Event Overview

To celebrate Labour Day, the Cultural Affairs Bureau presents a family-friendly theatrical performance of "The Happy Prince" at the UNESCO World Heritage site, Mandarin's House. Admission is free.

Performance Details

• Performers: Students from the Macao Conservatory School of Theatre
• Duration: Approximately 30 minutes
• Dates & Times:
  • Saturday, May 3, 2014: 3:00 PM & 4:00 PM
  • Sunday, May 4, 2014: 3:00 PM

Ticketing Information

• Admission: Free
• Reservation: Tickets can be reserved by calling the Mandarin's House reception desk at 2896 8820 during office hours.
• Policy: Due to limited capacity, each person can reserve a maximum of 2 tickets. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is advised.

Synopsis

A prince who was once oblivious to the world's suffering is erected as a statue in the city center after his death. From his high vantage point, he discovers a world of inequality, filled with misery, poverty, competition, and struggle—a stark contrast to his former luxurious palace life. He sees people at the bottom of society, each with their own tragic story.

Deeply moved, the prince asks a passing swallow to stay and help him dismantle his valuable adornments to give to the poor. Touched by the prince's compassion, the swallow agrees. When the once magnificent statue is stripped bare and becomes dull and tarnished, the townspeople find it ugly and an eyesore, and decide to tear it down. The swallow, who stayed for the prince, succumbs to the harsh winter winds and dies at the statue's feet. As the statue is thrown into a furnace, an angel takes the prince's heart and the swallow to heaven.

The prince's qualities of truth, goodness, beauty, and self-sacrifice achieve a spiritual victory, illustrating that true happiness and a complete life belong to those who sacrifice themselves to alleviate the suffering of others.