in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole
HKREP season finale strikes at audience’s heartstrings
[Hong Kong Repertory Theatre] How does one ride through the storm in the face of the loss of a loved one? Who can fill that gaping hole left by bereavement? The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre presents its season finale—Rabbit Hole—the 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire subsequently adapted into a film starring Nicole Kidman. This production is helmed by HKREP Resident Director Fung Wai Hang featuring special guest star Louisa So and her distinguished stage partner, Poon Chan Leung. The cast also includes such veteran company members as Lui Si Lan, Wong Wai Chi and Ling Man Lung. Together they project emotional finesse and explosive tension onto the stage. Rabbit Hole will be presented at the Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, from 17th March to 1st April. Because of overwhelming advance sales, two performances have been added to the original schedule. Tickets are now available from URBTIX outlets.
Rabbit Hole chronicles the life of Becca (played by Louisa So) and Howie (played by Poon Chan Leung) after their four-year-old son Danny was killed in a traffic accident. Although Becca’s sister Izzy (played by Wong Wai Chi) and mother Nat (played by Lui Si Lan) endeavor to help the couple recover from this loss, their efforts hit a stonewall with Becca. Only until the appearance of Jason (played by Ling Man Lung), the youth involved in the accident, does the stalemate end. The original script is dramatic powerhouse: Lindsay-Abaire’s depiction of human emotions set in everyday life strike at the hearts of the audience as they follow the paths and delve into the myriad emotions of the play’s characters. Lindsay-Abaire, long noted for absurdist themes, took a new turn in creating Rabbit Hole out of everyday circumstances and conventional settings, balancing them adroitly with humour, wit and an acute sense of pacing, rendering a truly exceptional yet unpretentious, moving masterpiece.
Director Fung Wai Hang says, “Rabbit Hole is an ultimate challenge for actors. Although the five cast members do not share equal dramatic weight, they all play intricate roles in the tapestry that makes up the complete ensemble. We are so honoured that Louisa So joins us in this production, adding much lustre to our lineup!” Renowned in the local theatre scene as the “incomparable stage couple,” Louisa So and Poon Chan Leung will reveal their most heartrending emotions in Rabbit Hole.
In addition, the HKREP teams up with the Comfort Care Concern Group on a panel entitled “Rabbit Hole: Walking out of life’s shadows” with director Fung Wai Hang, Centre Director Wong Chi On as well as their volunteers. Together they share insights and provide useful tools on how to actively embrace life after bereavement. This panel will take place on 25th February from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Joint Publishing (9 Queen Victoria Street, 2nd floor). The event is free (in Cantonese) and open to the public. For inquiries and to register to attend, please visit www.jointpublishing.com.hk.
Director Fung Wai Hang
A fine talent in stage art, Fung is not only an actress but also a director, playwright and programme administrator. She obtained an MFA in Theatre Practice at the University of Exeter and was a graduate of the inaugural class of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ School of Drama. Fung has taken on various positions of the HKREP, including Principal Actress and assistant to the Artistic Director and the Project Coordinator of “Rep 2 Programmes”, Beginning in 2010, she became Resident Director at the HKREP, coordinating and planning the company’s Black Box productions.
Fung has appeared in over seventy productions and was nominated for eleven times for the Hong Kong Drama Awards, having received four such awards to date. In 2003, her outstanding performance in the original musical Sweet & Sour Hong Kong made her the first Hong Kong stage professional to win the 15th Shanghai Magnolia Stage Award as Best Supporting Actress. She was also a recipient of the Secretary for Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme in 2005 for her contribution to the promotion of culture and the arts.
Productions that Fung co-wrote include Crossings, The Backyard, A Matter of 4 x 6 and Papa Mama, Thy Wind Blows Ever. She was also co-director of Departure 00:00, as well as Central Deconstructed, along with Kuo Jian Hong of Singapore’s The Theatre Practice, which was performed in both Singapore and Hong Kong. Fung directed The Backyard, This Happy VALLEY is VERY Happy, Papa Mama and Thy Wind Blows Ever and The Heydays, She has also served as assistant director for many of HKREP’s large-scale productions.
In 1996, Fung was awarded a scholarship by the Asian Cultural Council to study drama in the United States and produced her first work Red Luna at New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. In 2008, Fung spent two years pursuing an MFA degree in Theatre Practice in England. She graduated with distinction, and was awarded Dean’s Commendation for her outstanding achievements.
Fung has appeared in over seventy productions and was nominated for eleven times for the Hong Kong Drama Awards, having received four such awards to date. In 2003, her outstanding performance in the original musical Sweet & Sour Hong Kong made her the first Hong Kong stage professional to win the 15th Shanghai Magnolia Stage Award as Best Supporting Actress. She was also a recipient of the Secretary for Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme in 2005 for her contribution to the promotion of culture and the arts.
Productions that Fung co-wrote include Crossings, The Backyard, A Matter of 4 x 6 and Papa Mama, Thy Wind Blows Ever. She was also co-director of Departure 00:00, as well as Central Deconstructed, along with Kuo Jian Hong of Singapore’s The Theatre Practice, which was performed in both Singapore and Hong Kong. Fung directed The Backyard, This Happy VALLEY is VERY Happy, Papa Mama and Thy Wind Blows Ever and The Heydays, She has also served as assistant director for many of HKREP’s large-scale productions.
In 1996, Fung was awarded a scholarship by the Asian Cultural Council to study drama in the United States and produced her first work Red Luna at New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. In 2008, Fung spent two years pursuing an MFA degree in Theatre Practice in England. She graduated with distinction, and was awarded Dean’s Commendation for her outstanding achievements.
Rabbit Hole
| 17-18, 20-24, 27-30, ^31.3.2012 | 7:45PM |
| #18, #24-25, 31.3, ^1.4.2012 | 2:45PM |
# Post-performance talk
^ Additional shows
Hong Kong Arts Centre Shouson Theatre
$300, $200
*$280, $180 (*weekday specials)
Ticket discounts
- 15% discount for HKRep Pals
- 15% discount for Visa Platinum cardholders
- Half-price tickets are available for people with disabilities and the minder, senior citizens aged 60 or above, and full-time students (limited offer for full-time students).
- For other discount offers, please visit the HKRep website
Telephone Enquiries & Booking 2111 5999 / www.urbtix.hk
Programme Enquiries 3103 5900 / www.hkrep.com
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