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Comedian Louis C.K. to perform in Hong Kong next March

Comedian Louis C.K. to perform in Hong Kong next March

HKFP20-05-2025
US comedian Louis C.K. will perform in Hong Kong on March 24 next year.
His 'Ridiculous' tour involves 100 gigs in the US this year, with Asian and European fixtures set for 2026.
Tickets go on sale in August via his website, louisck.com.
His team confirmed to HKFP on Monday that a previously announced Manila date would be replaced by the appearance in Hong Kong. He will also take to the stage in India, Thailand and Japan.
'Simply, I'm hitting the road again and staying out there for a long while. I am, after all, a professional stand-up comedian,' the multi-award winning comic wrote in an email to fans.
C.K. rose to prominence as a writer for Saturday Night Live and late night talk show hosts. He released nine comedy albums, starred in numerous specials, and received acclaim for his semi-autobiographical comedy-drama series Louie.
The comedian's projects were cancelled following sexual misconduct allegations in 2017. But he has since continued to tour and release stand-up specials.
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So far, so close: Acclaimed Hong Kong play puts diaspora and belonging back on centre stage in West Kowloon re-run
So far, so close: Acclaimed Hong Kong play puts diaspora and belonging back on centre stage in West Kowloon re-run

HKFP

time08-07-2025

  • HKFP

So far, so close: Acclaimed Hong Kong play puts diaspora and belonging back on centre stage in West Kowloon re-run

