In a shopping centre in Mongkok, a strange experiment in reality theatre had just finished. And from the cheers of fans at Langham Place to watch the four artists emerge from three weeks of unrelenting public gaze, there was no doubt the experiment had been a success.
Henry Wong Piu-tim, 52, himself a performer, had pressed his face to the glass of the specially designed 'pod' where Neil Thomas, Andrew Morrish, Nick Papas and David Wells had danced, washed, joked and drawn pictures of those on the outside for three weeks.
Yesterday Wong held up a farewell sign - 'We need more capsules for our urban mental therapy' - and from the look on the faces of other fans, his message was fitting.
'There has never been a show like this in Hong Kong before,' he said. 'And Hong Kong people are so tense and obsessed with work that they need to spend more time relaxing.'
Nariacee Lee Yee-chee, 68, who travelled from the Wong Tai Sin temple to watch the four Australians leave their Urban Dream Capsule, also said the show had offered an escape for the city's work-weary residents.
'Hong Kong people are under too much pressure and these guys showed us a different lifestyle,' Ms Lee said.