Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Theatre April 26, 28 to May 10

To see stage veterans Jeffrey Ho Wai-Lung and Chung King-fai rehearse for a play is like seeing two kung fu masters spar in front of their young students. Although the weather is cold on a cloudy Monday afternoon in Diamond Hill, the two are on fire as they run through their lines in rapid succession while simultaneously directing the younger cast members. One second Chung is delivering a monologue with smooth cadence, the next he’s keeping a beady eye on a cast member to ensure he doesn’t miss his cue. Over in the corner, Ho works on perfecting his body posture for a crucial scene while simultaneously reminding others of their lines.

The play on hand is a local adaptation of Neil Simon’s Broadway play Sunshine Boys, although apart from the change of language from English to Cantonese, there isn’t much “local” element to it. The story is set in New York city and focuses on two aging showbiz performers who reunite after a bitter breakup for one last run. This is the first production of Ho’s Whole Theatre to be set outside of Hong Kong, noteworthy because the theatre group’s mission statement specifically talks about “focusing on Hong Kong issues.”

Ho gives a simple explanation: “New York City is Hong Kong.” He draws comparisons between the similarities of the two vibrant cities (“nightlife, public transport, people everywhere”) and claims that the scene of a character scoffing at moving away from NYC to the suburbs is similar to someone scoffing at moving from Causeway Bay to Tai Po. “People of Hong Kong are so familiar with American culture that there was absolutely no need to change the setting,” says Ho. “This is a story about human nature anyway.”

Ho and Chung are both big fans of Neil Simon and, as much as they’d hate to admit it, can also relate to the character’s point in his career. “Although we don’t hate each other like our characters do,” says Ho. “This is about old performers looking to recapture their former glory.”

Chung, one of the pioneers of contemporary performing art in Hong Kong and who came out of retirement for this role, clarifies that the “glory” he’s looking for isn’t money or fame, but rather to push the local theatre scene further. “Our [theatre] scene has made great strides over the past few decades. We’ve improved so much in both quality and quantity, but we’re still behind,” says the 73-year-old who has acted, directed, taught and produced stage and TV since the 1960s and served in important positions within the Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies and Hong Kong Art Development Council.

“Despite the progress we’ve made, the other countries have also made similar progress, we must move faster,” Chung says, adding that theatre education is key. “Why is it that most European and North American countries have theatre degrees but not Hong Kong?”

Ho, who acted mostly in ATV series before starting Whole Theatre, says the government’s attempts to strengthen Hong Kong’s art scene is misguided. “Everything from the West Kowloon Cultural District to these festivals mainly focuses on international events and shows from other countries,” he says. “I have a feeling that in the future, West Kowloon Cultural District will have some of the best plays from Europe and New York.”

Then, with a grim and serious look that only a stage veteran can pull off, Ho asks: “what about Hong Kong?”

Ben Sin

Performed in Cantonese. Tickets: 2734 9009; www.urbtix.hk.