Preview- Hong Kong Love Stories Vol. 1- Sweet and Sour Productions
18-1-19
Is it possible to find true love in Hong Kong? Sweet & Sour Productions answers that question with a brand new comedy set and written locally by Jay Christopher.
Hong Kong Stories Vol. 1: The Beginning Of Us, directed by Candice Moore, narrates the dating adventures of Mimi and Freddy; despite not having met yet, the duo shares the same bad luck in the dating department, and they are still holding out for someone special to come along. By coincidence, their respective best friends make it their mission to arrange blind dates for them. What follows is a back and forth account of their comical misadventures, enduring one bad date after another, as they search for true love in the city.
"The play is well-written, well-observed and, of course, funny! The characters and situations are instantly recognisable to Hongkongers and visitors alike!" Candice Moore says. She is thrilled to have this collaboration with local writer Jay Christopher.
"Several months ago, Jay Christopher contacted me to see if I would read his new play
Hong Kong Love Stories, with a view to directing it. Thus began an intriguing romance with a brand new script showcasing the dating lives of two young professionals in all sorts of situations and locations around Hong Kong."
It is always great to check out locally written material, as not only this approach makes Hong Kong inevitably more artistic, but it is also something that the audience can relate to. Writing does present a more complicated approach that requires experienced actors as well as a lot of extra time workshopping the script.
"The writer (Jay Christopher) and I discussed the script at length. He was present during the audition process and early stages of rehearsal. This afforded him the opportunity to hear the dialogue out loud and receive feedback from the actors and I. He was open to making changes and adjustments to the script. We also edited the script to make the dialogue and scenes sharper and to make the piece flow more smoothly. So it is a collaborative relationship and it is refreshing and rewarding to work with a writer who is so positive and amenable. The cast and I really appreciated that."
The play is presented in full length, with an interval. The audience is treated to different scenes depicting the dating experiences of the central characters Mimi and Freddy.
The cast is varied and includes a combination of seasoned Hong Kong actors (Hamish Campbell in the role of Chuck, Samuel Craig as Todd/Jerry, and Marc Ngan as Bing/Trevor) together with new talents ( Marsha Yuan as Mimi, Vincent Chiu as Freddy, Catherine Fu as Fiona, and Onnie Chan as Tiffany/Kiki. Last but not least, Kristina Pakhomova as Moonbeam/Master).
Candice and her team are confident that the audience will enjoy this piece. "I think they will love it. They will laugh along with and at the characters and situations. They will recognise the character types and see their own dating experiences, or those of people they know reflected and represented in the show. The good, the bad and the ugly! It’s all in there."
It's been, no doubt, a highly enjoyable process for the Hong Kong Love Stories team, as Candice tells us: "Improvising with the actors was a lot of fun! In particular the scene with Fiona and Chuck. They are the best friends of the two main characters. The characters are raunchy and very confident, so the air turned blue (and a little pink) when the two actors let themselves go!"
The play opened on Wednesday evening, and it runs through January 26. Make sure to get tickets for this hilarious comedy, but before you do check out the special promo codes that Sweet & Sour is kindly offering.
For individual discounts on adult tickets enter the promo code: LOVEVIP. For group discounts on adult tickets for 3 or more people enter the promo code: THREEISCOMPANY.
Tickets are available online at Ticketflap and all tickets include a drink. Part of the proceeds to be donated to Hong Kong Dog Rescue.
For more information about this production click here.
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