In the first half of 2020, cities and countries started to barricade themselves while social distancing became the new normal. All group activities have come to a pause with
the once-bustling arts venues now closed. Hong Kong is not immune from these measures, prompting the cancellations of arts programmes. The performing arts sector may become harsher than a Siberian winter, but art is known for its will to survive and thrive. In fact, as we try to stay sane while confined at home, arts and culture becomes an indispensible channel to stay connected with the world. Opportunities do arise from crisis, and the new normal for life during the epidemic may not be as insufferable as imagined.
Pants Theatre Production’s Sweet Mandarin tells the story of the remarkable journey of three sisters who are the third-generation descendants of Hong Kong immigrants. Born and raised in the UK, they were uncomfortable with their Chinese identity until a family trip to Hong Kong changed their minds. While the play is about various generations of diasporas being torn between their roots and the society in which they live, Wu Hoi-fai, Artistic Director of Pants Theatre Production and the director of the play, did not expect its rerun in 2020 would come in the midst of such an unstable political climate. “To go, or not to go – that is the question.”