Pop singer and teacher Lung Siu-kwan's shows will not feature her trademark masks
Teacher and pop singer Lung Siu-kwan's stage debut In Search of Elysium is a musical play based on her repertoire, which includes original compositions and Canto-pop songs for which she has rewritten lyrics. "I think the narrative will help the audience understand my songs," says Lung, who brought in veteran actress Harriet Yeung Sze-man as adviser and guest performer.
IN SEARCH OF ELYSIUM
Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre Theatre
Teacher and pop singer Lung Siu-kwan's stage debut is a musical play based on her repertoire, which includes original compositions and Canto-pop songs for which she has rewritten lyrics. "I think the narrative will help the audience understand my songs," says Lung, who brought in veteran actress Harriet Yeung Sze-man as adviser and guest performer.
"The concept is derived from a song I wrote last year in memory of my father. The story will be divided into chapters, covering topics such as friendship, kinship and love. I want to share my thoughts on life."
If that storyboard sounds a little mundane, the 26-year-old is anything but. Once an obese kid who, at the age of seven, was featured on a magazine cover for a story investigating weight issues in Hong Kong, Lung has morphed into a star tutor at a private tuition school. She goes by her artistic name, which she chose herself: Lung means "dragon" and Siu-kwan means "tiny bacteria".
That doesn't come close to the core of the Lung Siu-kwan mythology, which gained traction between 2012 and 2013 when she became an internet sensation as a masked singer-songwriter.
This masquerade was a tactic to focus public attention solely on her music; it came to an end in June 2013, when she publicly unmasked in honour of a hearing-impaired fan.
Although is partly inspired by her experiences, Lung says she's not going to appear in a mask: "I may let other actors do it on my behalf. The Lung Siu-kwan masks have gone through several editions and they are milestones in my career. If I bring the masks back for this show, it will be a message that I'm bidding them farewell."
An outspoken personality on social and political issues, Lung is determined to become a role model off campus.
According to her manager Dean Siu Tsz-fung, who is the director, and an actor, in the Live Theatre production, all proceeds — after deducting production costs — will be donated to the Hong Kong Red Cross. "Making money is not the reason for us to stage this show," he says.
Lung has yet to reach the limits of her benevolence. "After teaching [at the expensive tuition school] for a year, I've decided to stop for now," she says. "I'm looking for suitable non-profit organisations to collaborate with, so I can offer classes to less privileged students in Hong Kong. I'm hoping to give them completely free lessons."
