Hong Kong as a hotbed of insurrection? It may be hard to imagine that now, with so many people preoccupied with stocks and property. But there were once ranks of revolutionaries whose efforts fuelled Sun Yat-sen's campaign a century ago to overthrow corrupt Qing rule and establish a modern republic. Among them were Yeung Kui-wan, who helped set up the Xingzhong Hui (Revive China Society), and Tse Tsan-tai, a founder of the South China Morning Post.
These largely unsung heroes feature in Martyrs on an Uphill Road, an original play being staged by Amity Drama Club, a community theatre group.
Playwright Patrick Pak Yiu-charn, a former vice-principal of St Louis School, got the idea for the production 12 years ago during visits to his ailing mother in Tung Wah Hospital in Sheung Wan.
'When strolling through the area I saw all those historic sites and buildings, and a picture formed in my head: revolutionaries walking up and down along these streets to deliver messages, information and even weapons. At the same time, others might be rushing to the hospital, hosting meetings on how to help people who were injured or ill, and arranging funerals for the dead,' he recalls.
But instead of focusing on a famous personality like Sun, Pak decided to shift the spotlight to a 1903 uprising organised by Tse, merchant Li Jitang and Hung Fook-chuen, a nephew of Taiping rebellion leader Hong Xiuquan.
'When creating an historical play, I don't like to write about people who are too famous. I'd rather explore lesser-known figures who have been overlooked. This gives me more room to develop a story,' says Pak, who used to teach Chinese history.