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Kevin Kwong

On & On Theatre, Cattle Depot Artist Village

March 3-12

In Ending the World,  Andy Ng Wai-shek (left) gets inside  the head of a lonely old man and finds not despair or fear but joy.

'When faced with death, people either have regrets over things they didn't do or celebrate what they have done,' says the writer/director/actor of this Cantonese show. 'So, in a way, life and death belong to the same side of a coin.'

Inspired by Alan Lightman's  best-selling book Einstein's Dreams and produced by Ribble Chung Siu-mui,  this  Hong Kong Arts Festival-commissioned piece takes a philosophical, but lighthearted, look at mortality.

According to Ng (also known as Fan Kuk), part of Einstein's Dreams  - a collection of fictional vignettes about different concepts of time - talks about the end of the world and how people deal with it.

'In the book, people react to the concept quite calmly,' he says. 'But I question that. I think in reality people deal with death very differently and chances are people aren't sitting around waiting for that to happen.'

Although the end of the world may not be imminent, death is very real for Ng. 'I'm interested in exploring the topic from different viewpoints. So I've created a character who is about to write a book on the end of the world. His writing is interrupted by his own thoughts - two alter egos that debate inside his head.

'In the face of the end, he starts to look at his past and recall what he has done with his life. It's through this process that he begins to understand his present and, perhaps, have a better grasp of his future. This piece is very reflective, but also positive. Some of the material is based on my own experience.'

To be staged at the On & On Theatre studio, this experimental piece is perfect for a small audience. A good part of the show is text-based, so the audience can literally read the old man's thoughts on the screen as they appear  in his head. Ng says his latest creation is a psychological drama that mocks but is also  honest. 'It's basically a personal story of a little old man that tackles a very big  and profound topic. The audience will react to the piece differently, but I hope, in their own way, they will find their answers to the question it poses.'

Unit 7, 63 Ma Tau Kok Rd, To Kwa Wan, $12, Urbtix. Inquiries: 2824 2430



Ending the World