Theatre preview: The Ugly One highlights the folly of beauty
When WeigoLee Kwok-wai first came across The Ugly One, a 2007 dark comedy by German playwright Marius von Mayenburg, during a play reading session five years ago, the stage director was instantly gripped by the playwright's unique, witty style.
THE UGLY ONE
On & On Theatre Workshop
When WeigoLee Kwok-wai first came across The Ugly One, a 2007 dark comedy by German playwright Marius von Mayenburg, during a play reading session five years ago, the stage director was instantly gripped by the playwright's unique, witty style.
The play, which tells of the drastically changed fortunes of the hideous-looking engineer Lette after he went under the knife, is a satire of the pursuit of beauty and the decay of human identity in modern capitalistic society. While the themes — and the playwright's humorous take on them — will strike a chord with many in this city, Lee sees the work as a test of his directorial mettle.
"The play's structure is very interesting. It has minimal stage direction, and there are more than 30 rapid changes of scenes, but no change of the set or costume at all," says Lee. "It imposes a great challenge for both the director and actors to tell the story properly. The fact that all the actors except Chu Pak-hong, who plays the protagonist, play at least two to three roles that share the same names does not make that any easier."
However, after directing its Hong Kong premiere in 2013 at the Cattle Depot Artist Village, Lee has more confidence and finds this second attempt more entertaining.
