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Opera Director Greg Eldridge Looks to Inform and Entertain Hong Kong Audiences

Opera has always balanced tradition with reinvention. While the great works of the repertoire may be centuries old, each new production depends on artists who can reinterpret them for modern audiences. For Australian-born opera director Greg Eldridge, that balance between history and contemporary performance has shaped a career that now spans major opera houses, universities, and international collaborations.

This week, audiences and students in Hong Kong will have a rare chance to hear directly from Eldridge when he appears as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series presented by the English Department at the University of Hong Kong. His visit will include a public lecture and a series of workshops with emerging performers — oﬀering insight into the evolution of acting for the operatic stage from early history through to today.

For anyone curious about the craft behind opera, the event promises a practical look inside one of the performing arts’ most complex collaborative forms.

A Connection to the Asia-Pacific Region.

Although much of Eldridge’s career has been spent working in Europe and North America, he maintains strong ties to the Asia-Pacific region.

“I’m so excited to be visiting Hong Kong for these workshops”, Eldridge says. “Not just because it brings me closer to my home in Australia, but also because there is such a wealth of talent in this part of the world”.

Those connections are one of the reasons he is looking forward to engaging directly with Hong Kong’s performing arts community during his visit.

“I’m so looking forward to working with the University for my workshops, and can’t wait to meet the next generation of opera talent right here in Hong Kong.”

An International Career in Opera

Opera directing today is an inherently international profession. Directors often move between projects and companies, adapting to diﬀerent artistic traditions and performance cultures. For Eldridge, that global environment has become a defining part of his professional life.

Eldridge began his career in Australia before moving into the international opera circuit, where he has now worked on over 80 productions in 14 countries. Early recognition came when he joined the prestigious Je:e Parker Young Arst Programme at the Royal Opera House in London, and, following several 5-star productions, in 2015 the Royal Opera created the position of Jette Parker Associate Director especially for him.

Since then, Eldridge has collaborated with opera companies and festivals throughout Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. His work has included projects in countries ranging from Germany and Iceland to Australia and the United States, and at major international theatres including Teatro Real in Spain, Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England, LA Opera in the USA and Den Norske Opera in Norway. Eldridge will come to Hong Kong fresh from working on Sir David McVicar’s new Ring Cycle at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, before returning to Germany to direct a new production of The Lodger for Oper Wuppertal.

Looking Ahead to 2027

The lecture and workshops will also oﬀer a preview of a much larger project already planned for the city.

In 2027, Eldridge will return to Hong Kong to direct a new production of L’Incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi. The opera will be staged by OperaBox and is expected to mark a historic milestone: the first time a Baroque opera has been staged in Hong Kong.

Premiered in 1643, L’Incoronazione di Poppea is widely regarded as one of the earliest masterpieces of the operatic repertoire. Its story — chronicling the rise of Poppea to become the wife of the Roman emperor Nero — blends political ambition, romance, and moral ambiguity in ways that still resonate with modern audiences.

Baroque opera places particular demands on directors and performers, requiring a careful balance between historical style and contemporary storytelling. Eldridge’s work on the production will introduce Hong Kong audiences to a repertoire that is increasingly popular on international stages but rarely performed locally.

A Rare Opportunity to See the Creative Process Up Close

Because of that upcoming production, Eldridge’s visit to the University of Hong Kong carries added significance – this lecture and workshop series will be the only opportunity for the public to see him at work in Hong Kong before he returns in 2027.

For audiences, it oﬀers a glimpse into the creative thinking that goes into staging opera — long before a production reaches the theatre.

The University of Hong Kong presents Greg Eldridge as part of its 2026 Distinguished Lecture Series. For full details and to book a place for the lecture and workshops, please visit: www.english.hku.hk.

For information about Opera Box’s 2027 production of L’Incoronazione di Poppea, please visit: www.operabox.org

Text: Alexis Speed
Images: Edmond Choo

Distinguished Lecture Series 2025-26: Greg Eldridge
Date: 4:30pm, 17 March 2026
Venue: HKU Black Box, Room 54, LG/F, Centennial Campus
Tickets: Free with registration here

Cirque Returns to Hong Kong

Cirque du Soleil returns to Hong Kong this week with Kooza, a circus-themed extravaganza that has been extensively reworked since its first appearance here in 2018.

As Duncan Fisher, Chief Show Operations Officer of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said at the launch, the Central Harbourfront venue is a stunning location: watch the sunset before the show commences, enjoy a night-time Star Ferry ride across the harbour afterwards while marvelling at the beauty of our home under lights.

There is something wonderful about seeing a show under the ‘big top’ – so different from our many bland concrete box venues with terrible acoustics – you feel part of the show. Especially since Kooza 2.0 is a much more engaging experience than the original.

