---
id: "post-41-en"
title: "One Person's Memories Become a Collective Memory for Many"
type: "review"
authors: ["Jiu Nuo"]
publicationDate: "Thu Aug 27 2026 17:35:26 GMT+0800 (Hong Kong Standard Time)"
publisher: "Taipei Fringe Festival"
originalUrl: "https://tpac.org.taipei/en/festival-fringe/2026/comment-whole_people/1677"
tags: []
relatedEvents: ["Karaoke"]
liveUrl: "https://www.rooftopproductions.hk/en/review/karaoke-tff-1677"
---

# One Person's Memories Become a Collective Memory for Many


**Post Details:**
- **Type:** review
- **Author(s):** Jiu Nuo
- **Published:** 27 Aug 2026
- **Publisher:** Taipei Fringe Festival
- **Original Source:** [Link](https://tpac.org.taipei/en/festival-fringe/2026/comment-whole_people/1677)
- **Related Events:** Karaoke


---

## Content
Centered around Michelle Li’s own coming-of-age experiences, *Karaoke* weaves together her personal story, different eras of Hong Kong society, and Cantopop golden hits. The most striking segment is the 1997 handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty. As a member of the children's choir back then, Michelle Li performed in the pouring rain. Years later, having her stand on stage to recount this experience herself, accompanied by photographs from that very year, adds a profound sense of reality to an event that otherwise merely exists in history.

There were many audience members from Hong Kong in attendance. As familiar songs, images, and past events resurfaced, you could see quite a few people silently wiping away tears. To them, these scenes were perhaps not just part of a theatrical performance, but lives and memories they had actually lived through. These genuine emotions imbued the entire show with a very special atmosphere; even though I hadn't lived through that same era, I found myself easily moved by the mood in the room.

The production featured no extravagant costumes or complex staging. Michelle Li was simply like a friend sharing her own story, even bringing out physical photographs one by one rather than solely relying on digital projections. This stripped-back approach actually closed the distance between the stage and the audience. Although *Karaoke* tells a Hong Kong story, as a Taiwanese audience member, I never felt a sense of distance while watching it. Even if we come from different backgrounds and haven't lived through the exact same history, the songs, photographs, and personal anecdotes still allowed me to understand and feel the emotions embedded within. For the duration of this performance, those stories—which originally belonged solely to Hong Kong and Michelle Li—felt just a little bit closer to me too.




*Originally published in:  Taipei Fringe Festival. We create a mirrored version of reviews and articles about our shows for archival purposes, so that we can retain a version if the original disappears. We always link to the original publisher and credit the author. However, if you are the owner of this material and you would like us to remove it, please get in touch.*