Hong Kong's 'umbrella movement' on stage in morality play Beyond Paradise
Inspired by last year's "umbrella movement" protests in Hong Kong, veteran playwright Szeto Wai-kin and director Henry Fong Ka-wong have been working closely since late 2014 on a script that explores what it means to be right and wrong at a time when society seems to be full of injustices.
BEYOND PARADISE
Actors’ Family
Inspired bylast year's "umbrella movement" protests in Hong Kong, veteran playwright Szeto Wai-kin and director Henry Fong Ka-wong have been working closely since late 2014 on a script that explores what it means to be right and wrong at a time when society seems to be full of injustices.
Initially, Beyond Paradise tells the story of a villain who learns to be good after mistakenly being sent to heaven in place of someone else. He faces the dilemma of either telling the truth — that he is in heaven by mistake and a good person is suffering in hell in his place — or not saying anything, which makes him a liar and a fraud.
While the upcoming show maintains part of this original plot, the duo opted for a more contemplative story — an allegedly real-life tale that took place in Italy that went viral on the internet — to underscore their shared viewpoint about morality.
"Our team all agreed that, as educated individuals, we must find our own way to document what happened during the umbrella movement," says Szeto. "And the current script, intertwined with facts from the months-long pro-democracy sit-in, is a great vehicle to delve deeper into various themes of ethics, justice and human nature."