An evocative, Van Gogh-inspired illustration for the Rooftop Productions (天台製作) performance, 'Songs of Innocence and Experience'. The artwork features a swirling, textured night sky background in deep blues and purples, framing a conflict between two groups of fantastical characters. On the right, human-like figures with intense expressions and ornate markings advance through white clouds. On the left, grotesque, mythical creatures with sharp features and horns reach out from the shadows, creating a dramatic, surreal tableau typical of contemporary Hong Kong experimental theatre. 'Songs of Innocence and Experience, WestK, illustration'

The vibrant promotional poster for Rooftop Productions' contemporary Hong Kong theatre work, 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' (天道雛世故之歌), features a dynamic, manga-style illustration. The composition is packed with fantastical, wide-eyed characters—some appearing heroic and others grotesque—surrounded by swirling, painterly clouds and ethereal energy. Bold, slanted yellow Chinese typography dominates the center, while the English title 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' is integrated into the design. At the top, the slogan 'Boys and Girls, Become a Legend!' sets an adventurous tone for this upcoming performance. Songs of Innocence and Experience Poster.

WestK x Rooftop Productions

Music Theatre

Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK)

Name: Songs of Innocence and Experience
Start: 2024-01-27T12:00:00.000Z
End: 2024-02-04T12:00:00.000Z
Location: West Kowloon, Freespace, The Box

Boys and Girls, become a legend!

27 Jan – 4 Feb 2024

West Kowloon, Freespace, The Box

1 hour 45 minutes

Creative Team Gallery Directors' Note

Thought-provoking stories of identity and self-expression from youngsters coming of age in contemporary times.

Devised and created by Rooftop Productions and the young artists of HKAPA’s School of Drama, Songs of Innocence and Experience is a vibrant, multidisciplinary work around the stories of a group of young people negotiating their path to adulthood in contemporary Hong Kong.

Through a fragmented montage of theatre, live original music, high culture and pop culture references, camera play and projections from Blake’s illustrated versions of Paradise Lost, the production offers a lively, humorous and poignant reflection on the drive and passions of youth.

Songs of Innocence and Experience takes its name from the work of William Blake, and inspiration from John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Areopagitica. Contemplating the eternal struggles of youth – between respecting authority and wanting freedom, and forging meaningful new pathways as emerging adults – the production plays with the angel-devil duality of Milton’s work, and the hybridity of contemporary Hong Kong society, to explore individual and universal journeys to self-identity.

First staged at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2022, the production has been developed and adapted for The Box. The new production features a revised script, original and new ensemble and band members, and enhanced scenography and projection design.

Cast

Sum Cheuk-yiu

Herself/ Abdiel

Sin Lok-yan

Herself/Eve/Raphael

A dramatic, cinematic promotional portrait for Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre show, 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' (WestK). The actor Cheung Cheuk-hang, portraying the character Gabriel, is centered in the frame, his face partially shrouded in deep shadow with a striking blue rim light highlighting his features. Behind him, a brilliant circular ring light glows against a dark, moody background, framed by swirling atmospheric smoke that envelops the foreground and adds to the theatrical tension. 'Cheung Cheuk-hang, Promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK)'

Cheung Cheuk-hang

Himself/Gabriel

Chew Yu-yeung

Himself/Mammon

A dramatic promotional portrait for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' featuring performer Caroline Chan as Lucifer. Set against a striking circular neon ring light, Chan’s face is illuminated in blue and violet hues, partially obscured by ethereal smoke, evoking a sense of intense, otherworldly conflict. This atmospheric visual captures the avant-garde aesthetic of Rooftop Productions' latest stage work at WestK. "Caroline Chan, Promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK)"

Caroline Chan

Herself/Lucifer

A dramatic promotional portrait for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' featuring performer Lee On-sang. She stands centered against a dark background, framed by a striking, glowing blue circular light behind her head, reminiscent of a halo or portal. Wisps of blue and purple smoke swirl around her silhouette, enhancing the intense, cinematic atmosphere. Her expression is stern and focused, embodying the themes of the performance. Lee On-sang, promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK).

