King Lear

 Non-verbal adaptation based on Shakespeare's King Lear

Company name: Tang Shu-wing Theater Studio

Company country: Hong Kong

Director: Tang Shu-wing

Distribution:

Yip Tung – King Lear

Lindsay Chan – Gloucester

Amanda Leung – Kent / K1

Lau Ting-kwan – Goneril

Peggy Chow – Regan

Ko Kei-yan – Albany

Cassandra Tang – Cordelia/ The Jester/ The Bird

Corina Druc – Edmund

Costinela Ungureanu – Cornwall / Edgar / Poor Tom

The creative team:

Adaptation/Direction: Tang Shu-wing

Set design: Yuen Hon-wai 

Costume design: Yuen Hon-wai, Jade Leung 

Lighting design: Yeung Tsz-yan

Light Operator: Vanessa Lee

Sound Design: Anthony Yeung

Music: Billy Ng

Show synopsis:

Tang Shu-wing's performance of King Lear is non-verbal theater that transcends the boundaries of Shakespeare's plays, but remains fundamentally Shakespearean. An international cast consisting exclusively of women from Hong Kong and the Marin Sorescu National Theater in Craiova promises to offer a rare and provocative interpretation of this classic, built on a highly minimalistic and stylized aesthetic, created by a team of visionary artists from the city Hong Kong. The premiere took place in 2021, and "King Lear" toured in Shanghai in 2023, followed by several performances in London, Craiova and Berlin in May 2024, before opening the first edition of the International Shakespeare Theater Festival in Hong Kong in June 2024.

"Even when languages have been removed, the work still touches the core of humanity." – Theater Times

"The physical action of the performers fully expressed the soul of their characters." – IATC (HK)

Nominations and/or show awards:

Director of the Year Award (Tang Shu-wing) and Performer of the Year Award (Yip Tung), IATC (HK) Critics Award 2021

Company description:

Founded in 2011 under the previous name No Man's Land, registered in 1997, Tang Shu-wing Theater Studio is a theater research and creation center. We believe that art is a platform for feeling and expression. The internal transformation in ourselves created by the theater is the most mysterious experience. The minimalist aesthetic of our body is not limited by any singular theory, because the most joyous part of being an artist is realizing when to insist and when to open up. We create our works with specific artistic propositions by exploring the relevant practice. To date, I have created 19 productions including Titus Andronicus, Titus Andronicus 2.0, Detention, The Tempest, Macbeth (later renamed The Tragedy of Macbeth), Dead Man's Mobile, Larger Than Life, King Lear and The Bhagavad Gita. As a team, we support each other to accomplish our mission. Outside of creation, we are next generation and community conscious. In 2014, we initiated the Physical Theater Youth Training Program, which established a brand of theater training. In recognition of its contribution and leading role in contemporary arts and culture, the Studio is named an "Eminent Arts Group" by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2019.

Director biography:

One of Hong Kong's most influential theater directors, Tang Shu-wing was the former Dean of the School of Theater at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. He earned his MA in Theater Studies from the Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle and trained in acting at l'Ecole de la Belle de Mai in Paris. He is also very attracted to Indian culture. His works include drama, non-verbal theatre, dance and opera, some of which have been presented in many international art festivals, such as "Titus Andronicus", "Titus Andronicus 2.0", "Macbeth", "Detention", "The Tempest", "King Lear" and "Bhagavad Gita". The "Minimalist Aesthetics and the Body" that Tang promoted has become a brand of contemporary theater in China. He founded the Tang Shu-wing Theater Studio in 2011, which was named an "Eminent Arts Group" by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council as of 2019. In 2014, he established the "Physical Theater Youth Training Program", which has become an important platform for educating the youth.

Director nominations and/or awards:

Major awards include Medal of Honor from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Outstanding Contribution to the Arts Award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts Kong, Three-time Hong Kong Theater Awards Best Director, IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2021 Director of the Year, l'Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres awarded by the French Ministry of Culture and Communications, Award of Excellence awarded by the Undercloud Festival in Romania, the "Arts and Culture" Award of the France - Hong Kong Grand Prix.

Show duration: 1h 30 minutes (without break)

Special mentions show: For audiences over 6 years old