WHO is this Daniel Rocket? The synopsis says he is 'a teenager with the absurd conviction that he can fly'. His classmates say he is a freak. But is he? And can he really fly? The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket, staged by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, tells a strange tale of a boy who is ostracised by his peers because he thinks, obsessively, that he can fly.
This play by Peter Parnell was has been adapted by local director Anthony Chan who turns it into a romantic comedy.
Daniel, played by Wong Lung-pun, skips his science lessons to work on his wings and throw himself off his desk to feel his 'flying power'. It is Richard, his only friend, to whom he confides his big secret - his plan to jump off a cliff to prove that he can fly.
While his classmates think he is nuts, his teacher, Mrs Lai, thinks the boy is intelligent and precocious. But as the drama unfolds, it appears his character - the way he talks and acts - remains the same after 20 years.
Daniel is another version of Peter Pan, the boy who doesn't want to grow up and face changes in life.
This is where the acting comes in. Daniel and his eight classmates are played by School of Drama students who have to grow from teenage brats to responsible adults.