Lee On-sang

Herself/Moloch

Wu Lui-fung

Guitar/Bass/Saxophone/Sheng/Chinese Flute/Chinese Drum

Mok Kok-pong

Himself/Michael

Ngan Sze Man Tiffany

Guitar/Bass/Snare Drum

A dramatic, atmospheric promotional portrait for Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre piece 'Songs of Innocence and Experience'. The actor Kwok Chun Hin Justin (performing as the Intern Angel and Violinist) is captured head-on, illuminated by a glowing golden ring light set against a dark background filled with swirling, ethereal smoke. His expression is intense and introspective, reflecting the avant-garde aesthetic of Hong Kong's performing arts scene. 'Kwok Chun Hin Justin, Promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK)'

Kwok Chun Hin Justin

Violin

Chin Wing-kar

Guzheng/Bass/Cello/Keys

A dramatic promotional portrait for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' (WestK) by Rooftop Productions, featuring actor Lo Man-chak. He is centered in the frame, cast in a striking dual-lighting setup: a bright, circular halo of golden light behind his head, contrasting with a cool blue spotlight on his face, creating an ethereal, god-like silhouette. Thick, swirling smoke envelops the lower half of his body, adding a sense of mystery to this HK stage performance. 'Lo Man-chak, Promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK)'

Lo Man-chak

Himself/God

Mak Ho-tin

Himself/Milton

A dramatic, atmospheric promotional portrait for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' by Rooftop Productions. Musician Sung Kwok-tung is centered in the frame, illuminated by a vivid, glowing blue circular halo light positioned directly behind his head. The scene is filled with swirling blue and purple theatrical smoke, casting deep shadows across his face and creating a moody, contemplative aesthetic typical of HK experimental stage performance. Sung Kwok-tung, Promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK).

Sung Kwok-tung

Drums/Bass Drum

A dramatic, atmospheric promotional portrait for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' (WestK) featuring musician Tsang Yuen-lam Ivy. Ivy is centered in the frame, framed by a large, glowing circular halo light behind her head that casts a soft, ethereal blue and purple aura. Swirls of stage fog drift around her, creating a moody, introspective aesthetic typical of avant-garde HK stage performance. 'Tsang Yuen-lam Ivy, Promo for Songs of Innocence and Experience (WestK).'

Tsang Yuen-lam Ivy

Keys/Cello/Bass

A dramatic promotional portrait for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' featuring performer Chan Wing Yung. The Intern Angel is centered against a dark background, illuminated from behind by a glowing, golden halo-shaped light. Wisps of atmospheric stage smoke swirl around her, creating an ethereal, moody aesthetic. Chan Wing Yung, promo for 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' (WestK).

Chan Wing Yung

Intern Angel

Creative and Production Team

Directors	Ivor Houlker, Michelle Li
Co-producers	Michelle Li, Bobo Lee*
Music Director	Ivor Houlker
Composers	Cheung Cheuk-hang, Sin Lok-yan, Sum Cheuk-yiu
Lyricists	Caroline Chan, Cheung Cheuk-hang, Chew Yu-yeung, Sin Lok-yan, Sum Cheuk-yiu
Choreographer	Lee On-sang
Collaborating Actors	Caroline Chan, Cheung Cheuk-hang, Chew Yu-yeung, Lee On-sang, Lo Man-chak, Mak Ho-tin¶, Mok Kok-pong, Sin Lok-yan, Sum Cheuk-yiu, Chin Wing-kar‡, Wu Lui-fung‡, Chan Wing Yung§, Kwok Chun Hin Justin§, Ngan Sze Man Tiffany§
Lighting Designer	Lai Ka-ki
Sound Designer	Allison Fong Tsz-ching
Set and Costume Designer	Tiffany Lau
Technical Integration Design	Homan So‡
Choral Practice Leaders	Cheung Cheuk-hang, Sum Cheuk-yiu
Band Leader	Wu Lui-fung‡
Band Members	Chin Wing-kar‡, Kwok Chun Hin Justin§, Ngan Sze Man Tiffany§, Sung Kwok-tung‡, Tsang Yuen-lam Ivy, Chan Wing Yung§
Creative Coordinators	Becky Wong, Thomas Yau
Project Coordinators	Lawrence Lai, Loui Yuen
Promotion Image Illustrator	Li Chi-tak

*Staff of West Kowloon Cultural District
‡With support and kind permission of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
§With kind permission of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in support of the internship programme
¶With kind permission of Alice Theatre Laboratory

Rooftop Productions' involvement in this programme is supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Hong Kong Arts Development Council supports freedom of artistic expression. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not represent the stand of the Council. This programme is co-presented and co-produced by WestK and Rooftop Productions, and is part of the WestK Creators series.

Awards & Recognition

Awards and recognition for shows or achievemenets

Nominated for

Best Performance

33rd Hong Kong Drama Awards

Nominated for

Best Director

33rd Hong Kong Drama Awards

Winner of

Best Original Music (Drama)

33rd Hong Kong Drama Awards

Nominated for

Performance of the Year

IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2024

Winner of

Scenography of the Year

IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2024

Nominated for

Director of the Year

IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2024

Winner of

Outstanding Production of the Year

33rd Hong Kong Drama Awards

Gallery

What Critics Say

Quotes from reviews and articles about us and our shows

Directors' Note

We started work on Songs of Innocence and Experience about two years ago, when The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) School of Drama invited us to direct a performance with their students. They put a lot of trust in us and gave us the freedom to work on a devised piece, developing the show based on various stimuli rather than a script.

