Hong Kong's version of A Spot of Murder offers not one, but two takes
Unlike dance productions,it is rare for local theatre shows to have more than one cast. But Chan Suk-yi, artistic director of Whole Theatre, has decided to take this unusual step, casting two sets of actors for his Cantonese adaptation of A Spot of Murder, a classic whodunnit from British playwright Geoff Bamber.
A SPOT OF MURDER
Whole Theatre
Unlike dance productions,it is rare for local theatre shows to have more than one cast. But Chan Suk-yi, artistic director of Whole Theatre, has decided to take this unusual step, casting two sets of actors for his Cantonese adaptation of A Spot of Murder, a classic whodunnit from British playwright Geoff Bamber.
His intention is to strike a balance "between training new blood and meeting market demand".
"These drama graduates need to keep practising their skills with real onstage experience, so they must be involved in public productions," says Chan, who took over the troupe from its founder Ho Wai-lung, who died last year. "To be honest, managing one cast is already a heavy load. But nurturing new actors is one of the missions of our company."
So "Cast A" will be pulling in the crowds with names such as Louis Cheung Kai-chung, Michael Ning Chi-ho, and Cecilia Ng Kit-yan while "Cast B" is made up of fresh faces and unknowns, most are passionate young performers who have just finished a one-year acting course organised by Whole Theatre. But there is at least one star in this second cast — Chan himself, an award-winning veteran on the local theatre scene.