While the underlying story remains the same. There are new acts – I don’t want to give too many spoilers here – and much of the cast has changed, bringing new and different skills to the show. The band is tight and sounds great under the big top.

After having been a Cirque ‘desert’ – 4 shows in thirty years – the future looks far more exciting with Mr Fisher saying that he hopes to bring a different show to the Hong Kong harbourfront every two years and establish Hong Kong as a signature Cirque city on a par with New York and London. Can’t you just ‘see’ senior government and HKTB officials making heart signs with their hands on hearing that!

If there’s one criticism of Kooza, it’s that there’s not an ounce of localisation to the show… How difficult would it be to tweak the clown parts to include a little play on the local stereotypes of each city visited? There is a ‘dog’ in the show which was funny – but I looked at it and thought with Hong Kong’s current panda obsession, how funny it would have been if it had been a panda…

Kooza’s season in Hong Kong has been extended to 13 July.

Images: copyright Simon Durrant

Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza
Date: 21 May – 13 July 2025
Venue: Central Harbourfront
Tickets: $1,988, $1,698, $1,298, $998, $758, $600, $450
More info:
Wednesdays: 7:30pm
Thursdays: 7:30pm
Fridays: 7:30pm
Saturdays: 1pm, 4:30pm, 8pm
Sundays: 1pm & 4:30pm

Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream)

Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream) is a short film, available on youtube, created by the Hong Kong Ballet and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra which depicts Mozart’s journey from the classical era to a psychedelic urbanscape in frenetic Hong Kong.

Director and production designer Ahong Cheung combines Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik performed by the HK Phil and choreography from HKB’s Artistic Director Septime Webre to transform the streets of Hong Kong into a vibrant Blade Runner style cyber-verse.

https://youtu.be/h9M4zUmHNwo

HKBallet + HKPhil present Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream) (https://youtu.be/h9M4zUmHNwo)

A disoriented Mozart finds himself in retro-futuristic SoHo pursued by ominous authority figures. While cyber-goth gangsters, mahjong players, street musicians, construction workers, and pedestrians mill about on the bustling streets.

images: hk ballet

I Hate Hamlet!

To be or not to be – that is the question facing celebrity TV actor Andrew Rally (Hamish Campbell). To be Hamlet in a prestigious production in New York’s Central Park, or not to be Hamlet and stick to what he knows best – phone-it-in acting on a cheesy but popular TV show.

His girlfriend (Kate Mulligan) and his agent (Kath O’Connor) want him to take the role; his Hollywood buddy (Mike Pizzuto) and real-estate agent (Jane Archibald) do not. As for Andrew, he’s just not sure he’s capable of the Bard. Plus he’s seriously worried about the slings and arrows of outraged critics!

Enter the ghost of John Barrymore (Neville Sarony), dressed in high Shakespearean garb and determined to help Andrew fulfill his actor’s destiny. What a piece of work is Barrymore! Noble in reason and infinite in faculty, and yet Andrew remains suspicious that Barrymore may smile and smile and be a villain.

Playwright Paul Rudnick had the idea for I Hate Hamlet! when he lived in John Barrymore’s apartment in New York in the late 1980s. This Hong Kong Players production is directed by Jodi Gilchrist.

So, what’s a man to do? It’s said that all the world’s a stage and each must play his part… the question is, which part?

Cast
Andrew Rally – Hamish Campbell
John Barrymore – Neville Sarony
Deirdre McDavey – Kate Mulligan
Lillian Troy – Kath O’Connor
Felicia Dantine – Jane Archibald
Gary Lefkowitz – Mike Pizzuto

Director: Jodi Gilchrist
Assistant Director: Sarah Kidd

I Hate Hamlet!
Hong Kong Players
Date: 1-4 March, 2017
Venue: Fringe Club, Fringe Underground
Tickets: $280 from www.art-mate.net

I Hate Hamlet!

Playwright Paul Rudnick had the idea for I Hate Hamlet! when he lived in John Barrymore’s apartment in New York in the late 1980s. This Hong Kong Players production is directed by Jodi Gilchrist.

So, what’s a man to do? It’s said that all the world’s a stage and each must play his part… the question is, which part?

Director: Jodi Gilchrist
Assistant Director: Sarah Kidd

I Hate Hamlet!
Hong Kong Players
Date: 1-4 March, 2017
Venue: Fringe Club, Fringe Underground
Tickets: $280 from www.art-mate.net

What are The Colours of Humanity?

What are The Colours of Humanity? This is the intriguing question posed by the International Black Box Festival 2016 (ibb2016) which aspires that audiences immerse themselves in different artistic realms to discover the many colours of humanity. Organised by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre the festival runs from 15 October to 20 November and features productions encompassing a wide range of styles each presenting a different approach to the dramatic text.

