Drama brings cheer to Hong Kong's 'City of Sadness'

Rarely told tales from the so-called "City of Sadness" will hit the stage when 13 Tin Shui Wai residents tell the stories of their lives in a new production by a local drama troupe.

The 13, who include recent migrants, are part of a troupe organised by the International Social Service Hong Kong branch in the town, one of the most economically deprived areas of the city. They will play themselves in the production, for which dates and venues have not yet been set.

Among those taking part will be Kwok Mun-chun, 42. She will tell how she went from owning several factories in Guangdong to life as a single mother in Hong Kong, caring for two autistic sons.

She became severely depressed as she juggled raising her children with trying to earn enough to keep the family off the streets. After moving into public housing, she joined the drama troupe, and says the experience has changed her life.

"I'm still on antidepressants. But I know that what has helped me most was not the meds, but the people around me," she said.

Many members of the troupe experience depression, according to social worker Ann Lo Kwan-nga, who runs the drama programme. The troupe was created about four years ago as part of efforts to improve life in the new town in the northern New Territories, known as the "City of Sadness" after a spate of domestic tragedies that were linked to social and economic pressures.