From A to Z, HK: A Theatre of Life and Death plays out 26 scenes of living and dying. From the moment before conception, to the very second of death, and to the afterlife, these 26 stories of Hong Kong people and animals become our choice menu for when facing (or escaping) life and death. A professor, a security guard, a subdivided flats landlord, a cat, a train track, a deck of Tarot cards, a facemask; the future life, the current life, the one before and the one after, reincarnation of cats and dogs; chanting, burning, fortune-telling and channelling; Karma, reincarnation, fetishism and stubbornness; where is the wisdom of living and dying? On the stage called “Hong Kong”, speaking of death is taboo. But when the time comes, we all have to take the bow. Now, who would go up on stage and be embarrassed?
Mathias Woo
Man Lim-chung
Yu Yat-yiuCedric Chan
Benny Woo
Alice Kwong
Can. Ha
Cedric ChanJohn Jr ChiangCarson ChungEllen KongLaurie LauSerene LimCK LiuGabriella SoJensen SoSobi SoDan TseDavid YeungZachary Pink Yung
anothermountainman
A. Dr A – He Who Do Not Contemplate Life Will Not Understand Death
B. Ms B’s Desperate for Babies
C. No Compromises – the Very Stubborn CEO
D. Death Panda – the App of Death Delivery
E. 7 E, the Facemask Reincarnate
F. Once In a Many Lives’ Time (phantom version), BTF
G. Where the Heck Is Vet G?
H. To Eat a Dead Cat On H’s Birthday
I. iPhone is Dead
J. Telling the Fortune of J
K. K Dreamt About Reincarnating Into a Dog
L. L the Cat From Tin Hau Gives Birth to a Piece of Cha Siu
M. Architect M Wanna Die with Menstruation
N. Tuen Ma Line 999
O. When the Very Astonished Professor Plays the Harmonica…
P. P’s Spiritual Channelling: When Can We Visit Japan Again?
Q. Does Q the Subdivided Flats Landlord Go to Heaven or Hell?
R. R’s Bardo and Tom Yum Soup
S. WhatsApp and Wo Hop Shek (Public Cemetery)
T. To Love Somebody…Who Has a 5G Phone
U. Will U Still Do Cash Payout in Hell Tomorrow?
V. The Game of Death – by V, the Telford Gardens Security Guard
W. W Is Chanting Heart Sutra 108 Times
X. X and His 49 Vaccine Shots
Y. WHY Burning Papers?
Z. Chairman Z, the Tarot Cards Who Misses the Mortal Life
We, Symbols All
Mathias Woo
Ten thousand years, ten thousand year
We, Symbols all
Symbols in a world of symbols
A role, an image
A barter, a bargain
1 + 0’s 0 + 1
1 + 1 = Total
0 + 1 = Total
I am you I am he I am she
I am we and they
I am the world the world is I
I am I am I
The world has no one but me
In life, anything goes
Anything, o yes anything
Anything goes
We are the world
Step by step
On the high-rise
Under the open sea
We are water we are fire
We are mountain we are wind
That moment
That scene
That laugh
That sight
A patch of blue
Blue patches are now a flash of pale white memory
Spring flowers autumn moon wind flower talk to moon
Lust and hope
Note and keep
Way and truth
Life and death
What we know and feel
How we laugh and cry
Our despair
And our tears
Have all become…
Storylines and screen images
Voices and roaring fires
Nothing has anything real
Nor anything has anything fake
Images after images
Memories over memories
Illusions on illusions
A whole life during this life
No snow no rain
No breeze no falling leaves
No autumn no winter
No more…
Let us go then
You and I
When the sun turned white
You sent me a text message
The moment today’s world ends tomorrow
You and I will be faded shadows
On the streets that no longer are
Dark shadows one by one
Sink into the grey earth
Step by step you and I
Come
The time is 7 minutes 7 seconds past 7pm
You and I before the flash of white light
Is it the end ending
Has the past passed
How many years, how many fallen leaves
Wind is blowing, wind is blowing
Two hands
Two eyes
Tears flow and sparkle
For billions of years
To Be or Not to Be
You’ve let me taste happiness
Perfect moment to fly me to the moon
Years passed more years passed
We are back we are back
Back to symbols all
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
M for Memory
N for Nothing
You see nothing
Nothing exists
Wisps of fog in the head
Bits of memory in the smoke
Backup in the notebook
Pitch-dark memory
Ten thousand billion light years
A blank paper
A text message
Do you know?