Having left Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ah Yuen is suddenly back in her home city because of her father's unexpected death. Her return goes against the current, as others from the city have started new lives in foreign countries – including a young scientist and his family, a weathered intellectual, and Ah Yuen's best friend since childhood. Each of them has had to adapt to living overseas and – for anyone who returns – to changes at home. 'If you're staying [in Hong Kong], you have to get this: Embrace the little joys,' Ah Yuen is told on stage by her estranged sister, who urges her to be prepared for the city's changing reality. The fictional character, played by 31-year-old Hong Kong actor Chung Yik-sau, is the protagonist of veteran playwright Chan Ping-chiu's award-winning theatre play, Flowing Warblers. It debuted last year at the Cultural Centre and is set for a re-run at the West Kowloon Cultural District this month. The three-hour-long play features five interconnected storylines of Hongkongers living in four locations across Europe as well as in Hong Kong. The play is fictional in nature, Chan said. However, it is based on real stories of Hongkongers who left the city in recent years. Chan made several trips to interview some of them in their newly adopted countries as the playwright attempted to capture the many facets of the city's diaspora. 'Very early on in my fieldwork, I realised I had to weave together multiple stories,' Chan, 65, said of how he conceived the screenplay of Flowing Warblers in 2022, when many of his friends departed the city. 'Any single story will likely be immersed in intense emotions and trapped in a specific situation. That's what I would like to avoid,' he told HKFP in Cantonese. Flowing Warblers tells poignant stories about who Chan described as 'ordinary people' – drawing upon the interviews he conducted with some 30 people in and outside Hong Kong. The play was soon sold out after its first show in June last year, with critics praising its storytelling and responsiveness to the collective experience of Hongkongers. But others – especially those who had lived overseas – criticised the play as failing to capture the reality of the Hong Kong diaspora. Chan said the criticism not only motivated him to improve the play for this year's re-run but also revealed the underlying rift between Hongkongers abroad and people at home. 'There is a subtle feeling of us failing to understand each other… Perhaps you won't ask them [overseas Hongkongers] how they are in their new homes, or their financial situation, things like that. Similarly, they won't ask you how Hong Kong is,' he said. 'Because, fundamentally, the two people have made very different choices,' he added. 'This conflict cannot be easily resolved by a single play… What I want to do is to tap into it.' 'Far from Hong Kong' Hong Kong saw a major exodus during the Covid pandemic, with official data showing a net outflow of about 123,000 residents in 2020 and 2021. It is believed the exodus was partly propelled by the city's political changes following the pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019 and Beijing's imposition of a national security law in 2020 to quell dissent. Many Hongkongers went to the United Kingdom, which ruled Hong Kong as a colony for over 150 years until 1997. As of March this year, 163,400 people from Hong Kong who hold a British National (Overseas), or BNO, passport have arrived in the UK since London started accepting applications in 2021, according to the UK's Home Office. The country was Chan's first stop on his field trip. He spent a week in London in 2022, meeting friends who had moved there. Chan went to the UK again in 2023, while also visiting Berlin on the same trip. Six months later, he flew to Girona, Spain, for another round of interviews with overseas Hongkongers. He finished the first draft of the script in early 2024. Chan made a conscious decision to leave out other popular migration destinations for Hongkongers, such as Canada and Taiwan. 'If I have to cover every destination, I am afraid it will give the impression that I am making a documentary drama,' he said. He also opted to exclude people who left Hong Kong for explicit political reasons, saying his play may not be capable of addressing their situation and emotions. 'My goal is not to convey any powerful message about our society, it's not like that. I want to go back to the basics of people's lives, therefore, I choose to talk to ordinary individuals,' he added. The most recent exodus has not been the same as that in the 1990s, when a large group of Hongkongers left the city in fear of the impending handover to Chinese rule, Chan said. 'The previous exodus was more stable… it was common for people to settle down in the new country and come back to Hong Kong, to visit family or things like that,' he said. 'But this time, a lot more people, who are in their youth or prime, left knowing they will not come back as easily even if they have the chance,' he added. A question that Chan asked overseas Hongkongers in his early interviews was: 'How far from Hong Kong do you think you are now?' 'I remember most of them gave me the impression that they feel far from Hong Kong,' he said, adding that he met many in the diaspora leading lives in flux due to migration. 'Reality check' Chung, the actor who plays the protagonist Ah Yuen in Flowing Warblers, was also Chan's interviewee. She graduated with a degree in Chinese literature in Hong Kong before moving to the UK to study drama in 2016. Much like her character Ah Yuen, Chung returned to Hong Kong towards the end of the pandemic, just as many others from the city were leaving. Prior to her return in early 2023, she had not visited Hong Kong for more than three years. She said that, upon her return, she had to adapt to changes at home following the 2019 protests and the pandemic, despite having learned about the events in the news. 'I have received a lot of information through the internet, like how the government handled the pandemic and people's reactions and their moods. But knowing what happened is one thing, actually living it is another thing,' she told HKFP in Cantonese. It created a 'delay' in understanding Hong Kong's changes compared with her friends at home. 'This delay… is really uncomfortable, because you see yourself as part of the community,' she said. That experience was akin to a 'reality check,' Chung said, citing Ah Yuen's line in the script. 'When [Ah Yuen] returned, she had to observe what was happening in Hong Kong,' Chung said. 'From my reading of the character, she felt powerless to react when the reality hit her.' Chan, the playwright, wanted to capture the stark conflict between people who stay and those who leave. He created the character of Taai-co, played by actor Caroline Chan, who left Hong Kong in hopes of reuniting with Ah Yuen in Europe. But Taai-co was left alone on a foreign continent because of Ah Yuen's return to Hong Kong. A freedom-loving spirit, Taai-co went on the journey alone, but slowly realised her roots as a Hongkonger. The two best friends appear to represent the two groups of Hongkongers – those leaving and those staying. Ah Yuen and Taai-co 'cannot be easily separated, but they also cannot candidly communicate, as both of them are carrying intense emotions,' the playwright said. Flowing Warblers 2.0 The five-night performance of Flowing Warblers last year sparked a rare debate in Hong Kong about the recent exodus and the city's diaspora. In a widely discussed review, playwright Yan Pat-to opined that Flowing Warblers had failed to capture the reality of Hong Kong's diaspora, but also pointed to a mutual misunderstanding among people as the root cause of such failure. 'The people staying in Hong Kong cannot imagine the predicament of those who have left. Likewise… those who have left appeared equally incapable of understanding the situation of those who stayed,' Yan wrote in the Chinese-language review. Asked about this mutual misunderstanding, Chan said it is inevitable that any artistic work cannot represent the full range of human experience. What he wanted to achieve, he said, was to provide the audience with an opportunity to see things differently. 'I think my strategy to write about different characters and their stances is to allow the audience a shift in perspectives, subconsciously,' he said. For the re-run this month, with the play named Flowing Warbler 2.0, Chan and his crew have incorporated what they found missing in the play last year, enriching the details of each storyline. He also hoped the West Kowloon performance, which will open on July 12 and run for seven nights, could spark further interest in the Hong Kong diaspora. It was a pity that last year's debate was short-lived, he said, adding there have been fewer outlets for people to engage in the discussion. Reflecting on Hong Kong's current creative environment, Chan acknowledges there has been uncertainty about 'taboos,' and that playwrights and artists alike have diverted their energy to writing about matters 'skilfully.' 'Frankly speaking, a lot of things could be banned instantly nowadays. But I think there should be a devotion to pushing the boundary and to continuing writing about matters, especially those important to our society,' he said.

