THERE is a Hitchcock retrospective coming to town but it will not be seen on the screen. Instead, the dance troupe Adventures in Motion Pictures is bringing the director's works to the stage. Deadly Serious is a production that ponders the much-overlooked humorous elements of Hitchcock. Adventures in Motion Pictures' artistic director Matthew Bourne pointed to Hitchcock's irony and wit. Divided into two parts, Deadly Serious is ''shot'' first in black and white, while the second act reflects Hitchcock's foray into colour. Act one is based on the film version of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca about the saga of a second wife haunted by traces of the first. It is certainly not restricted to this, though. Other Hitchcock film characters, including a lurking Norman Bates, make guest appearances. While the first half concentrates on the strong characters that dominated Hitchcock's early works, the second half focuses on his more conceptual, colour films. North by Northwest, Vertigo, and Rear Window all get the treatment. Deadly Serious is Adventure in Motion Pictures' fourth successful full-length feature. Entertainment comes first for Bourne. He does not strive to ''say something'' but feels that once he has taken an idea and worked upon it, it is possible to be subversive within that context. It has put Bourne's company further and further away from the modern dance scene. Adventures in Motion Pictures is on at the Hongkong Cultural Centre's Theatre on 7.45 pm, February 3 to 7.
