Current & Forthcoming
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Exhibition: Constructing the Xiqu Centre
30.12.2018 to 30.06.2019, Atrium, Xiqu Centre
This exhibition of stunning photographs by photographer Ducky Tse documents the eight-year development process of the Xiqu Centre from initial design drafts to completed venue
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Xiqu Centre Guided Tours (English)
22.01.2019 to 16.05.2019, Xiqu Centre
Supplemented with multimedia elements, this 60-minute guided tour helps you explore the Xiqu Centre facilities and discover fascinating facts about our new venue, and the culture and stories behind the art of xiqu
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Xiqu Centre Guided Tours (Cantonese)
22.01.2019 to 28.05.2019, Xiqu Centre
Supplemented with multimedia elements, this 60-minute guided tour helps you explore the Xiqu Centre facilities and discover fascinating facts about our new venue, and the culture and stories behind the art of xiqu
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Xiqu Centre Guided Tours (Mandarin)
24.01.2019 to 04.05.2019, Xiqu Centre
Supplemented with multimedia elements, this 60-minute guided tour helps you explore the Xiqu Centre facilities and discover fascinating facts about our new venue, and the culture and stories behind the art of xiqu
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Music in the Atrium
26.01.2019 to 28.04.2019, Atrium, Xiqu Centre
Presented in the Xiqu Centre Atrium, our free performances of Chinese music by a changing line-up of invited professional troupes showcase a range of styles and traditional instruments
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Tea House Theatre Experience
03.04.2019 to 25.08.2019, Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre
Presented by our Tea House Rising Stars Troupe, this 90-minute narrated performance is specially designed to introduce new audiences to Chinese traditional theatre. To recreate the atmosphere of Hong Kong’s early 20th century tea houses, audiences are also served traditional tea and dim sum during the show
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Park Tour and Workshop (April 2019)
13.04.2019 to 27.04.2019, Art Park, West Kowloon
Join us for an introduction to the Art Park and discover the different tree species planted in the future park of the West Kowloon Cultural District
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Between Cantonese Opera and Film: Connie Chan and Female Cross-dressing
27.04.2019, Seminar Hall & Studio, Xiqu Centre
Since the post-war years, the convention of nüwenwusheng – female performers playing civil and military male roles – in Cantonese opera has been a popular practice in Hong Kong. In this talk, Prof Li Siu-leung looks at the recent history of female cross-dressing in Hong Kong Cantonese opera and film, with special reference to Connie Chan Po-chu
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The Literature in Kunqu
30.04.2019, Seminar Hall & Studio, Xiqu Centre
In this talk, Chinese opera scholar Chan Chun-miu looks at some of the literary texts used in Kunqu, and shares insight into Kunqu influence on xiqu songs and performance
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Four Dreams in the Camellia Hall by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe: The Tale of Handan
02.05.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
At a small inn in the city of Handan, a scholar named Lu encounters a Taoist immortal who lends him a magical porcelain pillow. The same night, Lu has a vivid dream that changes the course of his life
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Four Dreams in the Camellia Hall by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe: A Pair of Purple Hairpins
03.05.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
After pledging his love to Xiaoyu, the beautiful daughter of Prince Huo, the handsome young Li Yi suddenly disappears. Broken hearted, Xiaoyu assumes she has been deserted, until the arrival of a knight in yellow robes reveals the truth…
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Cantonese Opera and Modernity
04.05.2019, Seminar Hall, Xiqu Centre
This talk looks at Cantonese opera in the social context of modern Hong Kong, and examines how elements of western-modern music, literature and film culture have been adapted for use in the traditional performing art form
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Four Dreams in the Camellia Hall by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe: A Dream Under the Southern Bough
04.05.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
In a depressed and drunken slumber, recently demoted Tang dynasty general Chun Yufen dreams he visits a strange land where he is presented with riches and power. When his fortune is squandered through greed and corruption, he wakes full of remorse
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Four Dreams in the Camellia Hall by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe: The Peony Pavilion
05.05.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
After dreaming of an encounter with a handsome stranger, the lovesick young Du Liniang is so bewitched that she dies of longing. Later, when the scholar Liu Mengmei discovers a portrait of Liniang, he is filled with a sense of romantic déjà vu…
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Dialogue | Cantonese Opera
07.05.2019, Seminar Hall, Xiqu Centre
Cantonese opera plays an important role in the lives of people in Hong Kong. This talk explores its transition from the use of Mandarin to the Cantonese vernacular, demonstrating vocal styles and techniques and offering a deeper understanding of the aesthetic features of the art form
