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Cantonese Opera: Trump-inspired Show Brought Hong Kong Audience Back to Traditional Theatre
This traditional art form is rediscovered in Hong Kong with a modern twist, but the momentum must be sustained with more support
The Cantonese Opera industry in Hong Kong was thrilled when Li Kui Ming’s Trump on Show was covered by international media like The BBC and The New York Times when it was first performed in 2019.
The Trump-inspired play revived the 500-year-old art form from Southern China, bringing curious audiences into the long-forgotten Sunbeam Theatre, a place dedicated to Cantonese Opera in North Point, Hong Kong.
The recent re-run of Trump on Show as a grand finale to the closing of Sunbeam Theatre made Cantonese Opera again the talk of the town. Many Hong Kong youths like me are unfamiliar with this traditional art form that embodies a big part of our culture.
From the modern Trump on Show, we shall embark on a journey to discover the rich culture of Cantonese Opera, and how Hong Kong is trying to preserve it.
What drew people to Trump on Show?
I understand that it is a wonderful tradition, but it is difficult for the younger generation to…