HK Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director Anthony Chan commented, “These six highly anticipated productions are all stylistically unique. We live in an age of complicated emotions and relationships that affect not only the nature of human connection but also our thinking beyond national boundaries. We aim to provide our audience with a wide vista where imagination and creativity roam free among the many facets of our collective, civilized spirit.”

The curator of ibb2016 Fung Wai Hang explains this year’s focus. “For the inaugural Black Box Festival we chose the theme of ‘body and movement’, while this year we focus on the ‘dramatic text’. In recent years, different approaches to the dramatic text have surfaced. We hope to establish a platform for international exchange, so that our local theatre professionals and enthusiasts can enjoy an enriching encounter with visiting artists through workshops and lectures.”

International Black Box Festival 2016 Programme

La Voix Humaine – Toneelgroep Amsterdam (Netherlands)
15-17 April, 2016 @ HK City Hall, Theatre
During an hour-long performance, a woman is trapped inside a box-like room, holding onto the receiver talking to her ex-lover. For the entire hour, the audience watches her in this emotional roller-coaster ride, becoming de facto “peeping toms”. La voix humaine was written by Jean Cocteau and directed by 2016 Tony Award-winning director Ivo van Hove. (Note this production took place in April).

Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral – Performer Studio (Hong Kong)
15-23 October @ HKRep Black Box
A classic work by the founding father of Singapore theatre Kuo Pao-kun, this play addresses power politics as well as castration, depicting Zheng He’s seven ocean voyages as well as the eunuch admiral’s physical and psychological challenges. It provides a parable on the pressures of modern life, where people are left with little choice: either self-castration or being castrated by others. Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral was written by Kuo Pao-kun, adapted and directed by Tony Wong.

The 9 Fridas – Möbius Strip Theatre (Wales, Taiwan, Hong Kong)
27-30 October @ HKRep Black Box
The 9 fridas is a mosaic combining a patchwork of impressions and stories depicting the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), with characters and their stories echoing the real life of Kahlo herself. The 9 fridas was written by Kaite O’Reilly and directed by Phillip Zarrilli, renowned for his psychophysical acting method.

Asagao – Bkyuyugekitai (Japan)
3-6 November @ HKRep Black Box
Asagao was created especially for the International Black Box Festival by Shed Skin playwright Tsukuda Norihiko, who not only wrote the script but also appears in the production. The story takes place after a husband returns after a six-month stint working away from home to discover a deserted house where morning glory vines have overtaken the walls and even the ceiling. Where is his wife? The story crosses time and space incorporating absurdist elements, humour and irony, at the same time; it is tinged with a sense of helplessness. Asagao is directed by Kamiya Shogo.

White Room – White Room Research Collective (Japan, Hong Kong)
10-13 November @ HKRep Black Box
Created and directed by Waguri Yukio, disciple of Butoh founder Hijikata Tatsumi and principal dancer of Asbestos-kan, White Room combines butoh and text in expressing the hearts and desire of seven patients. Written and directed by Waguri Yukio.

Before After – Creative VaQi (South Korea)
17-20 November @ HKRep Black Box
Divided into sections based on time, Before After shows the changes that occur before and after a devastating event. A time before and after is created after a tragic, irreversible event. What experiences do we go through that make us realise that an event has affected ‘our’ lives? What happens as a point in ‘my’ time on stage suddenly meets ‘yours’ space. Before After is a collective work directed by Kyung-sung Lee.

The International Black Box Festival 2016 also includes workshops, talks and a symposium hosted by artists from around the world. Speakers at these events include Theatre du pif’s Artistic Director Bonni Chan, Japanese butoh master Waguri Yukio, Professor Winton Au, Professor Chiu Chui-de, Kaite O’Reilly, Tony Wong, Tsukuda Norihiko and Kyung-sung Lee. For more information on workshops, talks and symposium visit the festival’s website www.hkrep.com/ibb2016.

International Black Box Festival 2016
Date: 15 October – 20 November, 2016
Venue: HK Rep Black Box Theatre
Tickets: $280 from Urbtix

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: 10-12 June 2016

A fantastic musical adventure about an out-of-this-world car that flies through the air and sails the seas. Face Productions’ summer show Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the musical, based on the 1968 film version of Ian Fleming’s children’s book, and featuring an unforgettable score by the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins) is one adventure that audiences will find Truly Scrumptious.

An eccentric inventor, Caractacus Potts finds an old race car on a scrap heap and sets about restoring it with the help of his children Jeremy and Jemima. They soon discover the car has magical properties including the ability to float and fly. Trouble occurs when the evil Baron Bomburst desires the magic car for himself. The family joins forces with Truly Scrumptious and Grandpa Potts to outwit the dastardly Baron and Baroness and their villainous henchman, the Child Catcher in the mysterious land of Vulgaria.

