A quick digest of the coolest weekend happenings in Hong Kong.
Friday, May 10
The National Theatre of Great Britain will be presenting the Hong Kong premiere of its Tony Award-winning production War Horse. Steven Spielberg even adapted it into a 2011 film that starred Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Based on the beloved 1982 novel by British author Michael Morpurgo, the play follows the experiences of Joey, a horse that has been sold to the British army’s cavalry to fight in World War I and is shipped from England to France. Meanwhile, Joey’s owner Albert, who is too young to enlist, embarks on a treacherous mission to bring him home. The play is two hours and 45 minutes long with an intermission.
1pm, 2pm, 6pm and 7:45pm until Sunday, June 2 at, Lyric Theatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Wan Chai. HK$1,245 (War Horse West End Package) HK$395 to HK$1,045 (standard) HK$1,320 to HK$3,488 (family package for two adults and two children under 18), HK$795 (wheelchair) HK$395 (restricted view).
Young Lenses: Hong Kong Stories
This exhibition features photographs by students from the University of Hong Kong, City University, Baptist University and the Savannah College of Art and Design. Non-members are welcome from 10am to 12pm and 3pm to 5:30pm daily, and must register at the concierge before visiting. The exhibition is located at the Main Bar and is only open to adults aged 18 years and over. Dress code is smart casual.
10am to 12pm and 3pm to 5:30pm until May 15 at, North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central. Free.
The Shorties Film Festival is a five-day event showcasing short films by some of Asia’s brightest filmmakers, and will end with an award ceremony and closing party. The festival began this past Tuesday, but there’s still time to check out some of the other films being screened. They include One Bullet (Hong Kong) about a couple who finds themselves trapped on a hillside; The Widow (Japan), a drama following a 40-something widow who recounts her experience of dating a handsome prince charming type who may not actually be what he seems; and Nguyen Gia Phong’s Balance (Vietnam) film documenting the psychology of a gay artist’s struggle with gender discrimination. Click here to see the full schedule.
7pm to 9pm until Saturday, May 11 at, The Hive Studios, 8/F Cheung Hing Industrial Building 12P Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town. HK$120 (four-day package) HK$50 (one-day ticket) HK$100 (finals and closing party) Free (members and students).
RuPaul’s Drag Race Miss Congeniality and All Stars Season 2 finalist Katya Zamolodchikova will be making her Hong Kong debut with her new show Help Me I’m Dying at the Jockey Club Amphitheatre. Standard tickets are available or you can opt for a VIP meet and greet, which includes a photo op with Katya.
8pm to 9pm at, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Wan Chai. HK$1,288 (VIP meet and greet) HK$788 (standard) HK$588 (standard).
Barefoot Love Co: Leather Crafting Workshop
For those of you who still haven’t figured out what to get your mom for Mother’s Day, then here’s an idea: something leather and handmade by you. In this workshop, participants will be learning techniques on how to handle leather and create a custom monogrammed leather cardholder. Materials and equipment will be provided, and proceeds will go to Branches of Hope’s Keeping Kids in Kindergarten for children of refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong.
7pm to 9pm at, MakerHive Hong Kong, Cheung Hing Industrial Building, 10F, 12P Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town. HK$580.
Eclectic Theatre presents The Pillowman
English language theater group Eclectic Theatre will be performing Martin McDonagh’s black comedy play set in an unnamed totalitarian state. The protagonist is a writer called Katurian, who suddenly finds himself at the mercy of two police officers questioning him about some violent child murders that took place in circumstances similar to three of his stories — and he and his brother are the prime suspects. Guests need to be at least 15 years of age to watch the performance.
7pm to 9:30pm at, Hong Kong Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central. HK$300 (adult) HK$240 (Fringe members) HK$250 (full-time students, and concessions).
