Event Overview

A unique site-specific theatrical reading series set within the historic Mandarins House. The project explores the theme of 'home' through three distinct short plays, each performed in a different area of the heritage building.

Concept & Theme

• Concept: 'The Mandarins House will always revolve around the theme of "home," whether it's the trivial life emotions of ordinary people in cramped spaces, or using Zheng Guanying as an axis, exploring the spiritual imagination of homeland while writing "Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity."' — Dramatic Consultant & Director Tam Chi Chuen.
• Setting: The performance uses the Mandarins House as a historical stage to depict stories of joy and sorrow of ordinary people who lived there (circa 1925).
• Theme: It explores the formation of different families and their shared contemplation of fate in a grand era, as well as the search for the meaning of 'home.'

Performance Schedule & Details

Admission: Free (with seat reservation required) Seat Reservation: https://forms.gle/cCTmVGi4N1ux6KxPA Capacity: 15 reserved seats per session.

Play 1: "The Great House"

• Playwright: Wong Ting Chi
• Date & Time: January 18, 2020 (Saturday), 14:30
• Synopsis: A story questioning the contemporary meaning of 'home.' After the 'great house' becomes a preserved specimen, it is visited by spirits of peach trees, mangoes, white orchids, and osmanthus. These non-human beings yearn for the warmth of family. Can they find it? The narrative weaves love and daily life, exploring relationships as entangled as tree roots.

Play 2: "Youth's Upstream Journey Home"

• Playwright: To Wing Kei
• Date & Time: January 19, 2020 (Sunday), 14:30
• Synopsis: Legend says every soul's final journey is to return home. An unidentified ghost appears at the Mandarins House to complete this final trip, only to find this house is not 'home'?! Four guardian deities of the house reveal their powers, uncovering bizarre stories of 'home' hidden beneath the surface.

Play 3: "National Family"

• Playwright: Mok King Fung
• Date & Time: January 19, 2020 (Sunday), 16:30
• Synopsis: A portrayal of an ideal, harmonious family that practices ethics and filial piety, serving as a model for the community. A simple declaration: "I love my home."

Creative Team

• Playwrights: Wong Ting Chi, To Wing Kei, Mok King Fung
• Cast: Tsang Wai Tik, Fok Ka Hang, Lau Yee Lam, Ho Tsz Yau, Li Chung Yin, Leung Siu Fu, Cheung Wing Nam, Wong Chi Yip
• Literary Consultant: Mok Sio Chong
• Dramatic Consultant & Director: Tam Chi Chuen

Notes

This January 2020 reading version is divided into three parts, performed at three different times in various areas of the Mandarins House. Audiences can register to attend, and some spots may be open to visitors touring the house at the time.