RIEKO YAMASAKI ENJOYS a challenge. Having spent eight years studying for a master's degree in theatre performance at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, she stopped off in Hong Kong on her way home to Kobe, Japan. She wanted to sample the local theatre scene, but because there was nothing that piqued her interest, she decided to stage her own play. Six years and several productions later, Yamasaki, 37, is slowly building a following in what she says is a unique brand of performance in Hong Kong. 'There was a discrepancy between what I saw as theatre and what was being performed here,' she says, sitting in her cluttered studio on the roof of an industrial building in To Kwa Wan on the fringe of the artists' Cattle Depot. 'Those going to the theatre were middle-class intellectuals who went with pre-conceived ideas about what the play would be about. I don't want people to come with those ideas. I want them to experience the play for what it is. That's why my work isn't suitable for intellectuals. I want ordinary people to come, and I'm building a new audience.' It's a brave director who ignores what's probably the largest segment of the theatre-going public. Nonetheless, Yamasaki - also known as E-Run - has received favourable reviews, and strong ticket sales for her shows, which include Japanese Theatre Series 1: Salad for Murder, Toilet is Here and Salome. She wrote and directed Hanabi Over the Shores and So Now I am Yang Gwei Fei. She has also worked as assistant director on or acted in local productions such as 11 Cats (Chung Ying Theatre Company), Seven Deadly Kisses (On and On Theatre Workshop) and The Price for Pee (Theatre Fanatico). Through her Japanese Theatre Series she hopes to introduce dramas written by Asians for Asians to Hong Kong and inspire local writers. In her latest offering, Japanese Theatre Series 2: Yoru No Ichizoku by Kobiyama Yoichi, Yamasaki, directs several local amateur and semi-professional actors (as well as herself) in a contemporary Japanese drama. The language is Cantonese, which would be enough of a challenge for any director attempting to interpret a foreign play for a local audience. What makes it even more so for Yamasaki is that she speaks only Japanese and Putonghua. 'I know the script and the words in Mandarin and Japanese, and when an actor speaks in Cantonese I get the general impression of what's going on,' she says, through producer Anna Cheng Woon-mei. 'The details may be difficult and I may not understand every word, but the advantage I have is that I'm able to interpret and direct the actor's feelings and emotions so much better.' Yoru No Ichizoku, which roughly translates as Night People, deals with the universal theme of many people's inability to discuss their real feelings, desires and goals, especially to close friends and relatives. We live in a technological age where communication is instant, but we rarely share anything about ourselves beyond the superficial, says Yamasaki. In the play, two young construction workers hear a cry for help late one night, and set out to discover the source of the plea. Who is calling? Where are they? What's the matter? And is it really a cry for help? Along the way, they meet many people frustrated with society, including a motorcycle gang, a transvestite, a prostitute and a high-school student fretting over his university entrance exams. Each character has a story of hope, fear and unfulfilled dreams. Cheng says Yamazaki, with whom she has collaborated on several projects, brings an energy to the play rarely seen in local productions. The characters in Yoru No Ichizoku have a Japanese manga comic-like quality, with an exuberance verging on the hyperactive. In one scene, frustrated at not being able to find the source of the cries for help, the construction workers break into a contemporary dance to the tune of Ravel's Bolero. Yamazaki's nickname of E-Run is short for 'ever running', and reflects the enthusiasm she brings to directing. 'E-Run has a unique way of interpreting these plays,' says Cheng, 31. 'She uses her energy to deliver the text. This play has many characters and each one has their own unique way of communicating.' Cheng says she expects the theme to resonate with local theatregoers - as will the fact that it's written by an Asian for an Asian audience. Hong Kong's interest in all things Japanese, especially among the younger generation, ensures Yamazaki's plays have a ready-made audience. Despite the play having been written more than 10 years ago and by a Japanese playwright, Yamazaki says the moral crosses the boundaries of time and culture. 'In the end, the young men see that the dreams of all the people they meet are the dreams they have,' she says. 'In our society, we're very protective of our own space. We talk, but do we really understand each other? Do we really share?' Japanese Theatre Series 2: Yoru No Ichizoku, Nov 2-5, 8pm (Nov 4-5, 3.30pm also), McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wan Chai, HK$80, HK$120, Inquiries: 2899 2270