Climate change, veganism, fast fashion tackled in ‘bite-size’ theatre production by Hong Kong pair

Climate change, veganism and fast fashion are among the topical issues tackled in a new “eco-theatre” play, staged by the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation (HKYAF). If Not Me, Who?, which premieres on Friday at ArtisTree, also reunites HKYAF founder Lindsey McAlister and composer Violaine Corradi, who were behind the acclaimed original and local musical Melodia in 2017. McAlister says she was inspired to write the 50-minute piece partly by the work of her son, glaciologist and climate scientist Sam Inglis. “He started talking about the work with a more human angle, and that resonated with me,” she says. “I wanted to write a piece which would leave people feeling hopeful and able to effect change in their lives.” Her opportunity came when Swire Properties invited her to curate ArtisTree Selects Theatre Bites, a mini festival of “bite size” British drama. “I was at the Edinburgh Festival choosing shows, and when I came back I thought it would be a really great opportunity to write one, so I managed to talk them into letting me,” she says. Divided into vignettes, with all cast members taking on multiple roles, If Not Me, Who? will explore sustainability through song, dance, comedy and physical theatre. “We’ve treated it like a movie with every vignette somehow supported by sound,” Corradi explains. “It’s recorded, but all the singing is live. When there is no song, there is underscoring and soundscape so there is wall to wall music.” Unusually for an HKYAF production, the cast – David Allen, Leigh Gibbs, King Wong, Eimear “Mimi” Burns, Jun Mabaquiao and Corradi’s sister and colleague in Cirque du Soleil, Isabelle – are all adult. “It’s a slightly different demographic to the one I would normally work with, but Mimi and King and David are YAF kids who came through the organisation, and Jun has choreographed a lot of shows for us,” says McAlister. “It’s very much an ensemble piece. The actors have a lot of opportunity to bring their skills to the table. There are songs that talk about consumerism, first world problems and Gaia – there’s a message from Mother Nature to the children of the world.” All the participants, she adds, are very enthusiastic about the way the piece has developed. “I wanted to create something accessible with which people would be entertained, not being preachy or pointing the finger. It’s only 50 minutes long. I always think something should be cut from a piece of theatre, but for the first time with this I think we’ve got the length just about right,” she says. McAlister says If Not Me, Who? complements the other four shows she chose with co-artistic director of Theatre Bites Brian Zeilinger. The Tony Award-winning producer is behind Sitting, one of three productions in the series exploring the theme of social status. The others are Our Man in Havana and Tobacco Road. The fourth, No Kids, focuses on gender and diversity. All are receiving their Asian premieres. Choosing the productions was no easy task. McAlister says that in Edinburgh she saw 36 shows in six days, holding meetings with the companies in between performances. Standards were high, but Swire’s brief that the plays should look at “controversial social topics” gave her some direction. “I wanted to give a couple of really young companies the opportunity to come to Hong Kong.” Tobacco Road from Incognito Theatre is by a group of very young actors and is about the world of gangsters as seen from a female perspective. Spies Like Us are bringing Our Man In Havana, Graham Greene’s 1950s spy novel, and their interpretation of it is very comedic and very high-energy, says McAlister. Sitting is a piece by British actress Katherine Parkinson and is the first piece of theatre she has created, according to McAlister. They’re quite well known on the British theatre scene, so it’s a really big treat for Hong Kong to get the opportunity to see their work Lindsey McAlister, curator of ArtisTree Selects Theatre Bites “You go in, and you see three different actors tell their story, speaking as though the audience is an artist who is painting their portrait. Gradually you realise that there are connections.” Sitting stars well-known British theatre and television actors Debbie Chazen, Meg Mortell and Benedict Hastings, while the fourth piece, No Kids, features its co-authors, Nir Paldi and George Mann. “It’s an LGBTQ piece, and the creators are a real-life same-sex couple. The show is things they’ve discussed together, set to a Madonna soundtrack. They’re quite well known on the British theatre scene, so it’s a really big treat for Hong Kong to get the opportunity to see their work,” says McAlister. Panel discussions open to the public will be held in tandem with the performances to discuss the issue raised by the plays. Theatre Bites runs until June 22. For programme and ticketing details see http://www.taikooplace.com/en/artistree