City Hall, Theatre Friday 30-May 2

Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s last play, The Cherry Orchard, Class 7A Drama Group’s Cherry Inc. reflects on the fundamental theme of rising to the top from nothing that is at the core of Chekhov’s work. “The script was actually written in 2006 and covered 20 years of Hong Kong’s history,” says director Weigo Lee of his Cantonese production. “It was performed once before, but it’s been altered to cover 1998 to 2008 for this performance. This was so we could include the financial crisis, which hadn’t taken place yet when Cherry Inc. was first written.”

Besides encapsulating 20 odd years into two hours, Cherry Inc. also raises important questions on how modern society has evolved since the time of The Cherry Orchard. “It’s interesting to compare the two plays,” says actor Fung Chi-kwan. “The contrast between The Cherry Orchard and Cherry Inc., in relation to the amount of time it takes for the characters to arrive at their achievements, is very big. It highlights how it’s possible to rise to the top in today’s Hong Kong in a matter of years, or even months.” Harvey Sit, Fung’s fellow cast member, adds, “But there is a problem with rising so quickly, because sometimes people’s emotional development doesn’t match their success.”

While the play largely deals with Hong Kong’s economic and social history, Lee assures us that you don’t have to be a history nut to enjoy Cherry Inc. “It revisits events from recent memory. The audience should be able to relate to it, because many of them had lived through it themselves.”

Heidi Yeung

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