Mad about mozzarella? Artisanal cheesemaker Jacopo Bioni will be teaching you how it’s made in this live demonstration. Bioni grew up in a family of cheesemakers and has spent the past 10 years introducing the family tradition to parts of Asia that are discovering the art and science of cheese. Guests also get a 125-gram fresh mozzarella basket to take home. Seats are limited; contact +852 28329799 to book a spot.
7pm to 9:30pm at, Dante Alighieri Society Hong Kong, 1/F, Honest Building, 9-11 Leighton Road, Wan Chai. HK$150 (non-members) HK$120 (members).
Tai Tai Pie Pie and Gwei-Lo Beer Block Party
Locally produced pies and beer under one roof — craft brewery Gwei-Lo beer and pie store Tai Tai Pie Pie will be launching what has been described as Hong Kong’s only pie and beer shop with a block party. For HK$50, visitors will get two Gweilo craft beers and one Tai Tai pie of their choice (valued at HK$150), from 5pm to 8pm. After 8pm, all pies will be 50 percent off, and beers will be HK$25 to HK$40 all night. There will also be live music.
5pm to 8pm at, The Pie & Beer Shack by Tai Tai Pie Pies, G/F, Shop 75-76, the Apartment O (alleyway), 5 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay. HK$50.
The Hard Rock Cafe will be hosting a night of ’90s rock’n’roll tunes. And selling booze. Obviously.
9:45pm to 2:30am at, Hard Rock Cafe Hong Kong, L/G, LKF Tower, 55 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central.
Avengers: Endgame Exhibition in Causeway Bay
Avengers fans, assemble. If you’re excited about the newest Avengers film and want a chance to pose for a photo with Captain America, the Hulk, and Thanos, then Lee Garden’s where it’s at. This is your last chance to grab that selfie with Iron Man, so Godspeed.
All day until Monday, May 13 at, Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay. Free.
Saturday, May 11
Phill Jupitus Live in Hong Kong
British comedian Phill Jupitus is a familiar face on British television shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and QI. In 2017, he returned to the world of stand-up performing tours in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and most recently at the Edinburgh Fringe.
8pm at, Grappa’s Cellar, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central. HK$1,500 (VIP booth, six people max) HK$400 (standard).
This exhibition will for the first time display drawings, paintings and notes by artist Lee Wen dating from 1978 to 2014. Lee is a Singaporean performance artists oft-credited as the man who shaped the development of performance art in Asia, and introducing contemporary art to Singapore. One of Lee’s most notable works includes The Journey of a Yellow Man, a series of installation and performances that evolved from a critique of Orientalism to a mediation on freedom, climate change, humility, and religious practices. This exhibition is in memory of Lee who died last month.
10am to 6pm until Saturday, June 29 at, Asia Art Archive, 11/F Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan. Free.
From Drawing to Performance: The Lee Wen Archive
Asia Art Archive will also be holding this talk about performance art and why it’s important, using the works of Lee Wen as the starting point. The talk will introduce Lee’s work, how his training in drawing and painting led to the foundation for his work as a performance artist, and also talk about key moments in the history of performance art in Singapore.
11am to 12:30pm at, A Space, Asia Art Archive 10/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan.
If you’re still scrambling for a mother’s day gift, head on down to Hong Kong Football for their Mother’s Day fair which will have a fair full of artisanal gifts for the mom in your life.
10am to 7pm until Monday, May 13 at, Lockhart Room, 3 Sports Rd, Happy Valley. Free.
Dungeons & Dragons Introduction Session
Press Start will be teaching participants how to play the popular fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. There will be dice, silly voices, and one epic adventure.
2pm to 5pm at, Press Start Hong Kong, 18-20 Gilman’s Bazaar, Central. Free.
Sunday, May 12
GLUESTICK FEST: Kero Kero Bonito, Phum Viphurit, Sunset Rollercoaster, ØZI and More
Gluestick is an independent music events organizer and promoter that has hosted a number of sold out shows since it was founded in 2017. In May, they’ll bee hosting a mini festival where the lineup includes Thailand’s resident “lover boy” Phum Viphurit, Taiwanese indie soul sensation Sunset Rollercoaster and budding rap/R&B-star ØZI and more.
