The 2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill movement was the most extensive series of demonstrations in Hong Kong’s history. It completely transformed the lives of Hong Kongers and sparked a significant exodus from Hong Kong which has not been seen since the handover of sovereignty in 1997. Over the last four years, many citizens have faced the tormenting dilemma of whether to stay in Hong Kong under a repressive government, or face the hardship of emigrating to a foreign country. The music plus drama production “Til We Meet Again,” which focuses on this turbulent period in Hong Kong, has recently finished its stage performances in Vancouver, which moved many audiences’ hearts.
Connecting Humans with God Through Creativity
Mr. Chiu emigrated from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, in the late 1980s and is one of SSOP’s founding members. He has been involved in theater productions and stage management for the last 30 years. A graphic designer by profession, Mr. Chiu transitioned into theater and progressed from the amateur level to large-scale productions.
The director, Mr. Chiu began explaining the significance of the Vancouver pioneering Chinese drama organization and the influences which have led to the creation of more than 100 productions since 1996.
“SSOP,” he said, although being a registered Christian charity organization, stages productions that are not always religious in nature. The members are Christians, but our volunteers come from different backgrounds. “Through our creations, I wish to become the bridge between human beings and God,” he said:
Reflecting On the Struggles of Hongkongers Deciding to Leave or Stay
Having been born and nurtured in Hong Kong, Mr. Chiu has always wished to be creatively involved in the narratives of Hong Kong.
Reflecting on the observations of the Hongkongers struggling with their decisions of whether to leave or to stay, and how these sentiments could be incorporated into the production’s conception led to the show’s creation.
The show’s concept is “Til We Meet Again,” Mr. Chiu said. The sociopolitical movement and the Pandemic have most definitely impacted the relationships of Hong Kong people.
I personally know many people, especially Hongkongers, who have left their birthplace to come here within the last few years. I’ve heard countless stories of struggles. Hong Kong friends have told me their reasons for not leaving the city; I’ve heard many of those stories as well. These stories are emotional, so I suggested using the theme of “Til We Meet Again” as the show’s motivation, Mr. Chiu said.
A New Experiment in Performance: Band Sound Plus Stage Show
“During the heights of the Hong Kong sociopolitical movement in 2019 and 2020, Nova Sky volunteer Kenneth Tung had already approached me,” Mr. Chiu said. Although Mr. Tung wanted a show with this concept, Nova Sky, a registered government organization, prevented the introduction of strong political bias. Although we kept in touch, the project was shelved because of the escalating Pandemic. It wasn’t until early in 2023 that we decided to reboot the project with a possible performance date in June.
Creating a brand-new show from scratch was going to be quite difficult. However, Nova Sky knew a musical band willing to come on board. I suggested that I write the script for the band’s choice of 12 songs. Combining the musical and theatrical elements would make managing the project and creating a more vibrant show easier. “That’s how the show’s format came about,” said Mr. Chiu.
The performers only had approximately three weeks to rehearse. A third of the performers were new, some with performing experience, and only one person without any experience.
The rehearsals didn’t always include all 15 performers, said Mr. Chiu. For example, the singing rehearsals were separate, and the other eight scenes were rehearsed individually with two performers each time. Although each person’s scenes were simple, combining them became complicated and time-consuming. We eventually managed two final rehearsals before the opening performance.
Hope Sparks as Hong Kong Teens Join Theatre Group
More teenagers from Hong Kong began arriving in Vancouver after the Pandemic, Mr. Chiu said. It gave us time to connect with young people interested in acting. Although the theatre group became younger, SSOP’s promotional work includes continually recruiting new performers in the hope that, through their social circles, new audiences can be attracted into the future, Mr. Chiu said.
Passing the Hong Kong Cantonese Torch to Coming Generations
The group has gained much experience from the production of the Cantonese stage show, Mr. Chiu said. His aspirations are for its continued development.
SSOP has been exploring possibilities to create more Cantonese musicals for the next generation and beyond. They included the introduction of a Cantonese nursery rhyme class, which has slowly developed into the children’s musical to show in October. “We hope the coming generations have more exposure to Cantonese through the arts and stage plays,” said Mr. Chiu.
“We are planning a production called ‘Theatre Kong Talk,’” said Mr. Chiu. “This is a relatively large production,” Mr. Chiu said. We hope to focus on local Hongkongers, using the stage show as a medium to voice the issues of their lives. We also anticipate that, by providing training, the young performers will be able to participate in future writing, directing, acting, and producing experiences.
Mr. Chiu wishes the public could give more attention to another large-scale production this year—the children’s musical in October.
“It’s a story about Mulan,” said Mr. Chiu. We are reinterpreting some traditional nursery rhymes by replacing the original lyrics with new ones. We will also create new songs. Our intention is for the children to have their own nursery rhymes. Performers between 6 and 14 have been participating in the rehearsals, leading to the stage performance in October.
We haven’t produced a production like this for quite some time, said Mr. Chiu. I worked on similar projects from 2000 to 2006 when a few Mandarin-speaking children were here. With more Cantonese-speaking children arriving from Hong Kong these two years, it has given us the impetus to restart the project. Because the production is intended to be created through children’s eyes, I have needed to analyze the abilities and artistic temperaments of this new generation of children.
Mr. Chiu indicated that this time round, it must be a Cantonese show. I am keen on creating a show in Cantonese because there are many excellent local sources for children to learn English theatrical productions. “I want to create something that has not been done yet, and that is Cantonese children’s musicals,” Mr. Chiu said.
What stirs his emotions most from living in a predominately English-speaking country? “Many parents have said, it only takes their child a month to switch to speaking in English. Parents long for their child to continually be exposed to Cantonese,” Mr. Chiu said.