Once, once
I forgot it was day or night
Black totally black black
Infinite of the infinitely infinite
Never of the never never
And so and so and so I reinvented myself again and again
Life is this transparent voice
Never the same
Like dream like flower like rain like blood
A red mass of black
Who am I? You or me or stone
Nothing forgotten nothing needs forgetting
History was that sea, those rocks
The eyes can see
I’ve become a rock
A symbol
Into a letter
Into a puff of smoke
A beautiful puff of smoke
Ten thousand years, ten thousand years
Form Is Emptiness and Emptiness Is Form
Producers & Lyrics: Mathias Woo, Cedric Chan
Music: Cedric Chan
Arrangement: Step Ip
Mixing: Edward Chiu@117A Studio
Music and Sound Editing: Yu Yat Yiu
Music Editing: Yu Yat Yiu
Suite Bergamasque, L. 75 – 3. Clair De Lune
Composer: Claude Debussy
Piano: Alice Sara Ott
Gnossiennes – 1 – Lent
Composer: Erik Satie
Piano: Alice Sara Ott
3 Gymnopédies – 1 – Lent et douloureux
Composer: Erik Satie
Piano: Alice Sara Ott
Concerto in D Minor – BWV 974 – II – Adagio
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Cello: Mischa Maisky
Piano: Lily Maisky
Music: Leslie Cheung
Lyrics: Keith Chan
Original Song: Trash
Music: Chan Fai Young
Original Lyrics: Wyman Wong
Rearranged Lyrics: Cedric Chan
Original Song: Phantom
Music: Violet Lam
Original Lyrics: Andrew Lam
Rearranged Music: John Jr Chiang, Cedrc Chan, Sonny Kwong, Yu Yat Yiu
Rap: John Jr Chiang
Music and Lyrics: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Written by: Patty Hill, Mildred J. Hill
Music: Nakazaki Hideya
Lyrics: Poon Wai Yuen
Music: Henry Mancini
Lyrics: Johnny Mercer
Music and Lyrics: Bart Howard
Rearranged Lyrics: Cedric Chan (Ringtone)、John Jr Chiang (Rap)、Serene Lim（Mandarin)
Erhu (Recording) by Ho Yin-hei
Harmonica (Recording) by Gordon Lee
Original Song: Greensleeves
Written by Unknown (English Folk Song)
Rearranged Lyrics：Law Chit Sum
Written by Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket, Pål Waaktaar
Music: Chan Fai Young
Lyrics: Lin Xi
Original Song：*Fall in Love with Someone Who Doesn’t Come Home, **Dark Sky
Music: Chen Chih-yuan*, Li Shih Song**
Original Lyrics: Rachel Ding*, Liao Ying Ru & April**
Rearranged Lyrics: Cedric Chan
Performed by Pak Kui Wing
Author: Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī
Chinese translation: Serene Lim
A moment of happiness,
you and I sitting on the verandah,
apparently two, but one in soul, you and I.
We feel the flowing water of life here,
you and I, with the garden’s beauty
and the birds singing.
The stars will be watching us,
and we will show them
what it is to be a thin crescent moon.
You and I unselfed, will be together,
indifferent to idle speculation, you and I.
The parrots of heaven will be cracking sugar
as we laugh together, you and I.
In one form upon this earth,
and in another form in a timeless sweet land.
Author: Serene Lim
When it comes to death,
What do you picture in your head?
Is it Sadness? Guilt? Confusion or Regret?
Why can’t it be happy?
I think we can all die happily,
As long as we learn,
How to do it gracefully.
Ever since I was a kid,
I thought about death.
Picturing myself
lying on a deathbed,
Wondering,
Will I ever feel lonely in a coffin,
Fear oh fear,
Of course I fear about death,
I think we all do, but why don’t we talk about it?
I first encountered death of someone close to me
When I was 15,
He was my grandpa,
Someone I spent most of my childhood with,
I remember he was sent home that afternoon,
After a long battle of terminal lung cancer,
I was kneeling down beside his bed
along with my family and relatives,
Most of them were crying,
Some were screaming his name,
I was just there, feeling nothing,
Not knowing how to feel at all,
Everything seemed surreal to me,
It only hit me,
When I saw my grandma crying and talking to him beside his coffin,
And i realised,
Those who stay are usually those who feel the worst pain,
And that’s why I think it’s essential for us to prepare for death
Although it seems far away.
Since the first day we were born,
We were stepping close to our grave
day by day.
It’s just the matter of time,
We are gonna die one day.
As we are living, we are dying too.
Life and death is in one package.
If we learn how to live right in the moment,
We can leave this place with no regret.
