Rooftop Productions

Documentary Theatre

Devising Theatre

Testimony

Name: Testimony
Start: Thu Aug 15 2019 12:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
End: Sun Aug 18 2019 07:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Location: Cattle Depot Theatre

South Asians in Hong Kong: Documentary Theatre

15–18 Aug 2019

Cattle Depot Theatre

1 hour 30 minutes

Creative Team Gallery Directors' Notes

South Asians in Hong Kong

Over a hundred years ago, the British first brought people from South Asia to Hong Kong to keep the peace. Others came by commercial ship, to take advantage of new trading opportunities.

Now, South Asians make up the largest ethnic minority group in Hong Kong (apart from domestic workers), and the history of their contribution to the development of the city far outweighs their current visibility in society. Hong Kong has become an international cosmopolitan city, but the South Asians who helped create it are systematically excluded from it in the education system, the workplace, and the media. Many have been fighting for years for their voices to be heard.

The South Asian community here has already faced the problems that all Hongkongers are now facing. What can we learn from their experiences?

Cast

Ivor Houlker

Musician

Michelle Li

Collaborating Actor, Musician

Mohammad Kashif Ali

Collaborating Actor

Basnet Tusar

Collaborating Actor, Musician

Ng King Lung

Collaborating Actor

Arisa Yasaratne

Collaborating Actor

Creative and Production Team

Directors	Ivor Houlker, Michelle Li
Music Director	Ivor Houlker
Dramaturg	Lai Sim Fong
Collaborating Actors	Arisa Yasaratne, Basnet Tusar, Michelle Li, Mohammad Kashif Ali, Ng King Lung
Lighting Designer	Au Yeung Hon Ki
Musician	Basnet Tusar, Ivor Houlker, Michelle Li
Video Designer	Chan Tsz Ho Calvin
Stage Manager	Kahy Chan
Assistant Stage Manager	Herriet Tsang
Assistant Producer	Chan Myae Mon Mon
Lighting Operator	Cheng Hoe Ling Sarah
Academic Advisor	Lisa Leung
Graphic Designer	Alfie Leung
Promotion Photographer	Ivor Houlker

Acknowledgements: Phoenix Cheung, 18th Art Space.

Awards & Recognition

Awards and recognition for shows or achievemenets

Winner of

Best Scenography

12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)

Nominated for

Best Script

12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)

Nominated for

Best Director

12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)

Nominated for

Best Performance

12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)

Nominated for

Best Actor

IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2019

Winner of

Performance of the Year

IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2019

Winner of

Best Scenography

IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2019

Gallery

What Critics Say

Quotes from reviews and articles about us and our shows

Directors' Notes

In one of our interviews about society’s perception of ethnic minorities, we asked the interviewee: "If people say: 'Resources are limited, we should look after local people first.' how would you respond?" She took an unhurried sip of coffee and replied: “They are local people.” We all laughed, disarmed by her simple answer. Actually ‘local’ and ‘non-Chinese’ have never been opposites; these two concepts can stand together.

Going into the research phase of this show last year when we met Prof. Lisa Leung, we had a lot to learn. Neither of us can claim any South Asian heritage, so it was vital to form our opinions by talking directly to the people we wanted to learn about. We ran theatre workshops for Hong Kong South Asian youth, we volunteered teaching at their Chinese lessons, and arranged interviews with upwards of 30 people related to the topic. We also knew it would be essential to have actors with South Asian heritage involved directly in the creative process, and luckily we found there are plenty of very talented people in Hong Kong. We worked together to create the content and the script, based on verbatim interview transcripts as well as the actors’ own experiences and reflections. - Ivor Houlker, Michelle Li

"As someone with partly Sri Lankan heritage, I thought I knew about all the issues relating to ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, but I really didn’t. Making this show opened my eyes and made me realise that some ethnic minorities are more neglected than I thought. The question I kept asking myself was ‘Well, what can I do?’" - Arisa

"Doing this show has made me realise the important role we South Asians have played in the development of Hong Kong’s society. It has changed the way I think about myself as an ‘ethnic minority’. It made me realise that I am part of Hong Kong - our history and future is intertwined." - Tusar

"Our rehearsal process coincided with a historical social movement, but instead of hindering our progress, it actually helped me better understand Hong Kong’s culture, history, and interpersonal relationships. Through learning the history of the path that ethnic minorities have taken, I realised that we should act - not just for ourselves, but for those around us; together we are proud of being Hongkongers." - King Lung

"I discovered that there is still so much to discover; this is just the beginning." - Kashif