Bruce Lee Club closes archive doors citing operating costs
Bruce Lee Club closes archive doors citing operating costs

HKFP

time02-07-2025

  • HKFP

Bruce Lee Club closes archive doors citing operating costs

Bruce Lee aficionados gathered at a Hong Kong mini-museum dedicated to the legendary martial artist to bid farewell to the site on Tuesday, as operating expenses forced the itinerant archive to close once again. The Bruce Lee Club, which was founded by the Lee family, had put a collection of about 2,000 artefacts, including decades-old magazines and a large sculpture showing the superstar's iconic moves, on display in the bustling Yau Ma Tei neighbourhood in 2001. But a rent increase shut the project in 2016. Three years and a move to industrial Kwun Tong later, the club began welcoming visitors to see the collection again just before democracy protests roiled the city, dampening tourism. In a statement, the club wrote that the social movement followed by the Covid-19 pandemic had 'severely disrupted' plans for the archive. 'We anticipated a recovery, yet reality fell short,' it said. 'The accumulated expenses over these six years have compelled us to rethink how to most effectively utilise our resources to sustain the flame of Bruce Lee's spirit.' It added that it will 'explore new ways' to engage with the public, but for now, ahead of what would have been Lee's 85th birthday, it is shutting shop. At least temporarily, all the assorted ephemera related to the Hong Kong icon will be boxed up and stored. Born in San Francisco in 1940, Bruce Lee was raised in British-run Hong Kong and had an early brush with fame as a child actor. He later became one of the first Asian men to achieve Hollywood stardom before his death at the age of 32. 'Never give up' At the unassuming Kwun Tong archive on Tuesday, visitor and martial arts coach Andy Tong called it a 'great pity' to lose the place. '(Lee) helped build the image of the Chinese and overseas Chinese in the Western world,' Tong, 46, said. While the superstar is widely beloved and celebrated in the city, with frequent retrospectives and exhibitions staged, fans have struggled to ensure organised and systematic preservation. In 2004, petitioners successfully managed to get a bronze statue of Lee installed on Hong Kong's famed harbourfront, but a campaign to revitalise his former residence failed to spare it from demolition in 2019. Bruce Lee Club's chairman W Wong said the Hong Kong government lacks long-term and continuous planning for preserving Lee's legacy. But he added the Club 'will never give up' their dedication to championing Lee's spirit. 'Although Bruce has passed away, his spirit continues to inspire people of all kinds,' Lee's 76-year-old brother Robert Lee told AFP. 'I believe, rather than hope, the spirit of Bruce Lee will forever remain here (in Hong Kong).'