As a starting point, we proposed Paradise Lost, while other works such as Catcher in the Rye, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Tristram Shandy served as references for the style of personal stories. , and Bo Burnham’s recent Inside was a reference for original songwriting. Paradise Lost became the main focus, and further research added more influence from Milton’s life and other works.

The first presentation of the work in the Studio Theatre at HKAPA took place in June 2022. It combined incorporated many of the elements of this version of the performance: music, live camera work, Blake’s images, Milton, Paradise Lost, and actors’ personal stories and discussions. However, the show is inherently tied to the performers’ journeys from Innocence to Experience, and so they have already moved on: it would be dishonest now to perform the same text, even though it was true at the time.

The sections of Paradise Lost have been rewritten to reflect a more mature connection with the text. The personal stories have mostly been completely changed, in both form and content. The approach to how we re-perform discussions from the rehearsal process is completely different, inspired to some extent by the Wooster Group’s use of video. We have an extra additional three musicians, kindly supported by the internship programme of HKAPA. Songs have been rewritten, replaced and rearranged.

In the devising process, everyone on the team has authorial involvement, and a sense of ownership of the content. Different people write or propose ideas for scenes or songs based on different various stimuli, test approaches in rehearsal, experiment, write and rewrite. We create a large number of different fragments like this, and constantly rearrange their structure based on themes, arcs and interesting juxtapositions. Much of the material is discarded as we narrow down on what is necessary, and new fragments are added in order to create meaning, or join disconnected ideas. The process is much more like editing a documentary than writing a script.

The idea of “’editing”’ is present not just a an organising principle of the performance, but as a scenographic device. The use of cameras and cuts between them explicitly borrows the language of Eisenstein’s montage. The performance creates meaning in the joining of different fragments, both in time, and in space. Perhaps this reflects the “multiplicity and contrariety of the world in which we live.,” but However, someone already said that about Josef Svoboda’s projections in the 60’s1960s, so hopefully we’re not too far behind.

It’s important to us that all the elements of theatre are live and present in the space (back to Svoboda, who complained of too many prerecorded elements “‘enslaving”’ the performer, losing “that which is beautiful about theatre.”) The music is a combination of both original pieces written by the team, and references that the audience may recognise. It can be serve as a vehicle for a story, an intertextual reference to shared culture or experiences, or a Greek chorus obliquely commenting on the action.

The interplay between the epic and the everyday is an essential element when working from a text like Paradise Lost, humanising gods and elevating the mundane. Ultimately, we want to tell our own stories: – stories that only we can tell, which reflect the place and times we are living through. The epic is a vehicle, rather than a museum piece, and so the author has to die and let us get on with it. This is a generation living through significant historical events; the art we make should reflect our time.

It has been an incredible opportunity to be able to work on improving a performance over such an extended period. Without it, we would never have been possible to achieve such a degree of openness and trust in this ensemble. We are grateful to West Kowloon Cultural District for supporting us to in reworking the show in this way, and giving us the trusting us to bring it to Freespace.

We are delighted to have met these graduates and students from HKAPA School of Drama during a low time for the whole performing arts industry. Your sincerity, courage, talent, determination and the hope for the future are always touching. Thank you for not giving up when you are feel lost, and for persisting in finding the value of yourself, and of the performance, after you wipe away your tears. Thank you for your trust in us. The world might not become better in an instant, but we hope that over the creative journey of Songs of Innocence and Experience, we have been able to find the strength and the drive to carry on.

About the Artists

Learn more about everyone involved in the production

Ivor Houlker

Ivor Houlker is a multidisciplinary theatre artist, who works internationally as a director, actor, musician, and programmer. He specialises in hybrid forms involving technology, as well as physical theatre and site-specific performances. His work often involves live music, chorus, multimedia projection, sound installation, and audience interaction. Since 2014 his work has incorporated programming and developing original apps to support interactive work. Recent works also include original real-time online platforms and to enable new forms of live interaction. Ivor is a founder and artistic director of Rooftop Productions in Hong Kong.

Learn more

Director

Music Director

Michelle Li

Michelle Li Yuen Jing is the founder and co-artistic director of Rooftop Productions, and the recipient of the Award for Young Artist (Drama) at the 16th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Performance Creation from Goldsmiths, University of London, and holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in English Studies from the University of Hong Kong.

Learn more

Director

Co-producer

Bobo Lee

Bobo Lee, Senior Producer for Performing Arts at West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, is a curator and creative producer driving innovation in theatre and cross-disciplinary art experiences.

Learn more

Co-producer