6pm to 11:30pm at, Rotunda Hall 3, 6/F, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay. HK$680.
This handmade craft market will feature local and independent vendors selling their handmade and self-designed wares. There will be bags, jewelry, home accessories, fine art, stationery and paper crafts, and children’s accessories. Promo for the market promises visitors that it’ll be packed with one-of-a-kind and limited edition items.
11am to 6pm at, Discovery Bay Main Plaza, Discovery Bay Plaza, Discovery Bay Road, Discovery Bay, Lantau. Free.
The traveling exhibition “Van Gogh Alive” has travelled to many corners of the globe, from Anchorage, Alaska to Singapore, and it’s now in Hong Kong. Running here until July, this immersive exhibition will display more than 3,000 artworks on LED screens, floors, ceiling and walls, set to a classical music score that will take visitors on a journey through Arles, where he painted his famous bedroom; Saint-Rémy where he entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum and painted his famous The Starry Night scene depicting the view outside his sanitarium room window at night; and to Auvers-sur-Oise where he painted Wheatfield With Crows and many other works until his death in 1890.
10am to 9pm (Mon-Thurs) and 10am to 10pm (Fri-Sun and public holidays) until Sunday, July 7 at, 1/F, FTLife Tower, 18 Sheung Yuet Road, Kowloon Bay. Free (children under the age of 4), HK$190 (children aged 4-15, full-time students and concessions) HK$230 (aged 15 years and over) HK$550 (family tickets for two adults and one child).
Picturing Bauhaus: Erich Consemüller’s Photography of the World’s most famous Design School
This exhibition, by Germany’s Klassik Stiftung Weimar, will display some photos by Bauhaus artist Erich Consemüller to celebrate 100 years of Bauhaus. This exhibition will provide insight into the world of the influential design school’s teachers, students, and output. Consemüller documented the early years of the institution in about 300 photos taken in 1926 and 1927, here on loan from a private Berlin collection.
10am to 8:30pm (Monday to Friday) 10am to 6pm (Saturday) until Friday, May 31 at, Goethe-Institut Hongkong, 14/F Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Free.
BrainXEyes: Claudia Chanhoi Exhibition
Claudia Chanhoi is a Hong Kong-based illustrator who creates colorful cartoons to show her personal experiences as a heterosexual woman living in today’s modern dating world, and her views on female sexuality. The result is a set of distinctive and quirky images that feature some very suggestive images.
5pm to 12am on Tuesday to Thursday; 5pm to 3am on Friday to Saturday; 3pm to 12am on Sunday, until Wednesday, May 22 at, Chez Trente, 6 Chung Wo Lane, Soho, Central. Free.
Caméra-stylo As Such｜a solo exhibition by Anson Mak
This solo exhibition by moving image and sound artist Anson Mak presents two sets of works called One Place, Two Systems, Ten Years and Never Cross A River Twice. One Place, Two Systems, Ten Years is a lens0based media installation that explores the everyday lives of people who live in Kwun Ton and how it changes through the years, while Never Cross A River Twice is a single channel film that explores the notion of disappearance and memory. This exibition will also feature outdoor screenings and talks by the artist.
12pm to 7pm until Thursday, May 30 at, Videotage, Unit 13, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, Kowloon. Free.
Picturing Bauhaus: Erich Consemüller’s Photography of the World’s most famous Design School
This exhibition, by Germany’s Klassik Stiftung Weimar, will display some photos by Bauhaus artist Erich Consemüller to celebrate 100 years of Bauhaus. This exhibition will provide insight into the world of the influential design school’s teachers, students, and output. Consemüller documented the early years of the institution in about 300 photos taken in 1926 and 1927, here on loan from a private Berlin collection.
10am to 8:30pm (Monday to Friday) 10am to 6pm (Saturday) until Friday, May 31 at, Goethe-Institut Hongkong, 14/F Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Free.
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