For me,
To live is to live with full awareness,
Pay attention to little things around you,
And you will find joy in it,
To live is to love,
Love your life,
Love yourself,
Love your family,
Love your friends,
And do the things that you love.
To live is to forgive and let go,
Let go of the worries and pain,
And let bygones be bygones.
So don’t you worry about death,
Just cherish the days,
While we stand the chance.
One day I will be leaving,
To the moon,
Or to outer space,
Going away with a smile on my face.
Leave my ashes,
Into a beautiful garden
Let my remains nourish the greens,
May the flowers bloom
and the trees grow tall
And remind you that
I’ll still be by your side
Even when I’m gone.
Don’t you ever say goodbye
And I will meet you on the other side.
Production & Technical Manager: Chow Chun-yin
Script Assistant: Carson Chung
Rehearsal Master: Charmaine Cheng
Motion Capture & Server-based System Operation: Johnny Sze
Photo Documentation and Video Co-production: Ricky Cheng
Music Research: Step Ip
Stage Manager: Satina Shum
Deputy Stage Manager: Carmen Hung
Assistant Stage Managers: Onki Chan, Megan Hung
Lighting Programmer & Operation: Adonic Lo
Production Electrician: Ivan Cheung
Make up & Hair Styling: Yeung Chung Yan, Cheng Tsui Ping, Hui Wai Man, So Nok Man, Siu Hing Fai
Styling Assistant: QKay Yuen
Wardrobe Assistant: Bonnie Chan
Stage Crews: Kenneth Chan, Chim Man-lung, Man Tse
Season 2021 Key Visual Design: Lee Ken-tsai
Illustration (Hong Kong Street Fighter): Mr. Pizza
Illustration (Old movie artwork): Lai Tat Wing
Graphic Design (Poster): Guo Yiming
Photography (Poster): East Eighteen
Photography (Stage photo): Cheung Chi-wai, Franz Lai, Vic Shing
Video Documentation: 3JBK
Translation: Mona Chu
Graphic Design Assistant: Coco Cheung
Co-Artistic Director: Danny Yung
Co-Artistic Director cum Executive Director: Mathias Woo
International Exchange Director/ Producer: Wong Yuewai
Company Manager (Administration and Finance): Jacky Chan
Company Manager (Programme): Doris Kan
Senior Researcher & Workshop Instructor: Theresa Leung
Public Relations: Luka Wong
Programme Manager: Ho Yin-hei
Assistant Programme Manager (Education): Ricky Cheng
Programme and Art Administration Trainees: Stephy Yeung, Krystel Yu
Marketing Assistant: Seamus Li
Stage Management: Candace Tse, Yellow Wong
Stage Technical: Lam Tsunlong
Lighting: Paul Wong
Animation: Suki Yung
Music Production: Sonny Kwong
Graphic Design: Carol Mak
Ms Maria Cheng Dan
Mr Edgar Hung
Mr Norman Wang
Buddhist Compassion
C’est Bon Project
Noble Castle Asia (Talent) Limited
TiMax Tracker
PanSpace Limited
Local full-time students can enjoy concessionary tickets at $100
New middle-aged audiences over 60, disabled people and their caretaker can enjoy 50% off
Elderly over 80, recipients of the CSSA, clients of Social Welfare Organisation can enjoy fully funded tickets#
^Limited quota on a first-come-first-serve basis
#Please register on art-mate. Restricted by terms, $1 is collected as handling charge.
Enjoy 15% off
*Each discount offer cannot be used in conjunction with other offers.
Membership discount at 15% OFF; available at art-mate.
Broadway Cinematheque members
MOViE MOViE members
Membership Discount at 10% OFF; available at art-mate.
Members of CCDC Dance Inspirations Card
Members of HK Philharmonic Orchestra Club Bravo
Friends of The Hong Kong Ballet
Members of HKRep Pals
Friends of Hong Kong Dance Company Prestige/Classic Members
Chung Ying Theatre ‘Energy Fun Club plus’
Friends of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
HKIFF Cine Fan Student Privilege, Classic Privilege, Patron Privilege
Fringe Club member
Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association Member
(852) 2566 9696
Running time approximately 105 minutes with no intermission
Performed in Cantonese with Chinese surtitles
Children under 6 years old will not be admitted
No latecomers will be admitted, until a suitable break in the performance.
In line with disease prevention and control measures, and to ensure the safety of the public, audience and staff members, hygiene measures are enhanced at performance venues. Entrance guideline and special seat arrangement might adjust according to the latest situation, please pay attention to the latest update. We appologise for any inconvenience caused.
Zuni Icosahedron reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute artists, vary advertised programmes, and/or terminate the programme without prior notice.
