Whenever theatre artist Derek Chan (陳嘉昊) embarks on a new project, he asks a simple question: why are we doing this? The Hong Kong-born Chan had an easy answer for himself when it came to A Taste of Hong Kong. That’s because this show offers a reminder of the pride and determination of Hong Kong people, who’ve endured difficult times in recent years.
“First and foremost, please don’t forget about Hong Kong,” Chan tells Pancouver over Zoom. “Please don’t forget about us.”
Pi Theatre will present A Taste of Hong Kong at Vancity Culture Lab (1895 Venables) from March 6 to 15 in association with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct). Directed by Pi’s artistic and producing director Richard Wolfe, the solo show stars Chan as Jackie Z, a recent Hong Kong expat leading a food-tasting class in Canada.
“Jackie is almost an amalgamation of a lot of Hong Kongers who’ve had to leave their home because they took part in the protests or supported the protests,” explains Chan, vACT’s artistic director. “Under the national security law in Hong Kong, people can get arrested and are still being arrested for these things.”
In his tasting class, Jackie offers his thoughts about Hong Kong history and his personal life. In addition, he offers glimmers of hope for the future. Throughout the show, Jackie also shares edible Hong Kong treats with audience members.
“A lot of the food that Jackie talks about in the show also happens to be my favourite street foods, snacks, and comfort food,” Chan acknowledges.
Hong Kong freedom on the menu
The playwright is only identified as “Anonymous”. According to Pi Theatre, this is intended “to avoid reprisals by the security services of a foreign government”.
“In other words, some Canadian artists living in Canada don’t feel they have the artistic freedom to reflect their political views through artistic expression here in our country,” Pi Theatre maintains on its website. “This kind of coercion is a common page in every authoritarian’s playbook.”
Given the subject matter, Pancouver asks Chan if he’s concerned about any of the performances being disrupted.
“You might be the first person to ask this specifically, so I appreciate that,” Chan replies. “We’re not expecting interruptions or, say, counter-protests or surveillance.”
However, he reveals that the team has taken additional measures to protect the playwright’s identity. In addition, they’ve developed protocols in case anything happens in the theatre.
“We’re very clear about the playwright’s and our political stance,” Chan continues. “But ultimately, what the playwright is trying to do it to remind us of the love through food… And it’s such a good doorway for us to talk about difficult things. Because if you think about it, when families talk about difficult things, it’s at the dinner table.”
He admits that doing a solo show can feel lonely in comparison with performing alongside other cast members. In A Taste of Hong Kong, Chan describes the design elements and the audience members as his “scene partners”.
Scenes hit close to home
Chan also had to memorize lines written by a playwright who organized thoughts about Hong Kong in ways that didn’t always match his own. He says that in some rehearsals, this caused him to go blank on certain lines.
That’s because his own thoughts and reactions suddenly intruded into his mind as he reflected on certain situations in Hong Kong. He moved away from the city in 2003.
“So many of Jackie’s stories are getting quite close to my own personal experiences or feelings about the place and the people I personally left behind,” Chan discloses.
In recent years, Chan has spent more time directing than performing on-stage. He has been delighted to be able to work with Wolfe, who is one of Vancouver’s most experienced directors. In total, Wolfe-directed shows have received more than 60 Jessie Awards nominations. Wolfe himself has won two and been nominated for four others for directing.
“What I learned is, really, his management—how he paces the rehearsals and how he was able to really identify my needs as an actor on-stage,” Chan relates. “He is very good at being specific with each moment.”
Pi Theatre in association with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre will present the world premiere of A Taste of Hong Kong by Anonymous. It runs from from March 6 to 15 at Vancity Culture Lab (1895 Venables). Tickets are available online at thecultch.com.
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