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Shirley Tse: Stakeholders, Hong Kong in Venice
11.05.2019 to 24.11.2019, Venice, Italy
The Venice exhibition is a culmination of Tse’s career-long interest in plasticity and in the various meanings and possible interpretations of materials and things
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Wearable Xiqu-inspired Jewellery Workshop – Hairpin with Imitation Kingfisher Feather
19.05.2019, Atrium, Xiqu Centre
In this fun, free workshop, local artists Kong Hoi-kan and Ng Sze-yu demonstrate how to use ribbons to imitate the effect of kingfisher feathers and help you discover fun facts about the symbolic role of garments and head pieces in xiqu performances
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Indie Music – An International Perspective
21.05.2019, Seminar Hall, Xiqu Centre
Using examples from the US and Britain, Stella Lau, former Programme Director in Performing Arts at HKU SPACE, explores the musical, social and economic relationships that underpin independent music labels, and whether independent artists who become popular in the mainstream can still be labelled “indie”
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Shanghai Pingtan Troupe "Gao Bowen performs Blossoms"
23.05.2019 to 02.06.2019, Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre
This four-part adaptation of an award-winning novel brings to life an intricate tale and showcases the unique charm of the narrative Pingtan tradition. Each part is performed on consecutive evenings, with two complete four-night runs over the programme period
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ExecLab: Executive Short Courses 2019 – University of the Arts London
31.05.2019 to 02.06.2019, Studio, Xiqu Centre
Presented in collaboration with the University of the Arts London Short Courses, this three-day professional course offers insight into the skills required for managing arts and cultural events and developing sustainable creative business
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Choreographic Landscapes
08.06.2019 to 12.06.2019, The Room, Freespace
In this five-day professional workshop, French choreographer Christian Rizzo invites participants to explore choreographic languages and compositions, and the relationship between movement, performance and space. Before the workshop, Rizzo also leads a public discussion on his work and the importance of emptiness as a space for imagination
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Peking Opera Masters North and South: China National Peking Opera Company and Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company
13.06.2019 to 19.06.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
For the opening programme of the 10th Chinese Opera Festival, the China National Peking Opera Company and the Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company showcase the best of China’s Peking opera talents and the outstanding artistry of the northern and southern masters of China’s national art form
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From a True Story – Christian Rizzo
14.06.2019 to 15.06.2019, The Box, Freespace
Hong Kong debut of French choreographer Christian Rizzo’s acclaimed dance work, From a True Story incorporates eight male dancers and two live drummers to blend folkloric gesture and formal contemporary movement with repetitive, earthy, tribal rhythms, creating a work that strikes at the core of human experience
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Guangdong Quadrangle – Four Folk Music Types in Concert
04.07.2019 to 07.07.2019, Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre
Showcasing four traditional musical art forms indigenous to Guangdong – Dabayin (festival music), Shuochang (narrative singing) Cantonese music, and Cantonese operatic songs in the classic singing style – this combined programme highlights the unique attraction of these folk art forms and the talent of a number of renowned local artists
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Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theatre
19.07.2019 to 21.07.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
Featuring an award-winning and renowned veteran cast, this series of performances by the Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theatre highlights the elegant charms of Nankun (Kunqu of the Southern school) with a full rendition of The Mistake Caused by a Kite and two classic excerpt programmes showcasing the broad emotional range of the genre
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A Dream Like a Dream
28.07.2019 to 25.08.2019, The Box, Freespace
A Dream Like a Dream is one of the most talked about Chinese-language theatrical innovations. Conceived by acclaimed theatre director Stan Lai in 2002, the play creates a dreamlike experience with a four-sided stage, revolving seating design and an eight-hour performance duration
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The Fragrance of Chrysanthemums and Orchids – A Close Encounter of Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera: Jingkun Theatre and Shandong Peking Opera Theatre
02.08.2019 to 04.08.2019, Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre
Staged in the intimate setting of the Xiqu Centre Tea House Theatre, the three performances in this mixed programme offer audiences a unique experience of two of the most prominent xiqu genres – Peking opera and Kunqu
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GuoGuang Opera Company “Dowager Xiao-Zhuang and Dorgon”
30.08.2019 to 31.08.2019, Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre
Based on Qing dynasty folklore, GuoGuang Opera Company’s royal tragedy explores the depths of the human condition and reflects the new aesthetics of Peking opera in Taiwan
