Hong Kong Arts Festival presents in October

Award-winning local playwright Raymond To Kwok-wai’s masterpiece

Cantonese opera Love in the Bamboo Grove (Re-run)

With three performances in Hong Kong to kick off the Greater Bay Area tour

(Hong Kong, 14 August 2024)

Following its critically acclaimed premiere last year, the Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) is pleased to present the highly anticipated return of Love in the Bamboo Grove. It is the latest Cantonese opera masterpiece by Raymond To Kwok-wai, the esteemed local playwright and screenwriter who has previously received a string of awards and nominations from the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse Awards, and most recently the Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild. The performances will first be staged at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall in Hong Kong from 12-14 October, followed by a tour of the Greater Bay Area with a total of four performances in Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhuhai from 17-22 October.

Commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society, Love in the Bamboo Grove was included among the programmes at the 2023 HKAF, where it received unanimous acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Due to popular demand, Raymond To will reunite with the original cast to bring this exquisite masterpiece about lofty ideals and abiding love back to the stage. Slight adjustments to the script will be made for the re-run performances in October.

Raymond To has written more than 100 works, with classic stage plays such as I Have a Date with Spring and The Mad Phoenix becoming household names. Known for his unique style that captures the warmth of human emotions and the intricacies of relationships, To’s works deeply resonate with audiences. This is the first Cantonese opera he has written for the HKAF, with the production directed and performed by renowned virtuoso Sun Kim-long. The emotionally charged and action-packed production adheres to traditional Cantonese opera conventions, featuring the popular and well-matched duo of Lam Tin-yau and Cheng Nga-ki. The two premiere performances at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in 2023 were met with an enthusiastic response, with critics hailing it as a “rare masterpiece in recent years.”

Set in the late Wei and early Jin dynasties (circa 3rd century CE), this full-length, two-act work is centred around the descendants of the Seven Sages, a group of literati disenchanted with palace intrigue who retreat from society in pursuit of a hedonistic life. Their stories have been passed down through the generations and they remain culturally significant figures to this day.

One of the lead actors, Lam Tin-yau, is a disciple of the legendary Cantonese opera master Lam Kar-sing, excelling in both civil and martial roles, while Cheng Nga-ki has performed alongside renowned artist Lung Kim-sung in acclaimed productions such as The Flower Princess and The Purple Hairpin, earning widespread acclaim. The duo’s versatility and chemistry have made them audience favourites.

A project aimed at promoting Hong Kong’s Cantonese opera culture to people of all ages and backgrounds, Love in the Bamboo Grove’s tour of the GBA cities of Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhuhai will receive funding support from the China National Arts Fund 2024 (Cultural Exchange). The Foshan and Zhuhai performances are also sponsored by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government as part of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival. The Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhuhai performances are also supported by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Foundation. The 14 October performance in Hong Kong is one of the “EXPO Programmes” of the Hong Kong Performing Arts EXPO.

12 October (Sat) 19:30

13 October (Sun) 14:30

14 October (Mon) 20:00 [HKPAX programme]

Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall

$450, $350, $250, $150

Performed in Cantonese with Chinese and English surtitles

This programme is only available for Counter Bookings at URBTIX from 13 August 2024 and is not applicable for Advance Bookings of the 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Tickets are now available for purchase at URBTIX: online at www.urbtix.hk, by phone at (852) 3166 1288, or at URBTIX outlets.

Programme details: https://visit.hkaf.org/lai2p6

Sponsored by: Hong Kong Arts Festival Foundation

MEDIA INQUIRIES

For further inquiries, please contact Ms Tobie Chan at (852) 9519 0973 / tobie.chan@associate.hkaf.org.

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