International Ltd.

Black Box Productions

Winter

An ordinary man meets an hysterical woman. A random exchange and an instinctual touch suggest a relationship that seems illusory, perhaps not. Is this a game of chance or a trajectory of fate? Jon Fosse, praised as Norway's new Ibsen, etches the intimacy and alienation between human beings with a poetic touch. Following the success in directing The Man Next Door and The Office, company member Yau Ting Fai returns to helm this play about the tenuous relationships of urban dwellers. (7th to 23rd May 2021 at HKRep Black Box)

Early Bird Booking for Le Père and Winter will be available on 1st to 14th April 2021at POPTICKET.HK .

Theo（The Open Platform）

The world has long considered Vincent van Gogh as either an artistic genius or a deluded madman ... He was resolute when he gave up his conventional career and embarked on a rocky road in pursuit of his art. Although Theo was no less talented or dedicated to art, he had an entirely different disposition, building his business as an art dealer. Separated for long periods, the two brothers counted on each other, supported each other and influenced each other's artistic choices. So much in the siblings' letters is shaded in light and darkness, emanating both puzzlement and enlightenment. Theo is written by Li Chi Tat and directed by Wong Chun Ho. (25th June to 11th July 2021 at HKRep Black Box)

The Spoon（The Open Platform）

A graphic designer burdened with debt switches professions and becomes a hitman. His next target for assassination? An old classmate from university! The hitman thinks quickly, grabs a spoon and launches his plan, unleashing a battle of wits and a test of power. The Spoon is written by Alfie Leung and directed by Yau Ting Fai. (19th to 30th January 2022 at HKRep Black Box)

February 14 - a musical

"Best Friends Forever" Doris, Venus and Fiona make a pact that each must find true love within a year ... Although they might trip and fall along the winding road, they persevere despite pain and injuries thanks to each other's support and care as they grow and learn from one relationship to another. Written by Matthew Cheng, February 14 - a musical premiered at the HKRep Black Box in 2005 to great acclaim, its re-runs all sold out. A brand-new production directed by Lau Shau Ching injects new energy to this lighthearted romantic musical 17 years after its first appearance on stage. (12th to 27th March 2022 at HKRep Black Box)

Tickets sales for HKRep 2021-22 Season are schedules in phases, offering up to 25% discount for Early Bird Booking and combines ticket purchases of two programmes. The first phrase of Early Bird Booking for Le Père and Winter will be available on 1st to 14th April 2021at POPTICKET.HK .

The new season brochure is distributed through URBTIX, also available on www.hkrep.com/2122. Subscription programme enquiry: 3103 5900.

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