Season Finale - "A Winter Funeral": A funeral clashes with a wedding Precipitating an escapade crossing mountains and seas

【HKRep】A wedding clashes with a funeral. Should we make merry with the newlyweds, or pay respects to the dead? Israeli master playwright Hanoch Levin details the story of a family determined to throw a daughter’s wedding despite a funeral set on the same date. Throwing caution to the winds, they decide that the party must go on, traversing mountains and crossing the seas to avoid the funeral, enacting a veritable “great escape.” Translated and directed by Weigo Lee, co-directed by HKRep Assistant Artistic Director Fung Wai Hang, A Winter Funeral features Mercy Wong, Chan Kiu, Karrie Tan, Yu Hon Ting, Ko Hon Man, Yau Ting Fai, Lui Si Lan, Vivian Chan and Trickle Choi. This production runs from March 13^th through 28^th at the Hong Kong Arts Centre Shouson Theatre. Tickets are available at URBTIX outlets.

 

A Winter Funeral is about a middle-aged bachelor Lajcek is beholden to his mother’s final wish that all members of her family attend her funeral. Yet the funeral clashes with his cousin’s wedding, resulting in his aunt and her family doing everything they can to avoid the others: climbing up on their roof, dashing across a beach, even climbing the Himalayas to escape from Lajcek’s hot pursuit.

 

Israeli dramatist Hanoch Levin was an expert in mining the conflicts inherent in human nature through the prism of ordinary lives, using humour and farce to shine a light on society. A Winter Funeral was written in 1978 and has since been translated into many languages and staged around the world.

 

Translator and Director Weigo Lee remarks, “A Winter Funeral is portrayed as a surreal comedy, yet it brings out the perennial theme of life and death. While the storyline consists of common events—life’s celebrations and mournings—the imaginative plot borders on the musings of a madman. Not only do viewers enjoy a good belly laugh, but they also ponder the meaning of life.” The play takes us from mountaintops to ocean depths, posing many challenges in staging. The acting ensemble gets physical in portraying their characters and plot twists while inspiring us to examine the value and meaning of life.

Co-director Fung Wai Hang adds, “A Winter Funeral employs the contrast of a wedding and a funeral to delve into the essence of life’s pursuits. Every character is stubborn in his or her own way. But in the hustle and bustle of our world, we realize that ultimately we all face the same thing at the end of the road, where everyone is treated equal. Death may even come out of the blue, throwing everything out of kilter. In the past year, we’ve all weathered unprecedented challenges and hardships. How to find that positive attitude to remain calm or solve problems—these are the gifts that A Winter Funeral bestows upon us.”

 

After a year of intermittent theatre closures and openings, Fung Wai Hang looks forward to seeing A Winter Funeral on stage. “During the pandemic, Hong Kongers’ entertainment mainstay comprises television, film and internet streams, all of which attest to the prominence of art and the performing arts profession, reminding us yet again of art’s function and importance in society. To physically enter the theatre and share the experience of human contact is crucial in soothing and healing the soul. We hope that with the reopening of theatres, the HKRep will again bring fine productions to the public.”

 

Weigo Lee graduated from Drama School of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (Directing). At the Hong Kong Drama Awards, his works have won the Best Director five times (2000, 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2012), namely Cricket in My Life, Spider in Meditation, The Massage King, Art, and Death and The Maiden.

From 1994 to 2006, Lee has served as the Resident Director at the Prospects Theatre and he has conducted most of the company’s productions. Whilst at the position, he has won the Best Overall Performance and seven Top Ten Most Popular Productions awards at the Hong Kong Drama Awards.

 

He has directed over 80 productions for other theatre companies. Recent works have included: Art, Death and The Maiden, Circle Mirror Transformation, Die Firma dankt and The Gin Game for the HKRep; Art and I Ought to Be In Pictures by the Emperor Entertainment Group; The Real Thing by Dayo Wong; Tuesdays with Morrie (TorCanAA) in Toronto, Six Characters in Search of an Author and La Dispute for HKAPA, The Ugly One and The Phenomenon of Man by On & On Theatre Workshop; Proof for the Windmill Grass Theatre; Confessions, Men and Dogs, Waiting for the Match by iStage; as well as God of Carnage, Proof and Collected Stories for the Guangzhou Drama Art Center. His works have been performed around the world, including Canada, Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Macao.

 

In addition to his work as a director, Lee has also translated many plays including: The Gin Game, Art, Trumpets and Raspberries, I Ought to Be In Pictures, Death and The Maiden, The Real Thing, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, RED, Three Tall Women, Circle Mirror Transformation, Proof, Collected Stories, Rabbit Hole, Die Firma dankt and Oleanna .

 

Currently a freelance theatre practitioner, Lee is a committee member of the Theatre Panel of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Expert Advisor to the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme launched by the Home Affairs Bureau of the HKSAR, an artistic advisor of the Macao Arts Festival, an examiner for the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

 

In 2017, Weigo established the Theatre Styles company in Macao and he is currently the artistic director.

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