Reviews
You can meet our Critics Panel here!
Want to know about our rating system?
Want to get your show reviewed by the HKELD team? Click here to see the review guidelines.
Review-Top-Notch-Story Worthy Week13-9-14
Kicking off this year’s StoryWorthyWeek is Top-Notch, the live show that combines the best of storytellers from Hong Kong Stories’ monthly show, Liars’ League, SPEAK and Literary Death Match. Tonight’s gathering had eight storytellers performing once again great stories from past performances. The collection ranged from the hilarious to heartfelt, the cynical to optimistic, the embarrassing to candidly personal. Whether you’re a regular audience or a first timer to storytelling events in Hong Kong, Top-Notch is a mixed treat of the best that will get you hooked for more.
Review-Hyperchoreography-CCDC7-9-14
Are you a dance fanatic? Do you have a secret theater kid inside you? Do you yearn to toss off the corporate garb, open a studio, and spread the gospel of movement? If so, then Hyperchoreography might be the show for you.
Review-Venus in Fur (Re-run)-Sweet and Sour Productions4-9-14
Last night Sweet and Sour Productions presented their second run of Venus in Fur by David Ives. As promised by the sultry jazz and ambient lighting before the show began, Candice Moore’s production was an enticing performance of gender power play. Having missed its premiere last year, I can’t comment on the things that the cast and crew have done differently the second time around, so I will review this second showing on its own merits.
Review-Resurrection: A Dialogue-Pokfulam Rd Productions29-8-14
“The most interesting question I got tonight was: You’re putting on a play in a shop?” That’s exactly what Jingan Young (The T-group, FILTH), the Artistic Director and Producer of Pokfulam Rd Productions, did last night in collaboration with Aesop Skincare at Aesop Elements with a piece of site-specific theatre—Resurrection: A Dialogue. For thirty minutes, in a space of about 300 square feet, the crowd stood against bottles of shampoos, gels and essence oil to watch three actors perform around a large, central, rectangular table/sink.
Review-Yin and Yang-Liars' League HK26-8-14
As I stepped into The Fringe Club for my first ever Liars’ League, I was greeted by a roomful of people mingling and waiting in blue ambient lighting for a night of good storytelling. Indeed, throughout the evening six different storytellers lit up the jazzy joint with short stories based on this month’s theme, “Yin and Yang”.
Review-Don Quixote-Hong Kong Ballet23-8-14
Opening the Hong Kong Ballet’s 2014-15 dance season is Nina Ananiashvili’s reworked production of Don Quixote. Based on Marius Petipa’s original 1869 Bolshoi version and Alexander Gorsky’s later revival in 1900, Ananiashvili’s condensed revision has the ballet in only two fast-paced Acts.
Audience Reaction-TIMBER!-International Arts Carnival9-8-14
Did you have a chance to see TIMBER!?
Review-Night and Day-Liars' League HK30-7-14
When I walked into Fringe Dairy at 7:40pm, there were already people scattered about and chatting. My eyes were however captured by an older lady with white hair in a black dress. She was rehearsing on the stage wholeheartedly, (she later turned out to be my favorite performer of the day). For a first time visitor to Liars’ League, this scene told me much about the passion and seriousness Liars’ League’s actors were applying to their work.
Review-FLUFF-International Arts Carnival19-7-14
I'm a big fan of theatre for kids. I'm basically a giant 5 year old at heart. I was really intrigued about the musical adventure, FLUFF, when I heard about it. It's a short play about The Gingham Family, whose job it is to rescue missing toys and return them to their owners or find them new places to live. Who hasn't lost a toy as a kid and been totally crushed by it? The premise for the musical is very good and some of the jokes were quite cute, but overall, I was more impressed by the concept for this piece than the actual content of the script.
Review-Three Tall Women-Hong Kong Rep14-7-14
I'm looking at HK Rep’s poster: there are three women against the blue sky background, all looking up in one direction, all with pride in their eyes – do you realize its symbolism? Are they proud or are they left without choice in life? Are they controlled by destiny or is it their own free will? The three women talk, argue and despise one another - but what does this tell us about life itself?
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28