Review-Wait Until Dark-Hong Kong Rep
13-5-14
By: Meaghan McGurgan
I was really excited to see a Cantonese production of Wait Until Dark. I’m a huge fan of the play and the movie with Audrey Hepburn. I enjoy seeing plays I’ve seen in English performed in different languages. I’m a firm believer that good art transcends all language barriers, HK Rep’s Wait Until Dark is a great thriller for audiences of all backgrounds.
Wong Wai Chi as Susy is amazing. Her portrayal as a blind woman is really convincing. You truly believe she can’t see anything in front of her. She must have worked very hard at portraying this character. Her commitment to playing Susy was extremely powerful and exhilarating to watch. Wong Wai Chi has great facial expression and physicalization as a performer. You feared for her safety- at one point I worried she was going to tumble into the audience. Her supporting cast mates were wonderful as well. After all, I wouldn’t have feared for her so badly had the burglars not been so terrifying.
Great designs, especially wonderful lighting by Leo Siu, helped the show feel creepy from start to finish. His beautiful use of chiaroscuro on the stage to highlight and hide parts of the set made the stage feel vast and mysterious. It’s one of the best designs I’ve seen in a while and hands down the best lighting I’ve seen at City Hall.
With such wonderful lighting, I wished the sound design hadn’t been so overpowering. At times we struggled to hear performers because the balance was off. It was a shame such a wonderful show was marred by the fact we couldn't hear the dialogue.
If you’ve been wanting to take a walk on the adventurous side and check out a show in Canto, I recommend Wait Until Dark. It’s a really entertaining show with wonderful acting and beautiful design that thrills you and chills you, no matter what language you speak. It has surtitles in English, just in case you need them, and there are audio description devices available for blind audience members to enjoy the thrills along with Susy.
Wait Until Dark is playing at Hong Kong City Hall through May 25th. For more information, click here.
Comments
No comment at the moment.