What does it take to incite murder in a perfect family?

An expected visit unleashes suspicion, jealousy and humiliation.

A psychological thriller with a shocking ending.

Created and written by the award-winning local playwright, Chong Mui-ngam (three-time winner of the Best Script Award at the Hong Kong Drama Awards), and directed by renowned actor-director Lee Chun-chow, Murder in San José is a finely written psychological thriller starring three of Hong Kong’s most celebrated and versatile actors: Alice Lau, Desmond Tang and Kearen Pang.

Post-performance meet-the-artist session will be held on Mar 6

Migration, Marriage and Murder
By Melissa Long

Chong Mui-ngam feels lucky to be a playwright, quoting Twyla Tharp: “art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” Writing allows her to escape to a different world, to try something new, to see if the grass is really greener on the other side. Her latest script focuses on migration and marriage – both major life decisions that, when wrong, can cause great unhappiness and even incite murder.

In 2005, Chong visited an old friend in California. Her friend and her husband and Chong had a wonderful visit together. LAter, she wondered what would have happened if the situation had been different. What if, instead of visiting a happy couple, Chong's visit resulted in great unhappiness, psychological conflict and murder? The idea for her play, Murder in San José, was born. Why San José? The setting was chosen from a memory of driving from San Francisco one evening, on twisting, turning roads, in the midst of a dark forest. Without any signs of other people, she unexpectedly came upon a house, mysteriously standing alone. She was struck by the isolation of the house and wondered about the people who would choose to live there.

The couple, Ling and Tong, that Chong creates for the story, live uneventfully. While not happily married, they plod along, both with certain regrets but neither motivated to make any changes. Ling makes the decisions and convinces her husband, Tang, that San José, their marriage and the isolation are good for him. Her controlling behaviour leads Tang to believe he has no options.

Then Sammy arrives. Bold and wild and lovely. Chong admits that when she was writing the script, part of her wanted to be this character – “she is so full of energy and capable of bringing pleasure to people”. Vibrant Sammy is Ling’s best friend, a friend she has not seen for years. Once very close with similar dreams, goals and hopes, their lives took very different directions. Both Ling and Sammy envy aspects of each other’s lives. As soon as Sammy walks into Ling’s home, she recognizes that Ling has the life of her vanished dreams. Emotions are stirred up for all three characters as the visit progresses.

Chong is delighted that renowned actor-director Lee Chun-chow will direct this work. “I was not sure if he would be interested in directing this script. I talked to him before I had any definite plans; I needed someone I trusted to talk through ideas. I am glad that we are able to continue. I treasure his opinion.” The play stars three of Hong Kong’s most celebrated and versatile actors, Alice Lau, Desmond Tang and Kearen Pang.

Referring to Murder in San José the latest work of this three-time winner of the Best Script Award at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, Chong says: “People wait for things to happen, for something or someone to change the circumstances, all the while remaining unhappy. The truth is that people must take charge of their own lives. Don’t wait for the right time or place – any time and any place is good. Sometimes, if one waits too long or waits for someone else to make the decisions, the changes that occur may no longer be something one wants – they may be something even worse.”

Melissa Long is the English Editor of FestMag