We were pleased to host an exciting solo performance of It Won't Be Long Now at our Founders Studio, directed, written and performed by Indy Lee in both English and Cantonese.
This solo performance tells the stories of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (from 1941 to 1945), portraying the lives of the civilians outside the Sham Shui Po camp for 3 years and 8 months, experiencing "liberation" and "modifications." Despite the circumstances, they persist with their willpower, displaying a burning desire for survival, dignity, and the radiant side of human nature. They are not afraid, they do not despair, and they believe in tomorrow!
Indy Lee reflects on his performance of It Won't Be Long Now at GSA. Read below:
On October 23, 2023, I completed the performance of “It Won’t Be Long Now” at Lighthouse’s neighbourhood venue and then got packed. Before dusk, we arrived at the Guildford School of Acting to perform for the students. This collaboration was made possible by reconnecting with GSA Head of School, Professor Catherine McNamara, who was the Course Leader of my master's programme when I was studying in the UK. With her strong initiative and efficient colleagues, we quickly arranged the performance date, venue, equipment, and front of house. Despite my simple technical requirements, staff at GSA arranged video conferences in addition to email communication to understand the day's schedule and preparations.
Although the performance took place in a performance studio, there was still basic lighting and sound equipment. The backstage crew helped with set-up. It was a family production team with my wife, son, and daughter handling props, sound, and subtitles control respectively. Surprisingly, my daughter ended up taking photos and controlling the lighting, moving in and out of the control panel and the auditorium. She took off her boots to avoid making noise, displaying a remarkable level of professionalism.
After the performance, I had a pleasant talkback with the students. They asked which city I found the most interesting to perform in, and I mentioned the performance at the Taipei Fringe Festival. It was held in a non-theatre space and at a very intimate distance from the audience. Taiwan, like Hong Kong, has a history of colonization. On top of that, each show was composed of half Hongkongers and half Taiwanese, creating a sense of reunion.
I also had the opportunity to interact with fellow students from GSA. The atmosphere was amicable, and when asked about the most interesting city to perform in, I mentioned the Taipei Fringe Festival. I described the unique experience of performing in a small, non-theatrical venue and a very intimate distance from the audience. Taiwan, like Hong Kong, has a history and impact of colonization. Additionally, half of the audience in each performance was composed of Hong Kongers and Taiwanese, creating a sense of reunion.
During the strikeout, I talked to Hong Kong students studying at GSA. They came from various backgrounds: One was a friend of a Chinese student who had attended my class, one was from Taiwan, one was BBC who couldn't speak Cantonese, one watched PIP family shows from a young age, one had completed a degree and moved on to musical theatre, one was a student of applied theatre. All of them are full of vitality and passion.
Taking a group photo with the performers and the audience is the curtain call of Hong Kong-style theatre. We interacted with the audience in this way shared with my comrades in my earlier days, but we were told it was "amateurish fun" by our teachers. Now, bringing this "culture" to British theatre, it seems like everyone is receptive to it.
Indy Chun Leung Lee
Indy is a veteran theatre director, actor, drama educator, Applied Theatre practitioner, and arts administrator. He has relocated to the UK from Hong Kong in the Summer of 2022. Recently, Indy co-directed “Cormorants” in Leeds Playhouse for Leeds Year of the Culture 2023, arranged the UK tours of “Embrace the Tastes of Life” for “Inspirational Drama Programme for Elderly”, and toured “It Won’t Be Long Now” in Edinburgh and Taipei Fringe Festival. It received the First Choice Award from Taipei Fringe.
It Won’t Be Long Now is created, directed, and performed by Indy Lee Chun-Leung (performed in Cantonese). This solo performance tells the stories around the period from 1941 to 1945 during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, portraying the lives of the civilians outside the Sham Shui Po camp for 3 years and 8 months, experiencing "liberation" and "modifications."
《明日陽光燦爛》演出後記
文﹕李俊亮
在23/10/2023下午，我完成了在Lighthouse 的《明日陽光燦爛》街坊演出場次，收拾行裝，黃昏前到達Guildford School of Acting演出學生場。緣起是我重遇在英國進修時的Catherine McNamara教授。她是我當年碩士課程的課程主任，去年九月她當上了GSA的Head of School。我順利成章找她合作，希望跟她的學生分享《明日陽光燦爛》這個演出。Catherine的行動力很強，同事亦非常有效率，演期、場地、設備及前台都在極速時間內安排妥當。即使我的技術要求簡單，學院的同事除了電郵往來，也安排視像會議，跟我了解當日的流程及準備。
演出雖在排練場地進行，仍有簡單的燈光及音響設備，後台同事幫忙掛景。家庭式製作團隊，我的太太、兒子及女兒分別處理道具、音響及字幕控制。女兒更意外地要拍攝劇照及控制燈光，她要進出控制台及觀眾席，所以就醒目地脫了皮靴免得發出聲響，認真專業。
演出完結後跟同學交流，氣氛融洽。同學問到在那個城市演出是最有趣﹖我說是在台北藝穗節﹕在狹小的非劇場的場地、跟觀眾距離非常親近、台灣和香港也曾有過殖民的歷史。還有，每場的觀眾有一半是香港人，一半是台灣人，演出就如聚舊。
現在演《明日陽光燦爛》，已不單說香港人故事。當下的戰爭就如重演日佔香江，戰爭被一小撮掌控軍權的人，以上天之命攻打「敵人」，利用人民作擋箭牌。為了權力及操控人民，不惜創造危害國家的敵人，煽動民族情緒，喊口號，打咀炮，在場外叫囂，喊聲越大，就充滿自信，以為能打勝杖。武裝的恐佈份子固然可怕，但一般平民百姓沒有武裝，卻能有恐佈份子的殺傷力，那更加可怕。香港經歷三年零八個月後得以重光，在港督楊慕琦的計劃下差點有機會民主化起來。最後雖失敗告終，但總算還有另一個明天。今天囚牢的牆壁是無形的，無遠弗屆，分別在於你和我的空間還剩下多少。
清場時跟在GSA讀書的香港學生交談，有之前上過我堂的中國學生的朋友，有來自台灣，有土生土長不懂中文，有從小就捧PIP的兒童劇，有完成學位轉戰音樂劇，有應用劇場的學生，他們都充滿活力及熱情。
演出者跟觀眾大合照就是香港式劇場的謝幕。我分享當年我和自組劇團《圍威喂》的成員，在演出時跟觀眾有如此的互動，卻被老師說是「業餘」的兒戲。現在，將這「文化」帶來英國劇場，似乎大家都受落。
李俊亮是一位資深的劇場導演、演員、戲劇教育工作者、應用劇場實踐者和藝術行政人員。他於2022年夏天從香港移居英國。近期，李氏在Leeds Playhouse共同執導了《等候發落鳥》，作為2023年Leeds文化年的一部分。他策劃《長智戲戲劇啟導計劃》的《回甘百味》英國巡演，以及在愛丁堡和臺北藝穗節巡演的《明日陽光燦爛》，並獲得臺北藝穗節的藝穗精選獎。
《明日陽光燦爛》由李俊亮創作、導演和演出 (以廣東話演出)。這個獨腳戲講述1941年至1945年期間，日本佔領香港的故事，描繪在沉痛的三年零八個月中，深水埗戰俘營之外的平民生活，以及他們經歷被「解放」和被「改變」。