Rooftop Productions Home
Testimony
Testimony
Rooftop Productions
Documentary Theatre

Testimony

South Asians in Hong Kong: Documentary Theatre
15–18 Aug 2019

Cattle Depot Theatre

1 hour 30 minutes

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?

More information

Dates & Tickets

Dates

15–17 Aug 2019
12:00
18 Aug 2019
03:00, 07:00

Duration

1 hour 30 minutes

Ticket Prices

HK$150–200

Audience Information

Language

Mainly in Cantonese and English.

Ticket Reminders

Seating is unallocated. No refunds after ticket confirmation.

The show lasts for around 90 minutes, please stay for our post-show talk.

Latecomers will not be admitted.

All rights reserved by Rooftop Productions Ltd.

Venue

Cattle Depot Theatre

Unit 7, Cattle Depot Artist Village, Ma Tau Kok Road

Cattle Depot Theatre
View map

Getting there

從土瓜灣站A出口步行5分鐘。

Creative and Production Team

Directors
Music Director
Dramaturg
Collaborating Actors
Lighting Designer
Musician
Video Designer
Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Assistant Producer
Lighting Operator
Academic Advisor
Graphic Designer
Promotion Photographer

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

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

About the Artists

Learn more about everyone involved in the production

And David Wilson came down from Scotland to participate in the debate

Ivor Houlker

Ivor Houlker is a multidisciplinary theatre artist, who works internationally as a director, actor, musician, and programmer.
Director
Music Director
Musician
Promotion Photographer
One passport, one identity

Michelle Li

Michelle Li is an interdisciplinary performer and theatre practitioner in Hong Kong. She has created site-specific theatre works in the UK, Greece, and Sicily, and continues to develop her performing and creative career locally, working as a producer, director, performer, and designer.
Director
Collaborating Actor
Musician
lai-sim-fong-key-visual

Lai Sim Fong

Sim Fong graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Practice from the University of Exeter (UK). She works as a dramaturg in theatre and contemporary dance.
Dramaturg
Testimony

Mohammad Kashif Ali

Collaborating Actor
Testimony

Basnet Tusar

Collaborating Actor
Musician
Testimony

Ng King Lung

Collaborating Actor
My grandpa was stationed on the Hong Kong border from 1970 to 1976

Arisa Yasaratne

Arisa Yasaratne is a 3/4 Chinese, 1/4 Sri Lankan freelance actress who has worked on projects both on stage and on camera.
Collaborating Actor

Au Yeung Hon Ki

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Electronic Engineering from City University; BA from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Lighting Designer
chan-tsz-ho-key-visual

Chan Tsz Ho Calvin

Freelance multimedia and theatre artist Calvin Chan specialises in video design, multimedia design and live mixing. He also works as technical consultant for a variety of live performances and events, as well as films and TV productions. Recent theatre works include: Testimony and The Furies Variations (Rooftop Productions), Confrontations and February 14 – A musical (Hong Kong Repertory Theatre), and Bull (Fableist Ensemble).
Video Designer

Kahy Chan

Stage Manager

Herriet Tsang

Assistant Stage Manager

Chan Myae Mon Mon

Assistant Producer

Cheng Hoe Ling Sarah

Graduated with First Class Honours from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in Stage Lighting Design.
Lighting Operator

Lisa Leung

Academic Advisor
Superheroes Don't Give a Shit!

Alfie Leung

Alfie is a freelance graphic designer/amateur actor/amateur playwright.
Graphic Designer