Speaking in Tongues

In face of loneliness and love, we become speechless like mayflies

The play starts off with two couples embroiled in extra-marital affairs. A high-heeled shoe in the bushes, a therapy session, a few phone messages and numerous love letters trace the overlapping relationships and conflicting emotional associations entangling nine characters. Loneliness and marital bonds are overwhelmed by the thrill to connect intimately with a stranger. Why are we so ill-equipped to speak of love? Despite our best efforts in expressing our emotions, words often fail to communicate what is lodged deep in our hearts.
 
The 1996 premiere of Andrew Bovell’s Speaking in Tongues in Sydney was greeted with tremendous acclaim. Since then, the play has been mounted in Europe and America. Speaking in Tongues features a cast of four, exploring the story and its ramifications from different angles as the narrative traverses time and space. Audiences who attended our Reader’s Theatre of Speaking in Tongues were enthusiastic. Adapted for Cantonese and directed by HKRep Artistic Director Anthony Chan, Speaking in Tongues focuses our attention on the intricate desires and temptations of men and women in our cosmopolitan world.