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Cabaret explores Chinese identity, the evolution of language and generational differences in Hong Kong – ‘we’re making fun of ourselves’, say creators
- Anna Lo and Rick Lau’s third Hong Kong-style cabaret, The Farewell Comeback Tour, is ‘very specifically Hong Kong and intimately relatable’
- The show examines identity, generational differences and the evolution of language and slang through the story of a washed-up diva in the city
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“Hong Kong” and “cabaret” are not often mentioned in the same breath, but musical artists Anna Lo and Rick Lau have found much success in this theatre genre over the past four years with their humorous but thoughtful takes on the city’s identity.
The pair return this weekend to Tai Kwun, the heritage-arts venue in Central on Hong Kong Island, with The Farewell Comeback Tour, the third and final instalment of their Hong Kong-style cabaret trilogy.
Tri Ka Tsai and LauZone, which premiered in 2019 and 2021 respectively, were popular enough to warrant re-runs in 2021 and 2022. In January 2023, two sold-out Tri Ka Tsai performances were held during Singapore’s Huayi Chinese Arts Festival.
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“We present the content in a heightened or kind of absurd way, but it’s very specifically Hong Kong and intimately relatable. We’re making fun of ourselves and everybody,” says Lo, the show’s co-creator.
Tri Ka Tsai is a Cantonese/ English wordplay on “trilingual kids”. The whole premise of the show is that many ethnically Chinese Hongkongers are, given the city’s cultural and political history, expected to speak Cantonese, English and Mandarin.
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