Homegrown talents - fresh and veteran - will account for close to a quarter of the 42 acts at this year's festival
TO THOSE WHO have cast the unfair judgment of 'cultural desert' on the city's vibrant arts scene, the 2005 Hong Kong Arts Festival stands as a glowing testament to the contrary.
Homegrown Hong Kong stars will shine among the selection of internationally acclaimed acts. Among the 42 acts in the festival, 10 are local, and these include classical musicians, a brass quintet, original theatre productions and indie music acts.
One of the highlights of the local lineup is The French Kiss, a play commissioned by the festival and written by Hong Kong playwright Chong Mui-ngam, named best playwright at this year's Hong Kong Drama Awards.
Based on real events, the play tells the story of a forbidden union between a priest and his secretary, which leaves the priest's life in ruins after the woman files and wins a sexual harassment suit against him.
Five years later, the two meet at a party and this is where the play opens. The ensuing action takes place in a locked room, where the two characters debate, question and sift through their memories of the incident.
Two of Hong Kong theatre's best actors, Lee Chun-chow and Faye Leung, will star in the play under the direction of theatre veteran Gabriel Lee, back in Hong Kong from Australia.
