The Tamed and the Tempted | Behind the fun is a battle between tamer and the tamed | Amidst the laughter is a tussle between civilisation and animal instincts

Behind the fun is a battle between tamer and the tamed 
Amidst the laughter is a tussle between civilisation and animal instincts
The Tamed and the Tempted

 
【HKRep】In the early 20^th century, Shek Tong Tsui was a popular place festooned with colourful décor, where men frequented brothels to find pleasure and satisfy desires. Inside such establishments, people mingle and test each other’s wit. Happy talk might be in the air, but ominous undercurrents linger. When a man believes he holds a winning hand, a woman’s smile can flip the game. Love stories do not apply; being coy is a trap; a snare lies behind a smile. As glasses clink amidst rounds of toasts, scenarios turn at every whim. Who wins the game of “taming” the other sex? Following The Diary of Song and Moscow Express, HKRep Artistic Director Poon Wai Sum and Lee Chun Chow again collaborate, distilling the secrets of human character in a world steeped in magical realism. The Tamed and the Tempted, written by HKRep Artistic Director Poon Wai Sum and directed by Lee Chun Chow, features Kiki Cheung, Wong Hiu Yee, Mercy Wong, Karrie Tan, Luk Ka Ki, Ng Ka Leung, Poon Tai Ming, Dee To, Angus Chan, Eddy Au Yeung and Chan Wai Fat. The production runs from 17th May to 1st June at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre. An additional matinee (31st May) has been added because of strong advance sales. Tickets are available now from URBTIX outlets.
 
The Tamed and the Tempted: Based on the western shore of Hong Kong Island of yesteryear, The Tamed and the Tempted delves deep into the immutable question: how the two sexes see and are seen, how they tame and are tamed, how they love and are loved. History and time are distorted, transforming the erstwhile “red light district” into a carnival of battles and conquests.
 
Playwright Poon Wai Sum shares his thoughts on the creative concept: “The idea stems from our Theatre Literature department colleagues, who reminded me of the history of Shek Tong Tsui, as in the sights and sounds of Hong Kong in the 1930s, not just the district but also the courtesans of that era. I was curious about the roles of prostitutes and their customers: in the end, who is the tamer and who the tamed? This story is infused with the ups and downs of human relationships as well as humanity in general. 
 
The ‘taming’ borrows the title from the Shakespearean classic, but not much else. The Tamed and the Tempted will be an uproarious comedy, one that may even supersede Scapin in Jiānghú, Chap. 2023!”
 
Director Lee Chun Chow states: “I have the opportunity to work with the HKRep again, this time leading The Tamed and the Tempted team in imagination and creativity, transporting Poon Wai Sum’s script to the stage. Together we inject even more comic elements to push the story forward. Poon’s script is based on historical juxtaposition, enabling the team to incorporate different eras with ease while having great fun in the process. We hope that as audiences laugh with glee, they can also savour the subtleties in the play’s message.”
 
About Playwright  Poon Wai Sum
Prior to becoming the Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre in 2023, Poon Wai Sum held the post of Dean of the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 2017 to 2022, after having served as Resident Playwright and Discipline Leader of Dramatic Writing from 2012 to 2017. Previously, he was the Artistic Director of Prospects Theatre Company from 1993 to 2012. He was awarded the Drama Practitioner Annual Achievement Award in 1999 and the Award for Arts Achievement in 2003 from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and was awardee of the Secretary for Home Affairs’ Recommendation Scheme in 2006. He is currently Adjunct Professor at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and a member of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. 
 
His recent award-winning plays include Moscow Express, The Diary of Song, Hu Xue Yan, my Dear and The Emperor, his Mom, a Eunuch and a Man. His publications include The Insects Series – An Anthology of Plays by Poon Wai Sum, Man of Tiger – A Collection of Short Stories by Poon Wai Sum, Poon Wai Sum: The Two-Handed – The Diary of Song, Confrontations and The Isle.
 
About Director Lee Chun Chow
Lee Chun Chow completed a postgraduate diploma course on East/West Theatre Studies at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Professional and Continuing Education. As a five-time Best Director at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, he was formerly an actor and assistant artistic director at the Chung Ying Theatre Company, where his performances in The Old Master Q, The Legend of Zhong Kui and The Merchant of China won him three Hong Kong Drama Awards as Best Leading Actor. For his performance in The Alchemist, Lee received the accolade of Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Drama Awards. He was also an Outstanding Leading Actor for the title role in Ho Chi Minh On Trial and Best Director for Floating at the Hong Kong Theatre Libre.

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