It's been 22 years since singer-producer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming first performed for the experimental Zuni Icosahedron theatre troupe. But this weekend, Wong will pair up with noted kunqu performer Shi Xiaomei for The Forbidden City, a series of multimedia musical performances directed by Mathias Woo Yan-wai at the Cultural Centre as part of this year's Architecture is Art Festival.
Wong will play a swallow and guide the audience through the site, telling the story of this masterpiece of Chinese architecture by using a mix of Chinese and Western music.
What was your first impression of the Forbidden City?
The first time I visited the palace was a very long time ago and my first impression of it was that it was very large and creepy. It is like a maze. There are many endless corridors and countless rooms inside the palace that seem to be there to confuse people and make them lose their way. What struck me most about the palace then was that it seemed to be there to separate those inside from those outside. No one apart from the emperor could get to the heart of the palace. This palace was not only built to keep people out; it also became a prison for the emperors who longed to escape it. Learning the history of this palace, how it stood through so many events and emperors on the throne from the Ming to Qing dynasties, was fascinating.
How will you play a swallow?
Although I'm playing a bird, I won't dress like one, but will capture the creature's spirit in an abstract way. The director, Mathias Woo, created the character of the bird to be the only one capable of getting in and out of the Forbidden City freely during different times. In that role, I will be telling untold interesting stories about the palace with images of the Forbidden City in the background. It will be quite different from a traditional theatre performance.
What did you learn about the architecture of the palace?