Macao was hit by the Super Typhoon Hato on 23 August 2017, which is a memory of unforgettable sorrow for the local people who suffered through the experience. Looking back at this calamity after 3 years of COVID-19 epidemic, Bonds of Hato not only recreates, in the form of original Cantonese opera, the catastrophic period which evokes mixed feelings among Macao people, but also highlights their bonds in joining the relief efforts together.
As for stage performance, Chu Chan Wa works as the executive producer and Chan Chi Mui as the playwright, and mainland Chinese veteran director Cheng Wai Kwok has been invited to direct this opera and National First Class Actress Lai Qiongxia to play the leading female role. In Chu’s view, “In the current era of rapid scientific and technological development, multimedia stage technology also plays an important role in enhancing the overall effect of storytelling in modern theatre. In stage design, we will make use of the existing facilities of the stage, adding audio-visual and lighting effects that are closer to our real life, so as to engage the audience in the scenes with a more true-to-life and immersive experience.” By staging the opera at the Sands Theatre, one of the few modern theatres in Macao, the association hopes to showcase its multimedia effects more comprehensively and “elevate” its theme and artistry.
By Egretta
Theatre critic and a media practitioner with two Master’s degrees in Journalism and Cultural Management from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is currently writing on a number of topics for several media platforms on a freelance basis, including art and cultural development, history and features of Macao, and eco-friendly lifestyle.
This article is excerpted and translated from Chinese