Yeah but no, it's Little Hong Kong

W Theatre's latest production is Hong Kong's answer to the BBC television comedy series Little Britain. Titled Little Hong Kong (its Chinese title means 'Nation of Villains'), the show is a critique of the city, including its weird and wonderful inhabitants and its self-obsessing popular culture.

After seeing the stage show Little Britain Live, with characters such as Daffyd 'I am the only gay in the village' Thomas and delinquent Vicky 'yeah but no' Pollard, the company's artistic director Alvin Wong Chi-lung decided to pen his localised version, which opens at the Hong Kong Arts Centre on Friday.

'The characters [in my version] are very mean and repulsive,' says the director-cum-playwright. 'I try to amplify Hong Kong people's weaknesses and absurdities in these characters. These people are very common and can easily be found in Hong Kong nowadays.'

Comprising 11 sets with the actors playing different roles in each - just as Matt Lucas and David Walliams perform a range of characters in Little Britain - the comedy relies on the actors' performances to bring out the humour. Wong says he is grateful for the strong cast, including Windmill Grass Theatre's Joey Leung Cho-yiu, Edmond Tong Chun-yip and Shaw Mei-kwan, and former Chung Ying Theatre actor Michael Ning Chi-ho.

Leung plays several quirky characters, even cross-dressing to play a detestable office lady who 'forgets' how to speak proper Cantonese after having studied overseas for just a couple of years, as well as a greedy bodybuilding freak. He will also reprise his award-winning role as a vain gay man from 2004's Queer Show.

Leung says: 'Although we have quite a lot of experience in staging comedy, it's a different experience and challenge this time. You have to get into character right away in every set, which takes loads of energy.' He says the rapid costume and makeup changes make the performance even harder to handle.

Since it was established in 1999, W Theatre has gained a reputation for its direct and intimate working relationship between the director and actors. For Little Hong Kong there have been two workshops to share their views about the city and its inhabitants, and actors are invited to contribute their ideas to the script developed by Wong.