Name: Kelvin Tsang Men-tung Occupation: Scenographer Age: 30 Young Post: What kind of training did you have before becoming a professional scenographer? Tsang: After leaving secondary school, I joined an amateur drama society as I wanted to be a stage actor. Sometimes I would take over the set and costume design as I studied design at Caritas Bianchi College of Careers for a year. Then I studied set and costume design at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. After graduating in 1997, I did quite a lot of non-paying productions. Those experiences were really valuable, as I worked on a diverse range of theatre performances and learned a lot. They were also opportunities to get some exposure and get to know more people in the field. YP: What does a scenographer actually do? T: We first read the script and talk to the director about how the drama is going to be presented and interpreted. We will make a model box to let the director to understand the space in the theatre and show him or her the atmosphere of the setting. If everything is fine, we will make a technical drawing, ground plan and section, and present them to various departments and the contractor. We follow the production until the first show. YP: Is there any difference between training and the professional world? T: Yes. Actually, some graduates may find it hard to fit in when they enter the professional world. The way in which people communicate in the professional world is quite different from the institute. People will ask for your ideas and input. Knowledge of drama and its forms is crucial to a scenographer. But frankly, this is the part which the institute does not emphasise much. YP: What is the most satisfying or unforgettable project you've done so far? T: Hong Kong Repertory Theatre's When I Was Deserted in 2001. For this production, I first designed the setting based on a simple idea - desert. Then Paul Poon Wai-sum wrote the script based on my stage design. This is not a common collaboration form. To me, this is the most ideal theatrical collaboration - something more interactive. YP: Any advice for people who are interested in or preparing to enter this field? T: You must be very ambitious and really love theatre and performing arts. You have to have your own opinion and be able to compromise with others. Being eager to learn is also important because drama is about different people's lives. For instance, when a drama is about cooking, you need to have some knowledge of cooking. Every production is a challenge, a new experience and a learning process. With different scripts, you have to do different research. With different production teams, you will collaborate with different people and there will be different types of chemistry. Cafe 178, a small restaurant opened a few months ago in Tsim Sha Tsui, serves mostly Italian cuisine, and specialises in pasta. Cream of crab meat soup with coconut flavour ($20) Rating:3/5 Tsang: The coconut fragrance makes the soup very appealing. I like the big pieces of mushroom, but the crab meat is a bit dry. Fresh shrimp and avocado salad ($62) Rating: 3/5 T: It looks nice. The avocado, shrimp and the sauce mix quite well. Fettuccine with escargot in tomato herb sauce ($40) Rating: 3/5 T: Though the escargot is not fresh enough, when mixed with the sauce, it still tastes quite good. Roasted whole boneless spring chicken stuffed with seafood fried rice ($68) Rating: 4/5 T: It takes quite a lot of effort and time to prepare and cook this dish. The chicken is tender, the fried rice is dry enough and the barbecue sauce is tasty. Overall Rating: 4/5 T: Everything looks nice. It's clean, which is very important. The price is reasonable, and the place is small and cosy. I admire their attitude in making the dishes like the spring chicken - they only produce three every day. Cafe 178 Front Shop C, G/F Kun Lock Building, 178 Nathan Road (near Hillwood Road), Tsim Sha Tsui Tel: 2377 4499
