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Kevin Kwong

Three-Letter Opera

Zuni Icosahedron

Shouson Theatre

Reviewed: July 14

Singer-actor Cedric Chan  Ho-fung  is the star of this Zuni Icosahedron production, which deserves both critical and commercial success. Directed, written and designed by Mathias Woo Yan-wai,  with creative input from Chan, Three-Letter Opera is first and foremost a clever and intelligent theatre piece, which happens to be entertaining, too.

By turning Confucianism, or Kung Fu-tzu's philosophy and ancient Chinese teachings, on its head, Woo satirises modern-day education within the Hong Kong context. He also looks at how learning now fits into the everyday lives of young people.

The 90-minute, five-act performance opened with  clever stage lighting that showed  the dual nature of  Confucius.  By projecting different colours  onto a big statue,    the  philosopher/teacher was made to look  like a revered god one moment, and  a fearsome ghost  the next.  For generations of Chinese, Kung Fu-tzu is a figure  who commands both respect and awe.

The first act is a satire of private tuition schools. Chan mimicked a trendy tutor of no academic substance. Out goes Confucianism, in comes commercialism.

This gag was slightly stretched, with repetitive references to the pitfalls of examination-oriented learning, but Chan's  delivery and  stage presence kept it afloat.

The highlight, Kung Family, was written and recited in three-character classic (or san zi jing) style, with each sentence comprising three Chinese characters, or syllables, delivered rhythmically. It was a device commonly used to aid Confucian scholars and continues to be used nowadays to memorise and learn. Woo and Chan's three-character classic is both vulgar and hilarious.

Three-Letter Opera is trademark Zuni, following the  formula that made its East Wing, West Wing series a success.  What separates this production from the likes of Theatre Ensemble's L'empereur du Chant, which is also a social satire, is its depth. The way Woo and Chan (below) satirise   Hong Kong's mindless pop culture (shopping, karaoke, online chat) using well thought-out Confucian references keeps this snappy show from being banal and superficial.



Three-Letter Opera