Show Introduction

Sex, power, money and race collide on a torrid night, as Strindberg’s theatre classic is transported to 1940s colonial Hong Kong in a must-see new production

Transplanted from the rural retreat of a 19th century Swedish country estate to colonial Hong Kong, theatre staple Miss Julie is reinvigorated with biting fresh perspective and regional flavour. Playwright Amy Ng chose 1949, an era defined by division and discriminatory hierarchies under British colonial rule, to reimagine August Strindberg’s classic naturalistic 1888 work.

Co-produced by the HKAF and Singapore Repertory Theatre, and directed by Singaporean Ng Choon Ping, this English-language retelling casts the original text’s class struggles alongside the racist realities of the colonial era in the immediate post-war period. The old power structures are fraying but still predominant when, after almost four years of brutal Japanese occupation, the city is returned to its jaded European rulers. Newly defeated and vulnerable, the British Empire’s earlier arrogance and prestige has faded and tattered.

Ng’s retelling plays on these tensions, casting the two servants as a Chinese migrant, John, and his fiancée, Christine, the family cook. The titular Julie is a rich British tycoon’s daughter; over a charged festive holiday, she pursues an ultimately ruinous relationship with John, her father’s driver.

This must-see play marks the only live English-language drama at this year’s HKAF, with an international cast from the UK and Singapore, and represents an important collaboration between two regional talents who have notably divided their time between the UK and the former British colonies they call home. An evident talent to watch, Hong Kong-born, London-raised playwright Amy Ng has already received important commissions from the UK’s National Theatre Studio and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Ng Choon Ping is an award-winning director based in London; his previous work The Truth at the Singapore Repertory Theatre was a sell-out hit.

Show Details

• Miss Julie | A co-production of the HKAF and Singapore Repertory Theatre | HKAF 2022
• Date and Time：2022-03-17(Thu) - 20(Sun) 20:15；2022-03-19(Sat)- 20(Sun) 15:00；2022-03-22(Tue) - 27(Sun) 20:15；2022-03-26(Sat) - 27(Sun) 15:00
• Venue：Studio Theatre,HK Cultural Centre
• Address ：L5, Auditoria Building,10 Salisbury Rd,Tsim Sha Tsui

ADAPTED BY

• Amy Ng

DIRECTED BY

• Ng Choon Ping

PERFORMED BY

• Singapore Repertory Theatre
• Heidi Parsons
• Steve Chusak

Remarks

• Approx. 1 hr 30 mins with no interval
• Performed in English with Chinese and English surtitles
• This production may include adult content
• Recommended for ages 16 or above

The above sources are from HKAF 2022 official website