First Hong Kong run for play specially adapted for autistic children
Relaxed performance involves short versions of plays whose audience members can run around, talk, shout, and come and go as they please
One thing you won't be hearing at the upcoming performance of Merlin the Magician at the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre Theatre next week is "Shush! Be quiet please." Instead, the audience will be allowed to talk, shout and leave the theatre any time they like.
That's because the production is being adapted for autistic children by veteran drama educator Vicki Ooi using a concept called "relaxed theatre". Such performances also feature subdued lighting, quieter sound and a chill-out area outside the auditorium to create a more supportive atmosphere for young people with autism.
Relaxed theatre is a relatively new idea but is fast catching on globally. From a handful of performances in 2009, there are more than 90 relaxed performances taking place around the world this year, according to a study by Ben Fletcher-Watson published in June in the Scottish Journal of Performance.
Merlin the Magician will be Hong Kong's first full run of a relaxed performance. This follows the success of a single pilot show last year, Treasure Island, also led by Ooi, the artistic director of the Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection (Aftec) drama company.
Aftec will stage four relaxed shows of Merlin in Cantonese over two days on Oct 12 and 13. These shows will be a shorter, 30-minute version of the usual 90-minute production. It will stage the full version of the play for the public on Oct 10 and 11 and in primary schools the following week.
Ooi says she was inspired to launch relaxed performances in the city after finding out about the concept on a trip to Britain.