Filled with unforgettable songs, including the Academy Award nominated title song, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a high-flying fun-filled adventure that first opened in London’s West End in 2002 and was the longest-ever running show at the London Palladium. The Face Productions show is directed by Candice Caalsen, who headed last year’s award-winning Legally Blonde.

In addition to the full version, Face Academy offers an abridged interpretation to showcase younger performing arts talents in Hong Kong.

Cast
Caractacus Pott – Samuel J Craig
Jenny Potts – Charlotte Blyth
Jemima Potts – Jorja Townson
Grandpa Potts – Terry Hart
Truly Scrumptious – Michelle Edwards
Lord Scrumptious /Baron Bomburst – Angus Scott
Baroness Bomburst – Moe Moss
Toymaker /Ensemble – Kirill Voloshin
The Childcatcher /Ensemble – Barry O’Rouke
Boris – Conor O’Grady
Goran – Jade Elizabeth du Toit

Production Team
Director: Candice Caalsen
Assistant Director: Conor O’Grady
Choreographer: Claire Johnson
Musical Director: Enrico Narvaez
Vocal Director:Jessica Peralta
Producer: Kenix Ho

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Date: 10-12 June, 2016
Venue: HKAPA, Drama Theatre
Tickets: $395 from HKTicketing
More info:
10-12 June – 7:30pm
12 June – 3pm

By Face Academy
11-12 June – 11am
11 June 3pm
$275

Kennedy – World Premiere

It’s not often we have the World Premiere of a stage show in Hong Kong, especially one that is written and produced in English by HongKongers. But that’s what you’ll be able to see this week at the HK Arts Centre as José Manuel Sevilla’s new play Kennedy has it’s World Premiere under the production and direction of Adam Harris.

Written by the award-winning Spanish poet José Manuel Sevilla who penned the local production of The Bridge in 2011, Kennedy is a noirish tale of loss and redemption set in late 20th Century Barcelona. Recently released from prison, Kennedy seeks his sister, Beatriz. Both escape from the reality of their lives into philosophical flights of fancy that keep the shadows at bay.

bc spoke to José Manuel Sevilla and Adam Harris about Kennedy which has as Adam puts it “Strong strong adult themes, language” and nudity” not Harris hastens to add his…

José Manuel Sevilla – Playwright

How do u feel when the world premiere of a show approaches?
Nervous but déjà vu type nervous; back to the pure, simple excitement of the first things in life – rejuvenating.

Are you very hands off once you find a producer, or do you like to be involved in the production?
Totally hands off, I want to be in both sides and feel like both a creator and the public, it is part of the excitement.

Do you feel your works are open to wide interpretation, or do you have a very fixed idea in your mind as to how the work should look on stage?
When I write I actually transcript on a paper a play that is represented in my head, that is already an interpretation. Directors and actors take my words and put them in their lips, they give them sound and thought and gesture: all acts of living are a sort of interpretation.

Of the various stage interpretations of your works, which have you enjoyed most and which have you gone wow didn’t see it that way?
What I enjoy most is precisely when I go wow didn’t see it that way, that’s is the origin of learning. I may disagree but it’s still learning.

Do you enjoy watching your words live on stage?
Even more than the words, my biggest joy is the “room” that is created on the stage, the complicities that invite me to enter a special place and time that lives for 90 minutes, the faces, the movements, the feelings. I know the words already, I want to be surprised by the unique silent movie around them just with a simple ticket.

Adam Harris – Director

Did you approach José or did he approach you about staging Kennedy?
José approached me following my staging of his play The Bridge in 2011. The working relationship was established back then.

What attracted you to staging Kennedy?
On first reading it, did you ‘see it’ visually take shape in your mind? I do enjoy walks on the dark side – and this is a play that may be called “heavy” in popular parlance. A look at my recent productions – Macbeth, Medea and Frozen for example – testify to this. However, Kennedy has an element of ethereal, dream-like beauty to it. It is a play in which light and shade are balanced. When first reading it, yes, certain images suggested themselves, some of which stuck.

Any pressure from the author to stage the show as he envisioned it?
Absolutely none. As with The Bridge, José gave me the script and said “do what you will with it”. He is very particular about not being involved in the process of turning a script into a performance.

How do you feel about staging a World Premiere?
It is exciting to know that this is a new thing, an entirely new thing. A sense of responsibility of course, like that felt by a midwife bringing a life into the world.

Are there any differences in preparing and creating a show that’s never been performed before?
You are freed of prior conceptions in the audience’s minds about how the play should be. This is quite empowering. On the box office front, regrettably an unknown play can expect to do less well. People in Hong Kong are so busy that the name Coward, Wilde or Albee may catch their eye. New work is less supported in Hong Kong than in should be.

Kennedy
Date: 8pm, 17-19 March, 2016
Venue: HK Arts Centre, McAulay Studio
Tickets: $200/$180 from Urbtix