Last year, Scott Ligertwood and Nick Harvey waved goodbye to Hong Kong for what was supposed to be the last time. Better known as children's entertainers Scotty and Lulu, the pair were going to be missed. For 10 years they'd bounced their way round Hong Kong, plying their brand of magic, music and laughter to sell-out crowds. They'd even had shows on TV. But it was all over - apparently.
After just nine months, Scotty and Lulu are returning to Hong Kong. 'Our main fan base is over there,' says Harvey (aka Lulu). 'They love us and we love them. Our fans keep sending us e-mails asking when we're coming back, so we felt we owed it to them. Plus we're still novices in the UK and America - but we can fill a theatre in Hong Kong.'
Scotty and Lulu will be heading to Hong Kong for nine performances next month. 'Hong Kong is one big city,' Ligertwood says. 'In the UK, there are about 10 major cities and it's much more difficult to establish yourself.'
America is no easier and the duo have spent the past 12 months travelling across the continent, culminating in a show in New York. 'It wasn't Madison Square Garden,' says Harvey. 'More like our agent Ingrid's back garden.'
The pair launched their career in Hong Kong in 1994, appearing on a twice-weekly children's TV programme, Beeswacks. 'The show was on TVB Pearl,' Ligertwood says. 'It appealed to expats looking for entertainment for their kiddies. In the lead-up to 1997 everyone thought there'd be this mass exodus of expats but it didn't happen. And for about two years after the 1997-98 recession, the city was booming. But we found we had a lot of local Chinese kids coming to our shows, as well. It was a great way to learn English - lots of fun and silliness.'
Harvey moved back to his native London in 1997 to pursue a career writing music for television. Ligertwood, meanwhile, bought a house in England's Lake District with his partner, but the couple, who have six children, decided to stay in Hong Kong until last year.
'Within a very short space of time of living in Hong Kong I'd been a TV presenter and session pianist, and written music for TV and film including a kung fu movie,' Harvey says.