Comedian Jimmy O. Yang partnered with tourism body to ‘tell good stories of Hong Kong'
Comedian Jimmy O. Yang partnered with tourism body to ‘tell good stories of Hong Kong'

HKFP

time25-06-2025

  • HKFP

Comedian Jimmy O. Yang partnered with tourism body to ‘tell good stories of Hong Kong'

Hong Kong-born American stand-up comedian Jimmy O. Yang has become the latest 'marquee' celebrity to partner with the city's tourism body to 'tell good stories of Hong Kong.' The 37-year-old comedy star, who wrapped up five sold-out shows in the city earlier this month, shared a video on social media on Tuesday featuring some of Hong Kong's most iconic tourist attractions. It shows the comedian trying char siu – Chinese barbecue pork – at a local restaurant, visiting the Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan, going to a cocktail bar, and riding the Ngong Ping 360 cable car on Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. O. Yang, who speaks both English and Cantonese in the clip, says: 'That's why you gotta love Hong Kong, man. All in one place – we saw the mountain, the ocean, the Buddha, we ate the best char siu.' The one-minute 34-second clip was produced in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), a government-funded statutory body tasked with promoting inbound tourism. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jimmy O Yang 歐陽萬成 (@jimmyoyang) In a media statement on Tuesday, HKTB said O. Yang was among more than 100 influencers and celebrities from 13 countries and regions it had invited to visit Hong Kong this summer and 'tell good stories of Hong Kong.' The tourism body called the promotional video featuring the comedian exploring his hometown its 'latest marquee collaboration.' When contacted by HKFP, a spokesperson at the HKTB said on Tuesday that it had invited O. Yang only to film a video while he was in the city and that it did not pay for his flight or accommodation. The spokesperson also told HKFP that the tourism body would not disclose its budget or spending on influencer collaborations. O. Yang has not responded to HKFP's enquiries about whether he was paid to film promotional videos with the HKTB. Prior to the video shared on Tuesday, O. Yang also posted other short clips of him visiting local shops and eateries in the city. It is unclear whether those videos were also in collaboration with the HKTB. On June 14, the second day of O. Yang's three-day shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law posted two photos on Facebook – one of her at the show and another with the comedian. The campaign to showcase the city's 'vibrant summer appeal' aimed to collectively reach more than 100 million followers, the HKTB statement added. According to the annual budget announced in February, the Hong Kong government earmarked more than HK$1.23 billion for the HKTB in the financial year of 2025-26. The HKTB's annual report 2023/24 stated that the tourism body spent over HK$710 million on 'promotional, advertising and literature expenses.' The tourism body collaborated with mainland Chinese social media platforms Douyin, Weibo and Xiaohongshu and invited influencers to co-create content about visiting Hong Kong. It said more than 2,000 industry members, media representatives and key opinion leaders (KOLs) were invited to Hong Kong in 2023. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law told the Legislative Council in April that the tourism body invited 2,600 influencers, KOLs, media and trade partners in 2024, while in the first quarter this year, it invited 650. American streamer IShowSpeed However, the HKTB was snubbed by American YouTube streamer IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr, when it tried to offer assistance during his visit to Hong Kong in early April. 'The tourism board actually approached Speed on various arrangements and indicated their willingness to provide assistance, but Speed did not approach the tourism board, so the government did not take any action,' Chief Executive John Lee said. Watkins, who currently has more than 40 million subscribers on YouTube, was mobbed by fans as he live-streamed his visit in Hong Kong for more than nine and a half hours on April 4, coinciding with Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day. Hong Kong has faced challenges in reviving its tourism industry since lifting years-long Covid restrictions. Visitor numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, with tourism-related sectors citing manpower shortages as a key hurdle to recovery. The government launched a series of initiatives to boost the economic outlook, including a 'night vibes' campaign in September 2023 involving movie screenings and night markets along the harbourfront. According to the 2025 budget, overnight visitors are expected to stay an average of 3.2 nights this year. Inbound tourism expenditure is projected to grow by 8 per cent – from HK$198.4 billion to HK$214.4 billion.

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