Testimony
South Asians in Hong Kong: Documentary Theatre
Cattle Depot Theatre
1 hour 30 minutes
Over a hundred years ago, the British first brought people from South Asia to Hong Kong to keep the peace. Others came by commercial ship, to take advantage of new trading opportunities.
Now, South Asians make up the largest ethnic minority group in Hong Kong (apart from domestic workers), and the history of their contribution to the development of the city far outweighs their current visibility in society. Hong Kong has become an international cosmopolitan city, but the South Asians who helped create it are systematically excluded from it in the education system, the workplace, and the media. Many have been fighting for years for their voices to be heard.
The South Asian community here has already faced the problems that all Hongkongers are now facing. What can we learn from their experiences?
Cast
Creative and Production Team
Directors | |
Music Director | |
Dramaturg | |
Collaborating Actors | |
Lighting Designer | |
Musician | |
Video Designer | |
Stage Manager | |
Assistant Stage Manager | |
Assistant Producer | |
Lighting Operator | |
Academic Advisor | |
Graphic Designer | |
Promotion Photographer |
Acknowledgements: Phoenix Cheung, 18th Art Space.
Awards & Recognition
Awards and recognition for shows or achievemenets
Winner of
Best Scenography
12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)
Nominated for
Best Script
12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)
Nominated for
Best Director
12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)
Winner of
Performance of the Year
IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2019
Nominated for
Best Performance
12th Hong Kong Theatre Libre (2019-2020)
Nominated for
Best Actor
IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2019
Winner of
Best Scenography
IATC (HK) Critics Awards 2019
Gallery
What Critics Say
Quotes from reviews and articles about us and our shows
Directors' Notes
In one of our interviews about society’s perception of ethnic minorities, we asked the interviewee: "If people say: 'Resources are limited, we should look after local people first.' how would you respond?" She took an unhurried sip of coffee and replied: “They are local people.” We all laughed, disarmed by her simple answer. Actually ‘local’ and ‘non-Chinese’ have never been opposites; these two concepts can stand together.
Going into the research phase of this show last year when we met Prof. Lisa Leung, we had a lot to learn. Neither of us can claim any South Asian heritage, so it was vital to form our opinions by talking directly to the people we wanted to learn about. We ran theatre workshops for Hong Kong South Asian youth, we volunteered teaching at their Chinese lessons, and arranged interviews with upwards of 30 people related to the topic. We also knew it would be essential to have actors with South Asian heritage involved directly in the creative process, and luckily we found there are plenty of very talented people in Hong Kong. We worked together to create the content and the script, based on verbatim interview transcripts as well as the actors’ own experiences and reflections. - Ivor Houlker, Michelle Li
"As someone with partly Sri Lankan heritage, I thought I knew about all the issues relating to ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, but I really didn’t. Making this show opened my eyes and made me realise that some ethnic minorities are more neglected than I thought. The question I kept asking myself was ‘Well, what can I do?’" - Arisa
"Doing this show has made me realise the important role we South Asians have played in the development of Hong Kong’s society. It has changed the way I think about myself as an ‘ethnic minority’. It made me realise that I am part of Hong Kong - our history and future is intertwined." - Tusar
"Our rehearsal process coincided with a historical social movement, but instead of hindering our progress, it actually helped me better understand Hong Kong’s culture, history, and interpersonal relationships. Through learning the history of the path that ethnic minorities have taken, I realised that we should act - not just for ourselves, but for those around us; together we are proud of being Hongkongers." - King Lung
"I discovered that there is still so much to discover; this is just the beginning." - Kashif
About the Artists
Learn more about everyone involved in the production
Ivor Houlker
Ivor Houlker is a multidisciplinary theatre artist and founder of Rooftop Productions, specializing in devising, digital tech, and live music.
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Michelle Li
Michelle Li is a Hong Kong-based interdisciplinary performer and founder of Rooftop Productions. She creates award-winning site-specific, devised theatre.
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Lai Sim Fong
MFA graduate in Theatre Practice, Lai Sim Fong is a dramaturg specializing in theatre and contemporary dance for Hong Kong’s major arts festivals.
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Mohammad Kashif Ali
Hong Kong-based Pakistani performer and educator. Recent credits include the HKREP International Black Box Festival project, One Fine Day (Beijing).
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Basnet Tusar
Tusar Basnet is an emerging performer and HKUSPACE student. He debuted as Roger in Rent and has contributed to projects including Testimony and Impact.
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Ng King Lung
Award-winning playwright and actor Ng King Lung is an HKAPA MFA graduate. Credits include Chinese Box, Fallen, and Shopping and Fucking for theatre.
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Arisa Yasaratne
Arisa Yasaratne is a versatile freelance actress trained at LAMDA. Passionate about diversity, her Rooftop Productions work includes Presence and Testimony.
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Au Yeung Hon Ki
Award-winning lighting designer Au Yeung Hon Ki integrates engineering expertise with theatrical vision, notably for Rooftop Productions' Testimony.
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Chan Tsz Ho Calvin
Calvin Chan is a multimedia artist specializing in video design and live mixing. He provides technical consultation for theatre, film, and TV.
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Kahy Chan
Kahy Chan is a professional stage manager dedicated to theatrical production. Known for her technical precision in recent works like Testimony.
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Herriet Tsang
Herriet Tsang is a dedicated theatre practitioner and Assistant Stage Manager with Rooftop Productions, recently recognized for her work in Testimony.
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Chan Myae Mon Mon
Chan Myae Mon Mon is a versatile artist and key collaborator at Rooftop Productions, notably serving as Assistant Producer for the project Testimony.
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Cheng Hoe Ling Sarah
Sarah Cheng Hoe Ling, a First Class Honours graduate of HKAPA in Stage Lighting Design, brings precision and vision to Rooftop Productions' works.
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Lisa Leung
Prof. Lisa Leung is a Cultural Studies scholar and expert on East Asian pop culture and ethnic minority media participation. Advisor for Testimony.
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Alfie Leung
Freelance graphic designer and theatre practitioner. Alfie Leung combines design expertise with performance, contributing to projects like Presence.
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More information
Dates & Tickets
Dates
Duration
1 hour 30 minutes
Ticket Prices
HK$150–200
Audience Information
Language
Mainly in Cantonese and English.
Ticket Reminders
Seating is unallocated. No refunds after ticket confirmation.
The show lasts for around 90 minutes, please stay for our post-show talk.
Latecomers will not be admitted.
All rights reserved by Rooftop Productions Ltd.
Venue
Cattle Depot Theatre
Unit 7, Cattle Depot Artist Village, Ma Tau Kok Road
Getting there
從土瓜灣站A出口步行5分鐘。